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Havana in Jul: Cuban police arrested hundreds of citizens during the protests
Photo: Ramon Espinosa / dpa
For the suppression of protests critical of the government in Cuba, the US has imposed sanctions on three senior Caribbean state officials.
Two of them work in the Department of the Armed Forces, one in the interior department, as the US Treasury Department announced on Thursday.
"The Cuban security forces arrested more than 800 people in response to the protests," the US Department said.
The head of the Ministry of the Interior is responsible for the treatment and accommodation of detainees.
From the Ministry of the Armed Forces, the chief of the central army and the deputy chief of the general staff are affected by the sanctions.
All three men are accused of human rights violations.
As a result of the sanctions, any property of those affected in the USA is blocked.
Worst economic crisis in 30 years
On July 11th and 12th, thousands of people took to the streets in socialist-ruled Cuba.
In 40 cities, the demonstrators expressed their displeasure with the worst economic crisis in 30 years and the associated electricity and food shortages.
Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, there has also been a critical drug shortage in Cuba.
According to activists, the Cuban authorities brutally cracked down on demonstrators.
A 36-year-old man died in a demonstration on the outskirts of Havana, and more than a hundred people were arrested.
The USA had sharply criticized the approach of the authorities.
As early as July, Washington imposed several sanctions on high-ranking government officials, state organizations, companies and high-ranking representatives of the Cuban police.
However, the consequences were not considered to be particularly far-reaching.
The entire Cuban Interior Ministry had previously been on a US sanctions list.
svs / dpa