White House Defends Cuba Sanctions Amid UN Concerns Over Human Rights

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has warned that Trump administration’s sanctions on Cuba are causing widespread harm to the population and endangering lives.

The sanctions target leaders and entities sustaining the regime’s campaign to subvert and destabilize US national security, according to a White House official responding to Reuters’ request for comment.

Washington imposed sanctions on various Cuban entities and people, including President Raúl Castro, following the declaration of a national emergency this year. This move has led to frequent power outages due to tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba.

Turk stated that such severe sanctions packages affecting entire sectors of an economy and producing broad, indiscriminate effects on populations are incompatible with basic principles of international human rights law.

The White House official reiterated previous comments by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating Washington is prepared to start a new chapter with Havana. The Cuban foreign ministry did not immediately respond to the request for comment, but Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez posted on social media that the US energy blockade has harmed the Cuban population and hindered international agencies.