The U.S. government on Thursday imposed new sanctions on Cuba, targeting Fidel Ernesto Castro, grandson of former President Raúl Castro, and Abapet in Havana. The measures are meant to pressure Cuba’s economy and worsen its energy crisis as power outages grow more severe. Cuban officials blamed the U.S. blockade, while residents described prolonged blackouts and shortages of electricity and water.
Students queue next to portraits of Cuban revolutionary leaders Argetine Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Fidel Castro before getting into their classrooms on their first day of the 2026-2027 academic year in Havana, Sept. 1. AFP-Yonhap
HAVANA — The U.S. government on Thursday slapped new sanctions on Cuba in a fresh push to strangle the island’s economy and deepen its multiple crises.
Among those hit with sanctions are Fidel Ernesto Castro, grandson of former President Raúl Castro, and Cuba’s Oil Industry Supply Import Company, known as Abapet. The company is responsible for importing special equipment and spare parts needed to sustain Cuba’s crumbling power grid.
The sanctions aim to push Cuba’s critical machinery offline and exacerbate its energy crisis, said Brett Erickson, a sanctions expert and managing principal at Obsidian Risk Advisors, a consulting firm.
