The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has condemned the latest sanctions imposed on Cuba by the administration of Donald Trump, warning that the measures could deepen the country’s humanitarian crisis and undermine its sovereignty.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Nigerian-based human rights organisation expressed solidarity with the Cuban government and citizens amid what it described as worsening economic and humanitarian conditions triggered by renewed sanctions and executive actions from the United States.
The group specifically criticised Executive Order 14380 of January 29, 2026, alongside additional sanctions announced on May 1, 2026, targeting Cuba’s energy, financial, defence, mining and commercial sectors.
According to the CDHR, the sanctions represent a dangerous escalation of economic pressure capable of inflicting severe hardship on ordinary Cubans.
The organisation stated that provisions contained in Section 2 of the executive order, which impose restrictions on individuals, institutions and foreign entities engaging with Cuba, threaten the wellbeing of millions of citizens by limiting access to fuel, trade, financial cooperation and humanitarian assistance.
“The continued tightening of these sanctions constitutes a huge threat to humanity, particularly to the Cuban people’s internationally recognised rights to life, healthcare, food security, development and self-determination,” the statement read.
The group said the sanctions had already disrupted fuel supplies across the island nation, resulting in prolonged power outages, transportation difficulties, shortages of food and potable water, and disruptions within the healthcare sector.
CDHR cited reports of suspended surgeries, interruptions in chemotherapy and dialysis treatments, and worsening shortages of medical supplies as indicators of an avoidable humanitarian crisis.
The organisation further argued that economic coercion undermining access to healthcare, electricity and other basic necessities contradicts the principles of international law, human rights and the sovereign equality of nations as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.
It also expressed concern over what it described as inflammatory rhetoric aimed at destabilising Cuba, warning that such actions threaten global principles of non-interference and self-determination.
Recalling Cuba’s historical support for liberation struggles across Africa, including assistance to anti-colonial movements in Algeria, Angola, Namibia, Guinea-Bissau and South Africa, the CDHR noted that the country had consistently demonstrated international solidarity despite decades of sanctions.
The organisation also highlighted Cuba’s deployment of medical professionals during the Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic across parts of Africa and the Global South.
CDHR lamented what it described as the silence of much of the international community while Cubans continue to endure economic hardship.
The group called on governments, regional organisations, labour unions, civil society groups and humanitarian institutions worldwide to speak against what it termed the “economic strangulation” of Cuba and defend the country’s sovereignty.
It also urged the United Nations and international humanitarian agencies to take urgent steps toward addressing the humanitarian situation in Cuba and opposing policies that endanger civilian lives.
The statement was jointly signed by CDHR National President, Yinka Folarin, and National Secretary, Idris Afees.
