More than three decades after its passage, the Torricelli Act — which internationalized the US blockade against Cuba by banning trade with that nation’s subsidiaries in third countries — casts its extraterritorial shadow today with renewed vigor.
Far from being a relic, the spirit of suffocation embodied in this legislation remains fully in effect in the current Cuban landscape, marked by financial persecution and new coercive measures from Washington that directly impact the daily lives and well-being of the population.
Passed on September 24, 1992, and signed into law by then-President George H.W. Bush on October 23 of that year, the misnamed Cuban Democracy Act was conceived to exacerbate the island’s economic vulnerability following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the disappearance of the European socialist bloc.
The bill, introduced in the 102nd Congress by lawmaker Robert Torricelli, sought to completely isolate Cuba from the international arena and trigger the collapse of its economy. Cloaked in rhetoric invoking concepts such as democracy and human rights, the measure even hinted at the possibility of military intervention.
Key provisions included a ban on the financing of operations by US companies, a prohibition on Cuba’s use of the US dollar, and restrictions on trade involving materials deemed strategic or goods containing more than 20 percent US-made components.
That spirit of threat and strangulation is reflected in the stance of President Donald Trump, who—just yesterday, during the High-Level Segment of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly—disregarded the harm the blockade causes the Cuban people and leveled slanderous accusations that prompted the Cuban delegation to walk out. On numerous occasions, Trump threatened the use of military force against the island, going so far as to say: “I don’t think much more pressure can be applied, short of going in and destroying the place.”
The Torricelli Act takes on a new dimension with the Executive Order signed on January 29, 2026, which blocks fuel deliveries through sanctions, intimidation, and harassment of third countries and oil companies, alongside the targeting of shipping lines that transport essential supplies.
According to Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the cumulative damage caused by the blockade amounts to $178.5 billion at current prices; without this policy, the country’s Gross Domestic Product would have been 10.8 percent higher than the estimated figure.
After more than six decades of the blockade and the web of laws underpinning it, its purpose remains the same: to destroy the Revolution. Nevertheless, Cuba reaffirms its determination to defend its social project and advance in the construction of socialism.
[ SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA ]
