WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) —  The United Nations rights chief on Monday urged Washington to immediately lift tough sanctions imposed on Cuba this year, warning they were causing widespread suffering and endangering lives.

While Cuba has been under a United States (US) trade embargo since 1962, President Donald Trump has drastically ramped up pressure in recent months, cutting off its fuel supplies and threatening to take over the island.

“The fuel restrictions imposed since early 2026 and recent tightening of extraterritorial sanctions, taken together, are directly harming Cubans, especially the most vulnerable,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement.