President Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum on Monday that reinstates tough restrictions against Cuba’s communist regime, reversing Biden-era policies that allowed the Castro dictatorship to profit while repressing its people. The directive bans direct and indirect financial transactions with entities controlled by Cuba’s military, including GAESA, which dominates the country’s tourism sector and uses its revenue to fund crackdowns on dissidents.

“My Administration’s policy will be guided by the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, as well as solidarity with the Cuban people,” Trump said, condemning Cuba’s abuses against peaceful protesters, political prisoners, and its blockade of free speech and internet access.

The measures enforce a strict ban on U.S. tourism to Cuba, requiring audits and record-keeping of travel-related transactions while allowing exceptions for educational and humanitarian visits that support the Cuban people’s independence. The policy also blocks attempts by the Cuban regime to bypass sanctions, including its covert takeover of remittance processing under Biden’s relaxed measures.

The memorandum upholds the U.S. embargo, opposes calls to end it, and keeps in place the termination of the “Wet Foot, Dry Foot” policy, which Trump noted encouraged unlawful immigration from Cuba. It also includes provisions to expand internet access, free enterprise, and support for a free press on the island while calling for a report on fugitives harbored by the regime.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the administration’s commitment to standing with the Cuban people, stating, “Under President Trump’s leadership, we will hold the illegitimate Cuban regime accountable.”

Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel and the regime’s propaganda outlet, Granma, lashed out at the new sanctions, claiming they will harm the Cuban people but asserting the government will not break under U.S. pressure. Granma’s statement linked the sanctions to U.S. domestic politics and accused Trump of imperial aggression, illustrating the regime’s defiance even as its economy faces increasing isolation.

With the new measures in place, the Trump administration aims to starve the Cuban regime of cash while empowering the Cuban people to seek freedom and democracy, challenging Havana’s hold on power and reaffirming a hardline stance in the fight against communism in the Western Hemisphere.