Biden government imposes US sanctions on 8 Cuban officials | Issues of Human Rights

The US State Department has accused Cuban officials of involvement in the crackdown on dissent.

The United States has banned eight Cuban government officials from entering the country, accusing them of engaging in peaceful protests against protesters last July.

In a statement Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced Cuban officials for “trying to suppress the Cuban people’s grievances, imprisoning them unjustly and imprisoning them harshly”.

The US ambassador to the United States has said he will support a series of demonstrations by Cubans who took to the streets in July. a wave of unprecedented demonstrations against rising food prices, shortages of medicine, and other economic problems on the island.

The US imposed visa bans on 8 Cuban authorities. Those who arrest peace activists and order unjust imprisonment should be prosecuted. We stand with the Cuban people in fighting for their rights.

– Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 6, 2022

“The eight people include Cuban officials who were detained, convicted, and imprisoned by peaceful protesters on July 11,” Blinken said in a statement, which did not name Cuban officials.

The July demonstrations was the largest in Cuba since 1959 under the leadership of Fidel Castro.

Thousands of people took to the streets in frustration over the lack of basic necessities, human rights abuses and the response to the coronavirus epidemic. Hundreds of protesters were arrested.

Travel restrictions are a recent crackdown on Cuba imposed by supervisors of President Joe Biden, who strongly followed the lead of Donald Trump which he strongly criticized on the island.

The US government has previously spoken out in support of Cuban freedom fighters in appreciation of anti-government protests.

The Cuban government has blamed Washington for the recent spate of unrest to disrupt the world, and also said the reversal of US sanctions is due to the economic crisis many people are experiencing.

“The US government is continuing its policy of coercive coercion,” Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said in a statement. tweet Thursday.

“Today’s announcement by the Secretary of State does not change Cuba’s determination to protect its independence.”

In November, more the planned demonstrations were disrupted between the arrest of several protesters in Cuba and the ban on demonstrations. In response, Mr Blinken announced a ban on the travel of nine Cuban officials on the grounds that he said it was similar to protesters.

Blinken said Thursday that about 600 Cuban protesters are still in jail, including some who have seen their health deteriorate and have no proper food or medicine.

“The United States continues to use all necessary diplomatic and economic resources to secure the release of political prisoners and to support the call of the Cuban people to greater freedom and accountability,” he said in a statement.