US sanctions: Cuba denounces 'genocidal' policy and escalating economic warfare

For over six decades, the United States has relentlessly pursued a policy aimed at crippling Cuba's economy and undermining its sovereignty, all under the guise of promoting the well-being of the Cuban people. This persistent hostility, which Cuban officials rightly condemn as genocidal, has manifested in a comprehensive regime of coercive measures unlike any other applied to a nation.

As detailed by Alejandro García del Toro, deputy director general of the U.S. Affairs Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, these sanctions represent the longest and most integrated system of economic warfare ever imposed. The latest Executive Order, enacted on May 1, 2026, signals a further escalation, abandoning any pretense of subtlety and openly aiming to provoke internal crisis and justify U.S. intervention.

From the restrictions on Cuban sugar in the 1970s to the extraterritorial reach of the Helms-Burton Act in 1996, and the current administration's reinclusion of Cuba on the state sponsors of terrorism list, the U.S. has employed a multifaceted strategy. This includes travel restrictions, the activation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act to intimidate investors, and measures designed to deny Cuba essential fuel supplies.

The objective is clear: to suffocate the Cuban economy, destroy its productive capacity, limit its exports, and ultimately dominate its economic structure. The May 1st Executive Order, with its exacerbated extraterritorial character, allows for the seizure of assets and blocking of business for any entity engaging with Cuba, without prior notification. This aggressive stance, as reported by Granma, underscores Cuba's unwavering resolve to resist U.S. imperialism and defend its right to self-determination.

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al régimen de medidas coercitivas más largo, más integrado que se haya aplicado contra país o gobierno alguno