The U.S. government recently enforced financial penalties on a vast business conglomerate managed by Cuba’s military and a joint venture involving Cuban-Canadian mining. This move is part of the Trump administration’s increased efforts to exert pressure on Cuba’s communist leadership by targeting foreign investment sources.
Following the detention of the leader of Venezuela in January, a close ally of Cuba, President Donald Trump indicated that Cuba would be the next focus and restricted most oil shipments to the country, exacerbating power shortages. Last week, Trump signed an executive order expanding U.S. sanctions on Cuba, a decision criticized by President Miguel Díaz-Canel as “coercive.”
The new sanctions specifically target Grupo de Administracion Empresarial S.A. (GAESA), a military conglomerate controlling a significant portion of Cuba’s economy, and its Executive President Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. These measures also affect Moa Nickel SA, a venture between Sherritt International Corp based in Toronto and Cuba’s state-owned nickel company, impacting one of Cuba’s primary sources of foreign currency.
In addition to these actions, the Trump administration has limited U.S. travel and remittances to Cuba, discouraged regional allies from hiring Cuban doctors, and urged Sherritt to halt its joint activities in Cuba. Cuba’s Foreign Ministry condemned the new U.S. sanctions as “ruthless economic aggression” and a violation of international law, calling for international intervention to address this escalation.
The U.S. has long demanded economic reforms and compensation for expropriated properties from Cuba, as well as “free and fair” elections. Cuban officials argue that their socialist system is non-negotiable and accuse the U.S. of hinting at military intervention for liberation. The decades-long U.S. sanctions are cited as the primary cause of Cuba’s economic challenges.
Senator Rubio recently met with military officials at the U.S. Southern Command, emphasizing the administration’s stance against Cuba’s communist regime. The sanctions aim to prompt political and economic changes in Cuba, according to Rubio. UN experts have criticized the U.S. fuel blockade on Cuba, warning of severe consequences for the nation’s development and human rights.
The enforcement of sanctions follows Rubio’s discussions at the Vatican with Pope Leo, who advocated for dialogue amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Cuba.
