The United States has intensified its policies against Cuba, prompting strong condemnation from the Cuban government, which labeled the measures as "criminal conduct" and described the U.S. actions as "infamous." This escalation follows a presidential memorandum signed by former President Donald Trump aimed at tightening economic coercion against the island. In July 2025, the U.S. Department of State imposed sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and two senior officials, Defense Minister Álvaro López Miera and Interior Minister Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, citing gross human rights violations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted Díaz-Canel's role in the regime's brutality against the Cuban people. Additionally, the U.S. has targeted Cuba's tourism sector with new sanctions. The U.S. government also condemned the regimes of Díaz-Canel and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, accusing them of corruption, theft, and economic chaos. This announcement coincided with a prisoner exchange agreement between Caracas and Washington, which facilitated the return of several Americans to the U.S. The Cuban government continues to reject U.S. measures, asserting that their crises were not imported but stem from internal governance issues. Separately, Venezuelan journalist José Gregorio Camero was released after nearly a year in detention.