The U.S. added Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism to its sanctions list, the Treasury’s
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said in guidance updated Monday; the
ministry was one of 10 entities newly designated. The U.S. has cut large-scale
fuel shipments to Cuba, forcing resort closures, airline cancellations and
international operators to abandon contracts, and international visitor numbers
have fallen to record lows. Cuba’s power grid is under growing strain, with two
nationwide blackouts last week. Under pressure from the Trump administration,
the Cuban government announced nearly 200 economic reforms last month, including
allowing new tourism projects to be 100% foreign-owned and permitting operators
to import supplies directly rather than through the state distribution system;
the U.S. described the measures as "belated and ultimately just cosmetic
smoke-and-mirrors."
