US expands sanctions on Cuban government

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New York, May 2 (IANS) US President Donald Trump signed an executive order expanding sanctions on the Cuban government.

Trump ordered that all property and interests in property that are in and coming within the United States, or are in or coming within the possession or control of US persons of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in, Xinhua news agency reported.

The “following persons” include those who operate in or have operated in the energy, defense and related materiel, metals and mining, financial services, or security sector of the Cuban economy, or any other sector of the Cuban economy, as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State.

It also includes those who own or control, directly or indirectly, any person whose property or interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order.

The order also seeks to limit Cuba’s access to the global banking system, imposing secondary sanctions on people, entities and financial institutions that conduct financial transactions with those already sanctioned because of their ties to Cuba.

The order authorizes the US government to penalize foreign financial institutions that have conducted or facilitated any significant transaction for or on behalf of anyone with ties to the Cuban government.

Trump authorised the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury to take all actions necessary to implement and effectuate the order.

The United States has maintained sanctions against Cuba for over 60 years, with a comprehensive trade embargo officially instituted in February 1962. The sanctions have remained in place, and at times tightened or slightly eased ever since.

–IANS

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The long-standing rift between PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss and his son, former Union Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, has intensified, prompting legal and organisational confusion.

Dr Ramadoss has argued that his son’s tenure as party president has expired, making him the rightful leader of PMK. On the other hand, Anbumani claims that the ECI has already recognised him as the party president based on the documents he submitted earlier. In this context, Anbumani had earlier been acknowledged by the ECI as party president, relying on documents that Dr Ramadoss now alleges were incorrect.

Contesting this recognition, the PMK founder filed a petition before the Delhi High Court, claiming that the ECI accepted “wrong documents” without proper scrutiny and overlooked the genuine records submitted by him.

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During the proceedings, the ECI stated unequivocally that it cannot accept Form A and Form B submitted by either faction as long as both claim ownership of the party. Consequently, it said, the PMK’s election symbol must remain “frozen” until the dispute is resolved through legal channels.

Senior advocate Balbir Singh, appearing for Dr Ramadoss, alleged that Anbumani had misrepresented facts before the ECI. He argued that Anbumani’s tenure was limited to three years and expired in May 2025, yet he purportedly submitted documents claiming that a general body meeting held in 2023 was actually the one convened in 2022, thereby extending his term till 2026.

Singh contended that despite the founder submitting authentic records, the ECI had erred in recognising Anbumani.

He further argued that when two individuals claim leadership of a political party, the ECI cannot adjudicate — the matter must be decided by a competent court.

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–IANS

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The TRF designation comes amid increasing international pressure on Pakistan to curb terror groups operating from its soil. India has long accused Pakistan of sheltering and supporting LeT and its front organisations, including TRF, which emerged in 2019 as a shadow group to avoid international scrutiny.

–IANS

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