Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez strongly rejected the U.S. sanctions against the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) and its two leading chiefs on Friday.

Havana, Cuba.- The foreign minister condemned on Twitter the inclusion of the police force and its top officers in the 'spurious lists' drawn up by Washington. These arbitrary measures add to the disinformation and aggression to justify the inhumane economic blockade against the Caribbean nation.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Treasury Department issued this Friday new provisions against the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) and two of its directors, Oscar Callejas and Eddy Sierra, for alleged abuses during the riots of last July 11.

Under the Global Magnitsky Act, they were included in the so-called Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, whose assets are frozen and cannot travel to the United States.

Last week, OFAC issued similar measures against the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) minister, Army Corps General Álvaro López Miera, and the National Special Brigade of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT).

According to Cuban authorities, these restrictions are irrelevant from the practical point of view. Still, politically they do have implications since they are part of the aggressive escalation towards the Caribbean country promoted by Washington, which even pressures third countries to make pronouncements against Havana.

The U.S. administration applied these measures for allegedly violating human rights during the demonstrations. However, videos show vandalism and attacks against law enforcement officers and state property.

The United States does not have the least legal, political or moral authority to sanction people worldwide, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said a few days ago.

He added that they have reprehensible behavior in terms of repression, use of the armed forces in third countries, so-called collateral victims, and acts of torture recognized by the government itself. (RHC)