Cuba comments on latest U.S. sanctions: "They seek maximum suffering for our people."

Following the latest U.S. sanctions against Cuba, the Caribbean nation's president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, denounced that, in addition to "further tightening the stranglehold" on the island, the measures aim to "inflict maximum suffering" on the Cuban people and undermine the steps Havana is attempting to take to mitigate the pressure from Washington, which has persisted for over six decades.

"The new unilateral coercive measures approved by the U.S. government, in addition to further tightening the stranglehold on Cuba, unmask those who claim the measures target only the Cuban government and its enterprises," the president wrote on his X profile.

Díaz-Canel asserted that these actions, which target the private sector, "clearly demonstrate that their sole intention is to inflict maximum suffering" on the population and "limit the implementation of economic and social transformations."

 Just recently, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released a new list of sanctions, including a ban on U.S. banks opening accounts for individuals identified as "independent private-sector entrepreneurs." Furthermore, "U-turn" transactions, through which banks could process Cuba-related operations that originated and ended outside the United States, are now prohibited, as are transactions involving Cuban entities linked to security agencies.

Additionally, new restrictions for travelers were announced. Specifically, U.S. citizens are now prohibited from traveling to Cuba to attend professional meetings and academic activities. However, the measure excludes educational trips organized under the auspices of a U.S.-accredited institution, travel that has been authorized since the Obama administration.