U.S. continues aggressive escalation against Cuba with new sanctions

Washington, Jul 22 (RHC)-- The United States government continued its aggressive escalation against Cuba. On Thursday, it issued new sanctions against the minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and the National Special Brigade of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT).

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued measures against Army Corps General Alvaro Lopez Miera and the entity attached to the MININT for alleged abuses during the July 11 riots.

Both López Miera and the National Special Brigade were included in the Office of Foreign Assets Control's list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN).

According to OFAC, Cuban authorities repressed 'peaceful demonstrations', although videos circulating in social networks show acts of vandalism and attacks against law enforcement officers and state property.

In addition, it blames the FAR and the MININT for the alleged disappearance of a hundred people in the Caribbean country after the riots. High-ranking Cuban officials publicly denied that statement and confirmed the existence of detainees for violating the laws in force.

In practice, Thursday's decision, adopted under the Global Magnitsky Act, prohibits persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction from negotiating with those sanctioned, as well as to make any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services.

This is in addition to other restrictions against citizens and companies of the largest Caribbean island,  among them Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. and Financiera Cimex SA.

The U.S. agency itself recognizes on its website that with these sanctions, all Cubans are blocked, regardless of whether they appear on the list of citizens specially designated and punished by the Treasury.

It should rather apply unto itself the Magnitsky Global Act for systematic repression and police brutality that took the lives of 1021 persons in 2020.