Cuba announces it will suspend Visa and Mastercard payments following recent U.S. sanctions that affect payment processing. According to Cuba’s central bank, the change starts on June 6, when Cuba halts card transactions handled through a foreign bank that processes Visa and Mastercard payments in the country. The central bank says it receives a communication from that foreign bank informing Cuba of its decision to terminate its relationship with Fincimex SA, a Cuban financial institution used for transactions involving Visa and Mastercard. Multiple outlets report that the bank’s move follows U.S. sanctions and that it forms part of a broader pattern of foreign businesses and financial ties being cut in recent days. Some reports also note that Cuba has faced other U.S. measures affecting sectors such as energy, and that Washington-Havana relations have further deteriorated amid the sanctions environment. The central bank’s statement attributes the suspension to the foreign bank’s compliance with U.S. sanctions, rather than to a domestic policy decision unrelated to the U.S. restrictions. As a result, card payment access for Visa and Mastercard customers inside Cuba is disrupted starting June 6.