Last Updated on June 4, 2020, 7:37 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The United States State Department said that the United States of America added seven Cuban hotels and companies to the list of entities placed under sanctions, including the financial firm named Fincimex which handles the remittances to Cuba.
Remittances sent by the Cubans abroad are one of the primary sources of income along with tourism for the Communist-run island.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in his tweet that the US would continue stopping the flow of money into those people’s pockets who are oppressing the Cuban people. Sixty-one years of dictatorship and oppression are enough.
The State Department said in a statement to the Cuban people that they deserve better and the US stands with them.
The new inclusions in the Cuba Restricted List are seven “subentities” which are controlled by the Cuban military, including three hotels, Fincimex, two diving centres and a tourist marine park.
The statement further added that the addition of financial institution FINCIMEX to the Cuba Restricted List, in particular, will help address the Government’s attempts of controlling the flow of the hard currency which belongs to the Cuban people.
Under the present President Donald Trump, Washington has reversed the thaw in relations with Cuba which had begun under Barack Obama, the predecessor of Trump.
Cuba has been under a US embargo since 1962 and Trump has ramped up the sanctions, as well as suspended or cancelled many of the agreements which were made during Obama’s term.
In October last year, the US had capped family remittances to Cuba at $1,000 per quarter per person and had also prohibited them for officials relatives and the members of Communist Party.
The Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez said in a tweet that it was “shameful and criminal to intensify the blockade” during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has already dealt a severe blow to Cuba’s economy which is highly dependent on tourism.
The US State Department said that the bulk of Cuba’s tourism industry is owned and operated by the Cuban military.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
