The United States sanctioned two senior Cuban officials and the military unit known as the “Red Berets”.

The United States imposed this Friday new sanctions against senior Cuban officials and a Cuban military unit, in the latest in a series of actions in response to the crackdown on anti-government protesters on the island.

Treasury Department sanctions hit two officials from the Ministry of the Interior and at the Prevention troops, the military unit known as “red berets“, for his role in the repression of recent protests in the communist country and that they ended up with hundreds of inmates.

“Today’s action highlights others responsible for cracking down on Cuban people’s calls for freedom and respect for human rights“, He said Andrea M. Gacki, Head of the Treasury’s Foreign Assets Control Office.

This is the third round of US sanctions. President Joe Biden has warned he will impose additional punitive measures unless Havana makes significant reforms.

The Treasury had previously sanctioned the cuban police Yes promised more actions against those who “perpetuate human rights violations against peaceful protesters”.

The measures announced this Friday aim to Romarico Vidal Sotomayor Garcia Yes Pedro Orlando Martinez Fernandez, of the Cuban Ministry of the Interior, as well as the Red Berets unit of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR).

By adding them to the Treasury sanctions blacklist their properties in the United States are frozen and American transactions are prohibited with them.

Sotomayor is the head of the political branch of the ministry, which has deployed forces against the protests that began last month, and Martínez heads the Political Directorate of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR), which was previously sanctioned with the FAR, the Treasury said.

Security forces “violently attacked and arrested protesters across Cuba“the Treasury said in the statement.

Biden said he is closely monitoring events on the island and that Washington has called for the release of the detained protesters, while trying to find ways to ensure internet access for the Cuban people.

(With information from AFP)

KEEP READING: