Cuba calls U.S. sanctions 'act of aggression,' accuses Washington of 'genocidal intentions'

Cuba has strongly condemned the latest round of U.S. sanctions, labeling them an "act of aggression" and accusing Washington of "genocidal intentions" aimed at creating a humanitarian crisis. The sanctions, announced by the U.S. State Department, target nine entities and two officials on the island.

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez asserted that each U.S. act of aggression demonstrates a goal of collective punishment against the Cuban people. He criticized the U.S. for denying the existence of an economic blockade while simultaneously pursuing actions that, he claims, aim to provoke a humanitarian crisis.

The targeted entities include those linked to Cuba's medical missions abroad, which the U.S. accuses of exploiting medical professionals by withholding significant portions of their salaries. Among those sanctioned are the Commercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos S.A. (CSMC), the Unidad Central de Cooperación Médica (UCCM), its director Gretza Sánchez Padrón, and Minister of Public Health José Ángel Portal Miranda.

Rodríguez argued that the "attack against Cuban medical cooperation is equivalent to an aggression against the human right to access health services for hundreds of thousands of people in many parts of the world." He stated that Cuba is being punished for providing a humanitarian and solidarity service recognized internationally. According to Cuba's National Office of Statistics and Information, professional services exports accounted for over 40% of the island's total exports between 2018 and 2020.

Cuban medical brigades, established over six decades ago and having served in 165 countries, have been a focal point of U.S. policy. In recent months, under U.S. pressure, several governments have suspended or reformed their medical cooperation agreements with Cuba. Currently, approximately 24,000 Cuban health professionals work in 56 countries. The new sanctions also include three entities from Cuba's energy sector and the Mariel Container Terminal S.A.