United States Imposes New Sanctions on Cuban State Entities and Officials

The United States government announced new sanctions on Thursday targeting nine Cuban state companies and three officials. The measures, issued by the Treasury and State Departments, target entities in the mining, metals, and construction sectors, including the Ministry of Construction and the mining group GEOMINSAL. Additionally, the U.S. sanctioned leadership from the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), including its president, Fernando González Llort, who was previously imprisoned in the U.S. for espionage.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the sanctions are intended to disrupt a network used to radicalize and corrupt American citizens and to cut off funding for the Cuban government. The U.S. administration also reinforced rules prohibiting Americans from conducting transactions with state controlled companies during travel to the island. This follows an incident where U.S. citizens returning from Cuba were briefly detained at the Miami airport for review of their electronic devices.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez rejected the measures, arguing that Washington is deliberately attempting to damage the Cuban economy and prevent the government from providing basic services, such as medicine and food, to the population. Cuba is currently experiencing a severe economic crisis characterized by fuel shortages and energy blackouts. These conditions were exacerbated by a fuel blockade following the removal of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, which had previously provided subsidized oil to the island.

Outlets with a center right lean framed the event as a necessary application of pressure against a regime that uses subversive tactics and front groups. In contrast, a center left outlet framed the sanctions as part of a maximum pressure campaign designed to destabilize the economy and topple the government, warning that such actions could trigger a humanitarian crisis.