U.S. Treasury Sanctions Cuba Tourism Ministry and Two State Firms

The United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned Cuba's Ministry of Tourism and two state-owned companies on Monday. The measures target Grupo Empresarial de Transporte Maritimo Portuario and Grupo Empresarial del Comercio Exterior. The department said firms and banks have until August 12 to wind down contracts with the sanctioned entities.

The action follows an executive order issued in May that expanded authority to freeze U.S. assets linked to Cuba's government.

The sanctions come after the U.S. oil blockade that began following the January abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Mexico also stopped fuel shipments to Cuba after U.S. pressure. Cuba experienced its fourth nationwide blackout of the year last week, affecting more than 10 million people.

The U.S. oil blockade has contributed to repeated electricity outages. United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz said during a Fox Business interview on Sunday that Cuba's regime poses a national security threat. He also stated that Russia and China are collecting information around U.S. military bases in Cuba.

During a UN General Assembly debate last week, Waltz said Cuba's leaders should change their ways and restore power. Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla called the sanctions an act of collective punishment and a violation of human rights.

Parrilla stated that U.S. embargoes between March 2025 and February 2026 caused $8 billion in damage, in addition to the fuel blockade's impact.