United States Sanctions Key Cuban Official, One of Countries Government Special Force Units

The Biden Administration has sanctioned a key Cuban official and one of it’s government special forces units known as the Boinas Negras. Yesterday President Biden said the actions to sanction them were “just the beginning–the United States will continue to sanction individuals responsible for oppression of the Cuban people.” The sanctions mark the administration’s first significant response to protests on the island and come after Cuban-American groups and some members of Congress criticized the administration for not adopting a tough enough approach to the Cuban regime.

The Treasury Department announced it was designating Alvaro Lopez Miera, who leads Cuba’s ministry of the revolutionary armed forces, as well as the national special brigade of the ministry of the interior known as Boinas Negras in connection to the repression of peaceful, pro-democratic protests in Cuba that began on July 11th. The Boinas Negras were deployed by the government to crack down on protesters following the demonstrations on the island.