09/29/2020 - 13:38
Clarín.com
World
The United States once again dealt a serious blow to
the remittance system
to Cuba with a sanction on the company American International Services (AIS) that processes shipments due to its ties with the military.
It is the
second measure
against the island's economy in less than a week.
"The benefits of these operations disproportionately benefit the Cuban military, which encourages the repression of the Cuban people," the State Department said in a statement.
This company that processes remittances is a subsidiary of the Fincimex company, which was sanctioned in June.
A man leaves one of the Western Union offices this Monday in Havana.
Photo: EFE
"We urge anyone who sends remittances to Cuba to use other means than entities controlled by the government," said the head of US diplomacy, Mike Pompeo.
Against the tourism sector
On Friday, the Donald Trump administration announced new sanctions against the tourism sector, prohibiting Americans from staying in government-owned properties in Havana.
He also announced restrictions on the
importation of cigars and spirits
, at a time when he seeks to attract with energy the Cuban vote for the re-election of President Trump in Florida, a state that is announced as key to the aspirations of those who want to reach the White House in the elections of November 3.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez responded on Twitter denouncing that the measures "intensify the (commercial) blockade to try to manipulate Florida voters."
The Trump
Administration reversed the opening
to rebuild relations with Cuba promoted by his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama, tightening the blockade that has been in force since 1962, under arguments of violations of the human rights of Cubans and support for the Government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
Within the framework of these sanctions, it restricted the sending of remittances to Cuba, by prohibiting them for
relatives of Cuban officials
and members of the Communist Party, and limiting them to 1,000 dollars per quarter per person in the rest of the cases.
John S. Kavulich, president of the Council for Trade and Economy between the United States and Cuba, explained to the AFP news agency that there is "no political problem" for Trump to support an elimination of the role that the military has in the economy. from Cuba.
"There is also a value of optics whereby the Trump administration shows that it is going to continue to dig deep to find evidence of the role of the military in the economy and that when it does discover it, it is going to act decisively," Kavulich said.
AFP
ap
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