Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on 2 May 2025 sharply condemned new US sanctions signed by President Donald Trump, calling them "unilateral coercive measures" designed to impose collective punishment on the Cuban people. The denunciation came a day after Trump signed an executive order expanding Washington's economic pressure on Havana, targeting key sectors of the Cuban economy and extending secondary sanctions to foreign financial institutions.

What the Executive Order Contains

President Donald Trump signed the executive order on Friday, blocking all property and interests in property — within the United States or under the control of US persons — belonging to individuals operating in or having operated in Cuba's energy, defence, metals and mining, financial services, and security sectors. The order also covers any other sector of the Cuban economy as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State.

Crucially, the order extends its reach beyond Cuba's borders. It authorises the US government to penalise foreign financial institutions that have conducted or facilitated any significant transaction on behalf of anyone with ties to the Cuban government — a move aimed at limiting Havana's access to the global banking system.

Cuba's Official Response

"We firmly reject the recent unilateral coercive measures adopted" by the US government, Foreign Minister Rodriguez wrote on X. He noted that the announcement coincided with May 1 — International Workers' Day — when, he said, millions of Cubans take to the streets to denounce what Havana describes as the US blockade and an "energy siege."

Rodriguez further argued that "these measures are extraterritorial in nature and violate the United Nations Charter," asserting that Washington has no legal right to impose such measures against Cuba or against third countries and parties that engage with it, according to Xinhua news agency.

Extraterritorial Reach and Secondary Sanctions

The secondary sanctions dimension of Trump's order is particularly significant. By targeting foreign banks and entities that transact with already-sanctioned Cuban-linked individuals, the US effectively places third-country institutions in a position where they must choose between access to the American financial system and continued dealings with Cuba. This approach mirrors mechanisms previously applied against Iran and Venezuela, and critics argue it undermines multilateral trade norms.

Notably, the order also blocks individuals who "own or control, directly or indirectly," any person whose property is already frozen — a broad definition that could sweep in a wide network of Cuban business associates and intermediaries.

Broader Context

The new sanctions represent a sharp escalation in US-Cuba relations under the Trump administration. Washington and Havana have maintained a fraught relationship for decades, with the US embargo — referred to by Cuba as a blockade — having been in place in various forms since 1962. The Biden administration had taken incremental steps to ease some restrictions, but the current executive order signals a firm reversal of that trajectory.

With secondary sanctions now in play, the pressure on Cuba's already strained economy is expected to intensify, and the diplomatic fallout with countries that maintain trade ties with Havana remains to be seen.