The sanctions of the Donald Trump administration are aimed at the Cuban regime. President Trump, who has shown a hardline stance toward Cuba, is understood to be increasing the level of sanctions to pressure the Cuban regime.
According to major foreign media reports on the 30th (local time), the White House announced that President Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) containing economic sanctions against Cuba. The White House explained that the NSPM "ends economic practices that disproportionately benefit the Cuban government, military, intelligence, and security agencies at the expense of the Cuban people."
As a result of this measure, direct and indirect financial transactions with the state-owned company Gaesa (GAESA), linked to the Cuban military, will be prohibited. However, transactions aimed at advancing U.S. policy objectives or supporting the Cuban people are exempt. Gaesa, which oversees dozens of subsidiaries, owns and operates all retail chains, hotels, travel buses, and restaurants in Cuba, holding a reported 40% of the Cuban economy.
Tourism to Cuba by Americans is also legally prohibited. All travel-related transactions must comply with regular audits for at least five years and mandatory record-keeping regulations. Additionally, it is stated that the U.S. supports economic sanctions against Cuba and opposes calls from the international community, including the United Nations, for the lifting of sanctions on Cuba.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) evaluated that "the presidential memorandum reverses some of the Biden administration's easing of restrictions on Cuba." U.S. Representative Carlos Gimenez (Republican-Florida), who has advocated for a hardline approach toward the Cuban regime, said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "This policy strikes at the Cuban regime's weakest point: travel and dollars. We must cut off the oxygen to the Cuban regime."
President Trump, who has shown a hardline stance toward Cuba, has been increasing the level of sanctions since taking office in January. On his first day in office, Trump reversed the decision made by former President Joe Biden to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism just before leaving office, and he prohibited specific transactions with companies controlled by or acting on behalf of the Cuban military, intelligence, and security agencies.
Earlier, President Trump also strengthened sanctions against Cuba during his first term. In May 2020, the U.S. State Department designated Cuba as a "state sponsor of terrorism" alongside North Korea, Iran, Syria, and Venezuela under the U.S. Arms Export Control Act, marking Cuba's return to this list after five years. Just before the end of Trump's term in early 2021, he reversed the Obama administration's decision to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, re-designating Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism.
There are analyses that this action is a move to strengthen President Trump's support base. The political media outlet Politico stated, "This gesture is aimed at the Cuban exile community in Miami," noting that this community generally supported President Trump in the election and wants the U.S. to help overthrow Cuba's communist government.