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US hits Cuba with new sanctions over Venezuela

Friday, 18 October 2019 9:06 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 18 October 2019 9:11 PM ]

The US Department of Commerce (File photo)

The United States says it is imposing new sanctions on Cuba over its support for Venezuela’s government as well as what Washington calls Havana’s violation of human rights.

The US Commerce Department said Friday it would limit Cuba’s access to commercial flight through revoking current licenses for aircraft leases to airlines run by the Cuban government.

Washington will also reject future applications for aircraft leases, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the department said in its statement.

“Additionally, BIS is expanding Cuba sanctions to include more foreign goods containing US content, and is imposing additional restrictions on exports to the Cuban regime,” added the statement.

“This action by the Commerce Department sends another clear message to the Cuban regime – that they must immediately cease their destructive behavior at home and abroad,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

The US and Cuba severed relations in 1961 during the Cold War. Cuba has been under a US economic blockade for over 60 years.

In 2015, the US, under former President Barack Obama, restored diplomatic relations with Cuba. However, his successor, Donald Trump, began to partially roll back the historic rapprochement as soon as he took office in early 2017.

PressTV-Cuba's president warns of looming energy cutbacks

The Cuban president says the country needs to implement emergency measures.

The Trump administration has tightened its decades-old embargo on Cuba over the past few years.

The US measures have included new sanctions on vessels and firms involved in oil exports to Cuba, particularly from its main ally, Venezuela.

Washington says the embargo is aimed at getting the Cuban government to drop support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who Washington seeks to overthrow.

The oil-rich Venezuela plunged into unprecedented political turmoil in January, when opposition figure Juan Guaido declared himself “interim president” of the country, rejecting the outcome of the May 2018 election, which Maduro won.