Geopolitical tension: Washington blocks Cuban army
The administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed heavy sanctions on key Cuban military officials and companies, world agencies reported, citing an official statement from the US State Department (source: reuters.com/world/americas/us-issues-new-cuba-related-sanctions-2026-08-06/). A total of eight individuals and five legal entities fall under the attacks of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Among those sanctioned are Cuban Minister of the Armed Forces Alvaro López Miera, Chief of the General Staff Roberto Legra Sotolongo, as well as Havana's military attaches in Russia and China. Washington accuses the Caribbean country of serving as an "operational platform" for the three countries for espionage and activities against US national security (source: aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/6/us-diplomat-rubio-targets-cuban-military-officials-companies-in-sanctions). The blacklist includes the military conglomerate GAESA, the company Tecnoimport and the aircraft repair plant "Yuri Gagarin", which maintains Cuba's fleet of Soviet aircraft.
Critical situation in Havana: UN warns of humanitarian collapse
The measures strengthen the oil embargo imposed earlier this year, which has led to an unprecedented collapse of the island's economy. The sanctions freeze the assets of Cuban companies in the US and threaten secondary penalties to any foreign bank that conducts transactions with them (source: military.com/us-sanctions-cuban-military-companies-officials-tied-to-russian-chinese-arms-deals).
UN experts have already warned that the complete oil blockade is pushing Cuba towards a humanitarian catastrophe (source: english.aawsat.com/world/5304178-us-sanctions-cuban-armed-forces-minister-military-procurement-network). The country suffers from constant power outages, a lack of drinking water and severe shortages of basic food products. Due to the lack of aviation fuel, a number of airlines have begun to massively cancel international flights to Havana airport.
Bulgarian Foreign Ministry: Risk Index Level 4, stop travel
Against the backdrop of the escalation, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an emergency warning to Bulgarian citizens (source: bta.bg/bg/news/bulgaria/1181138-mvnr-nastoyatelno-savetva-da-ne-se-predpriemat-neotlozhni-patuvaniya-do-kuba-v-). The Situation Center has officially raised the risk index for Cuba to Level 4 (Warning to suspend travel throughout the country, except in cases of extreme necessity).
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry strongly advises canceling all planned excursions, including those for tourism purposes (source: bnrnews.bg/horizont/post/512628/mvnr-nastoyatelno-savetva-da-ne-se-predpriemat-patuvaniya-do-kuba). The main risks for our compatriots include:
- Full 24-hour power outage in many areas
- City and intercity transport blocked
- Drastic shortage of medicines and medical care
- Increase in crime (robbery and pickpocketing) in tourist areas
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that the accommodation of foreigners is limited only in the closed resorts of Varadero and Havana, while in the rest of the country hotels are closing en masse (source: mfa.bg/bg/situationcenter/47483). For Bulgarians in Cuba, 24-hour emergency lines have been provided to connect to the “Situation Center“ directorate.