Cuba has announced new rules authorizing the freezing of bank accounts on the island, according to a government document.
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The newly released order says Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior, which is the police arm of the government, can work with the Central Bank of Cuba to freeze accounts, property and other assets without notification.
The document says officials are doing this to confront terrorism, a label often used to describe political activists and opponents.
This comes after the U.S. Department of State announced Monday that it was sanctioning what it called 11 Cuban regime elites and three government organizations, government officials and military figures associated with Cuba’s security apparatus.
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Cuba’s leader Miguel Díaz-Canel responded that the move was “criminal.”
“It is immoral, illegal, and criminal—the executive order that pursues and threatens third parties who want to sell fuel to Cuba… penalizing companies that want to invest in Cuba or simply provide us with basic goods like food, medicines, hygiene products, or others,” he said.
U.S. officials argue the people sanctioned are responsible or have been involved in repressing the Cuban people.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice is expected to announce that it’s going after Raúl Castro, possibly indicting the Cuban leader for his role in the shoot down of the Brothers to the Rescue civilian planes.
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That announcement is expected Wednesday afternoon at the Freedom Tower.