The US will impose new sanctions on Cuba’s tourism ministry, public companies | Political Affairs

The US Treasury Department posted the new guidance on its website on Monday.

The United States Department of the Treasury has sanctioned the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba and other organizations because of the growing tensions between Havana and Washington, DC.

On Monday, the US imposed sanctions on two state-owned companies: Grupo Empresarial de Transporte Maritimo Portuario (GEMAR) and Grupo Empresarial del Comercio Exterior (GECOMEX), according to sanctions published on the department’s website.

The agency said it is giving companies and financial institutions that do business with state-owned companies until August 12 to terminate existing contracts without penalties.

The new sanctions follow a law in May that allowed the US to freeze any US assets of individuals or organizations that support the Cuban government or economy. The law also increased pressure on banks that work with Cuban corporations.

In an interview on Fox Business on Sunday, United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz called the Cuban government “a national security threat”. Waltz also accused Russia and China of “gathering information around our military base in Cuba”.

The new sanctions are among the latest in Cuba’s latest crisis. The US oil shutdown has caused blackouts. More than 10 million people were affected last Friday in the second weekend and the fourth of the year.

The White House imposed a blockade on Havana after the US impeached Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January. Venezuela was the first supplier of oil to Cuba. Mexico, another supplier, also suspended oil exports following pressure from Washington.

Last week, period UN General Assembly debate, Waltz criticized Cuban leaders for the blackout, saying, “Change your ways and turn the lights back on for your people”.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla condemned the statement and the sanctions, calling them a “collective punishment” and “a detailed violation of the human rights of all people.”

At the debate, Parrilla noted that the total US sanctions between March 2025 and February 2026 alone cost $8bn in damages, including the “significant impact” of the oil blockade.