Cuba denies military conglomerate GAESA is an 'opaque structure'

Cuba's government has refuted claims that its military conglomerate, GAESA, operates as an opaque entity separate from the state. In its first statement since the U.S. sanctioned the group a month ago, the executive branch asserted that GAESA is not a "parallel structure" but rather an "articulated response" to the long-standing U.S. economic blockade.

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The Business Administration Group is not an opaque structure, nor parallel to the Cuban state.

The government argues that GAESA, estimated to account for 40% of Cuba's GDP, has been instrumental in the island's ability to withstand U.S. "aggression." The statement highlighted that GAESA's economic activities have funded crucial investments in thermoelectric plants, water infrastructure, hospitals, and schools, benefiting millions of Cubans. These activities, it claims, have been consistently reported to and overseen by the relevant party and state authorities.

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an articulated response of proven efficiency in the face of the economic siege that has historically sought to suffocate the Cuban Revolution.

This official narrative, however, appears to diverge from previous statements. In 2024, the then comptroller general, Gladys Bejerano, told EFE that GAESA as a whole was not audited by her office. The government maintains that despite a lack of sufficient public acknowledgment, GAESA's contributions speak for themselves, countering what it calls a "state calumny" from Washington. The U.S. sanctions, the government insists, aim to isolate Cuba diplomatically, commercially, financially, and energetically, hindering national sustainability and potentially paving the way for military aggression.

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The fruits of this business activity have also been destined for investments in the Lidio Ramón Pérez (Felton) thermoelectric plant in Holguín, to the design and consolidation of large hydraulic works, including the East-West and North-South diversions for the benefit of millions of Cuban men and women.