In a telephone conversation with reporters, a top administration official stated that they would do all they could to keep Cuba at the forefront to keep the attention on the Cuban people's right to peaceful protest.According to a senior administration official, Friday's announcement will be made by the administration that it plans to increase individual sanctions against two Cuban officials and one entity. So as to not get ahead of the formal announcement by the Treasury Department, the official did not give the names of the people targeted. The Magnitsky Act allows the U.S. government to impose economic sanctions against individuals suspected of engaging in human rights violations and corruption.Biden last week announced similar sanctions against the Cuban Ministry of the Interiors Special National Brigade and the head of the Cuban Armed Forces. These were in response to their participation in the crackdown on Cuban government. Activists on the island claim that more than 700 protesters were arrested or are still missing after the protests.The U.S. has already sanctioned many Cuban officials and organizations, so it is unclear that Biden's sanctions will have an impact on the targets. However, the top administration official said that it was also about sending a message for the international community as well as the Cuban people.The official stated that sanctions are one part of the solution. The other is to ensure that these individuals are kept in the limelight, not only on the international community, but also that the Cuban people understand that the United States supports them and defends them.Biden announced that he would nominate Frank Mora (a prominent Cuban American Democrat) to be the Organization of American States' ambassador.The U.S. foreign ministers and 20 other countries (including Israel, Colombia, Greece, and Israel) issued a joint statement earlier this week condemning the mass arrests in Cuba. However, allies of the U.S. like Canada and Spain, which have close ties to Cuba, did not sign on.Biden's team made it clear before the protests that Cuba policy was not an administration priority. However, the protests in Cuba have forced Biden officials into a faster pace in developing a Cuba plan.
