US pummels Cuban economy with new sanctions on mining, construction

The United States has intensified its economic pressure on Cuba by announcing a new round of sanctions targeting nine state-owned entities involved in mining, metal, and construction. The U.S. Treasury Department's list includes the Ministry of Construction of Cuba and government-controlled import companies, as well as the mining group GEOMINSAL, which handles significant cobalt and nickel deposits.

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The Trump Administration will not stand by while a hostile foreign power seeks to exploit our freedoms, none of which are afforded to its people, by misleading and corrupting American citizens with lies, spy tradecraft, and other malfeasance.

In addition to the corporate sanctions, three leaders from the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), an organization focused on international relations, were also targeted. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a vocal critic of the Cuban government, characterized the sanctioned entities and individuals as national security threats. He accused the mining and construction companies of supporting the "regime's repressive apparatus" and ICAP of orchestrating a "subversive network" of international sympathizers.

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The mining and construction companies of helping to 'sustain the regime’s repressive apparatus'.

Rubio further alleged that ICAP's activities aim to spread "Marxism, racial resentment, and Communist violence" globally. These actions are framed by the Trump administration as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign designed to topple the island's socialist government. The administration has previously expressed intentions for regime change in Cuba, with reports suggesting efforts to influence leadership changes.

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ICAP for allegedly organising a 'subversive network' of 'international sympathisers' to help Cuba’s government.