Cuba says US sanctions have delayed more than 7,000 cargo containers bound for island

Cuba said Wednesday that more than 7,000 cargo containers carrying goods destined for the island have been blocked or delayed at international ports due to US sanctions.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Trade Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga made the announcement during a session of the National Assembly of People's Power in Havana, saying the containers were purchased legally under international trade regulations.

He said the held-up cargoes include food, resources for the country's energy grid overhaul, supplies for drinking water production and essential medicines.

Perez-Oliva Fraga attributed the delays to an intensified US sanctions campaign, saying Washington's pressure on Havana had grown steadily since the start of the year on top of what he described as an existing "energy siege" against the island.

He accused the US of intensifying pressure on Cuba since the beginning of the year, saying Washington’s policies amount to “collective punishment” against the Cuban people.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said earlier this month that the US embargo against Cuba amounted to an “act of war,” claiming it was causing severe hardship for the Cuban population.

Cuba has faced a deep economic crisis for the past six years, marked by widespread power outages, shortages of basic goods, declining production, high inflation and a weakening peso.

Cuban officials have long blamed US sanctions for the country’s economic difficulties, while Washington says its measures target the Cuban government and entities linked to it.