Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio of deliberately trying to make it difficult to provide basic services to the Cuban population. The statement came after Washington announced a new round of sanctions against authorities and entities on the island.
Cuba accuses the US of blocking basic services to the population with sanctions
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio of deliberately trying to make it difficult to provide basic services to the Cuban population. The statement came after Washington announced a new...
"In particular, the sanctions obstruct the transportation of containers with food, medicines and medical equipment, acquired mainly by private Cuban micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), "said Rodríguez on the social network X. The chancellor classified the policy adopted by the United States as a "failed obsession" against Cuba and attributed...
- The chancellor classified the policy adopted by the United States as a "failed obsession" against Cuba and attributed to Rubio the "deliberate purpose" of preventing the government from...
- New US sanctions against Cuba On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on three Cuban officials and nine state entities linked to the mining, foreign trade and metallurgy sectors.
- The Ministry of Construction is also among the targets of the measures.
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"In particular, the sanctions obstruct the transportation of containers with food, medicines and medical equipment, acquired mainly by private Cuban micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), "said Rodríguez on the social network X.
The chancellor classified the policy adopted by the United States as a "failed obsession" against Cuba and attributed to Rubio the "deliberate purpose" of preventing the government from guaranteeing essential services to the country's residents.
New US sanctions against Cuba
On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on three Cuban officials and nine state entities linked to the mining, foreign trade and metallurgy sectors. The Ministry of Construction is also among the targets of the measures.
The restrictions are part of Washington's strategy to increase pressure for political and economic changes in Cuba.
The new round adds to the sanctions aimed at Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and criminal charges against former President Raúl Castro. The measures are part of President Donald Trump's campaign to increase pressure on the Cuban government, which is already facing a serious crisis.
In early August, Marco Rubio stated that Cuba would not have an "escape valve" from the pressure exerted by the United States and that the island's government could not simply wait for the end of Trump's second term.
The Cuban economic situation was also affected by the oil embargo that began in January and by a new series of secondary sanctions adopted since May, targeting sectors considered important for the country's economy.
Cuba records more deaths than births
The new measures are announced while Cuba is also facing a sharp population decline.
Data released on Thursday by state media shows that the country recorded 136,214 deaths in 2025, more than double the 68,064 births recorded in the same period.
The aging of the population is also advancing. People aged 60 and over currently represent 26.7% of the island's inhabitants.
The fertility rate remained at 1.29 children per woman for the second consecutive year, the lowest level recorded since 1958. The gross reproduction rate was 0.62 children per woman, well below the 2.1 necessary to replace generations.
At the end of 2025, Cuba had an effective population of 9,434,593 inhabitants. Of this total, 7,044,773, equivalent to 74.7%, lived in cities and urban agglomerations.
Another 2,389,820 residents were in rural areas, according to data from the Center for Population and Development Studies (CEPDE), of the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), released by Cubadebate.
Havana has the highest rate of population reduction in the country. In the capital, the municipality of Plaza de la Revolución has the highest percentage of elderly people in Cuba: 38.2% of residents are 60 years old or over.
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