Washington Tightens Screws on Cuba with Fresh Tourism Sanctions

The U.S. Treasury Department has slapped new sanctions on Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism and two state-owned enterprises, escalating tensions between Washington and Havana. The move, announced Monday, targets Grupo Empresarial de Transporte Maritimo Portuario (GEMAR) and Grupo Empresarial del Comercio Exterior (GECOMEX), along with the tourism ministry. Businesses and financial institutions have until August 12 to wrap up existing contracts with these entities without penalty.

The sanctions follow a May executive order that allows the U.S. to freeze assets tied to anyone supporting Cuba’s government or economy, and pressures banks dealing with Cuban firms. U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz labeled Cuba’s regime “a national security threat” on Fox Business Sunday, accusing Russia and China of “collecting information around our military bases in Cuba.” The White House originally imposed a fuel blockade after the U.S. abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, cutting off Cuba’s primary fuel supplier. Mexico, another key supplier, also halted shipments under Washington’s pressure.

The fuel blockade has triggered widespread blackouts across Cuba. More than 10 million people endured a nationwide outage last Friday—the second that week and the fourth this year. During a U.N. General Assembly debate last week, Waltz blamed Cuban leaders, saying, “Change your ways and turn the lights back on for your people.” Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, fired back, calling the sanctions “an act of collective punishment” and “a systematic violation of the human rights of an entire people.” He noted that U.S. embargoes between March 2025 and February 2026 alone caused $8 billion in damage, on top of the “extreme impact” of the fuel blockade.