CUBA today slammed an $8.9 billion (£5.2bn) fine that US authorities forced on French bank BNP-Paribas as a “violation of international law.”

The French bank agreed to pay the hefty penalty on Monday to settle allegations that it processed transactions involving clients from countries the US imposes sanctions on, including Cuba.

Under US President Barack Obama, Washington has become more aggressive in chasing foreign companies which do not observe its 52-year embargo of Cuba, threatening to stop them doing any business in the US if they don’t toe the line.

But the Cuban Foreign Ministry noted that the vast majority of world governments have repeatedly made their opposition to the blockade clear and said the US was using bully-boy tactics to promote its economic war on the socialist country.

The “criminal and failed policy against our nation” should be ended immediately, the ministry stated.