United States Announces New Round of Sanctions Against Cuba

The United States has imposed a new wave of sanctions against Cuba, specifically targeting nine entities, including the Ministry of Construction. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that these entities, primarily in the mining and metallurgical sectors, "support the regime's repressive apparatus by controlling key economic sectors."

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez criticized the sanctions on X, accusing Rubio of intentionally harming Cuban companies to negatively impact the economy and prevent the Cuban government from providing essential services to its citizens. Rubio also announced sanctions directed at leaders of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP).

Washington alleges that Cuba, through ICAP, finances a broad network within the United States. This network reportedly identifies, recruits, and radicalizes subversive elements, often operating under the guise of educational or cultural exchanges. Rubio suggested that the Cuban regime attempted to reactivate this network during Fidel Castro's centenary by sending a new brigade of international sympathizers to Havana for contact with regime officials.

Rubio, whose parents are of Cuban origin, is considered a key architect of the maximum pressure policy enacted by President Donald Trump's administration against the island. Since January, the U.S. has imposed a de facto oil embargo on Cuba, exacerbating the existing energy crisis and leading to frequent, prolonged power outages for the nation's 9.4 million inhabitants.

Additionally, the U.S. government has implemented stringent sanctions targeting Gaesa, a conglomerate controlled by the military and founded by Raúl Castro in 1995. Gaesa is a central focus of U.S. policy toward Cuba, reflecting Washington's ongoing efforts to pressure the Cuban government.