Cuba President Díaz-Canel dialogues with the people  (Photo: Estudios Revolución)

These illegal and morally unsustainable sanctions reflect the deep fear that imperialism feels toward the living example of resistance, dignity, and sovereignty that the Cuban Revolution represents.

Caracas, July 13 (RHC)-- The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA-TCP) has condemned the infamous unilateral coercive measures imposed on Friday by the U.S. State Department against Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, as well as against the Ministers of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, Army Corps General Álvaro López Miera, and of the Interior, Major General Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas.

In a statement, ALBA-TCP stated that "these illegal and morally unsustainable sanctions, which include immigration restrictions and persecution of family members, are not an expression of strength, but rather a reflection of the deep fear that imperialism feels toward the living example of resistance, dignity, and sovereignty that the Cuban Revolution represents."

"Under unjustifiable pretexts, without legal grounds or international credibility, Washington insists on applying pressure mechanisms that only reveal its historical failure," the statement states, defining that "the obsessive hostility against Cuba is part of an anachronistic policy that seeks to punish the Cuban people for choosing to be free and sovereign."

In the face of the U.S. administration's gross maneuver, "ALBA-TCP expresses its firmest, most loyal, and unwavering solidarity with the people and government of the Republic of Cuba, with its political leadership headed by President Díaz-Canel, and with its historical legacy of struggle, resistance, and the construction of a human-centered social model."

"History has shown that when the empire attacks, it is because the people are advancing. And when it issues sanctions, it is because it is afraid," the statement states.

The text adds that Yankee imperialism and its current proconsuls "fear the power of example, the depth of conviction, and the truth born of justice.  Cuba is not alone.  The peoples of Our America walk beside it."

In addition to imposing sanctions against Díaz-Canel and the aforementioned senior military officials, the State Department issued restrictions against their immediate family members, who will not be able to travel to the United States.

In an intimidating tone, illustrating how much they undervalue the Cuban people, the Trump Administration added that it is "taking steps to impose visa restrictions" on other judicial and prison officials on the Caribbean island.

In parallel, and always appealing to the sermon about alleged human rights violations by the Cuban government, the White House updated the lists of Restricted Properties in Cuba and Prohibited Accommodations in Cuba, and included 11 other properties linked to the Cuban government, including the new Torre K hotel.  With this, the U.S. seeks to prevent "U.S. funds from reaching the island."

In early July, the Trump Administration issued a presidential memorandum that, among other measures, prohibits U.S. citizens from traveling to Cuba as tourists and tightens restrictions on sending remittances to the island.

Trump ratified his intention to maintain a policy of maximum pressure and hostility against the Cuban Revolution, an aspect that distinguished the U.S. president's policy towards the Caribbean nation during his previous administration (2017-2021), when he imposed 243 sanctions on Cuba - including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic -- to destabilize and implode the economy and provoke changes in the political system.