U.S. Warns of More Sanctions on Cuba Amid Crackdown on Dissidents

The United States is preparing additional sanctions on Cuba, according to Mike Hammer, the U.S. chief of mission in Havana. Speaking at a press conference in Miami, Hammer emphasized the Trump administration’s hardline stance, days after sanctions barred three Cuban judges and a prosecutor from entering the U.S. for their roles in imprisoning political dissidents.

“These sanctions are just the beginning,” Hammer said. “This administration is determined to hold repressors accountable.”

Since returning Cuba to the U.S. list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, the Trump administration has reinstated strict policies, including curbing remittances and dismantling Biden-era migration programs.

Hammer, a seasoned U.S. diplomat fluent in Spanish, has spent the last six months engaging with Cubans across the island. Videos from the U.S. embassy show him playing dominoes with children in Camagüey, visiting the tomb of Cuban national hero José Martí, and meeting families of jailed activists.

As Cuba faces its worst economic crisis in decades—largely blamed by Havana on the longstanding U.S. embargo—Hammer asserted that many Cubans he met did not blame the U.S., but instead criticized their own government.

“The people know the regime is responsible. U.S. policy has nothing to do with their suffering,” he said.

Cuba’s government, however, denounced Hammer’s statements as political interference aimed at undermining its leadership. Johana Tablada, a Cuban diplomat, accused the U.S. of staging a “political operation” to portray itself as an ally of the Cuban people.

Despite growing tension, Cuba has not restricted Hammer’s movements, though it recently warned via state media that its “patience has limits.”

Hammer remains undeterred. “What are they afraid of?” he asked. “I’m just a chief of mission speaking with the Cuban people.”