日本語
한국어
Polski
Deutsch
Nederlands
Español
Français
Português
Italiano
Svenska
繁體中文
Dansk
// DOSSIER — us-expands-sanctions-cuba-targeting-raul-castro-grandson
U.S. Expands Sanctions on Cuba, Targeting Raúl Castro's Grandson and State Financial, Energy, and Mining Entities
REL_TIME: 06 Sep 2026 06:12Z · LANG: EN
The United States government has imposed a new wave of financial sanctions targeting a grandson of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, the state-owned Banco Exterior de Cuba, and four key enterprises operating in the island's energy and mining sectors. Implemented under Executive Order 14404 by the Trump administration, the actions aim to squeeze the Cuban regime's financial and resource networks amid severe domestic energy shortages and blackouts. While U.S. officials state the measures are designed to pressure the regime toward democratic change, Cuban authorities have strongly condemned the actions as a form of genocide and collective punishment meant to induce humanitarian hardship.
// Background
The sanctions are part of an aggressive escalation of U.S. pressure against Cuba under President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Cuba has faced critical fuel shortages, daily blackouts surpassing 24 hours, and severe foreign exchange deficits. Previous actions in 2026 have included indictments against Raúl Castro, multiple rounds of sanctions against high-ranking officials and family members, and restrictions on oil shipments.
// Key Developments
- Fidel Ernesto Castro Calis, 31-year-old grandson of Raúl Castro, was added to the Specially Designated Nationals list.
- Banco Exterior de Cuba and four state-owned companies (Comercial CUPET S.A., Abapet, Cexni, and Nicarotec) were sanctioned.
- Abapet and energy entities import critical equipment and spare parts necessary to maintain Cuba's crumbling power grid.
- The sanctions block all property and interests under U.S. control and permit secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions dealing with the targeted entities.
- The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a general license authorizing transactions for official activities of third-country diplomatic missions.
// Timeline
-
President Donald Trump signs Executive Order 14404 authorizing broad sanctions against entities upholding the Cuban regime or operating in strategic sectors.
-
The U.S. imposes sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, Alejandro Castro Espín, and other members of the Díaz-Canel and Castro families.
-
The U.S. issues new sanctions targeting Fidel Ernesto Castro Calis, Banco Exterior de Cuba, and four energy and mining enterprises.
// Perspectives
[United States Government]
Asserts that sanctions are necessary to cut off funds to the repressive Castro regime elites, dismantle illicit financial networks, and push for a free Cuba.
[Cuban Government]
Condemns the sanctions as an act of genocide, collective punishment, and a deliberate attempt to inflict civilian suffering and trigger a humanitarian crisis.
[Independent Analysts]
Note that the measures will further strain Cuba's failing power grid and force the regime into costly procurement workarounds, increasing economic hardship for ordinary civilians.
// Quotes
“These designations reflect President Trump's unwavering vision for a free Cuba — one where the regime's illicit financial networks, repressive apparatuses, and entrenched Castro-era power structures are dismantled, and where the Cuban people, not their oppressors, inherit the nation's future.”
“Collective punishment is a crime. So, too, is inflicting suffering on an entire population through measures coldly calculated to trigger a humanitarian crisis. Enough with the abuse.”
“This past year has been very complex, and we know why. The blockade is a genocide.”
