President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order broadening U.S. sanctions against the Cuban government, two White House officials told Reuters, as he seeks to put more pressure on Havana after ousting Venezuela’s leader from power.
The fresh sanctions target people, entities and affiliates that support the Cuban government’s security apparatus or are complicit in corruption or serious human rights violations, the officials said, as well as agents, officials or supporters of the government.
It was not immediately clear what people or entities were hit with sanctions under the order, which was first reported by Reuters.
The order authorizes secondary sanctions for conducting or facilitating transactions with those targeted under the order, the officials said.
The new sanctions were the latest broadside by the Trump administration against Cuba, which the president has repeatedly declared is near a state of collapse.
Under Trump, U.S. forces have launched strikes on boats off Venezuela and gone into Caracas to seize President Nicolas Maduro, and, with Israel, waged war on Iran since February 28. Trump has said “Cuba is next.” He has not specified what he plans to do with the island nation.
The officials said Trump’s order contained an implicit warning to Cuba, saying the government has aligned itself with Iran and militant groups like Hezbollah.
“Cuba provides a permissive environment for hostile foreign intelligence, military, and terrorist operations less than 100 miles from the American homeland,” one official said.
The U.S. has long demanded Cuba open its state-run economy, pay reparations for properties expropriated by the government of then-leader Fidel Castro and hold “free and fair” elections. Cuba has said its form of socialist government is not up for negotiation.
The U.S. heaped additional sanctions and pressure on the island early this year, when it halted Venezuelan oil exports to Cuba after ousting Maduro on January 3. Trump later threatened to slap punishing tariffs on any other country that sent crude to Cuba, prompting Mexico, another top supplier, to stop shipments to the island.
The fuel shortage in Cuba contributed to three major, national-level blackouts and prompted many foreign airlines to suspend flights to the island.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Michelle Nichols)