Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced that the Cuban dictatorship uses foreign companies to finance its military apparatus
Also added to the list is Any Rodríguez Lastres, daughter of Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, president of the Business Administration Group (GAESA), who had already been sanctioned previously by Washington. The provisions also target state entities dedicated to importation and technical support, as well as companies established in China that supply the Cuban military forces.
The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced on Thursday a new round of sanctions against the communist regime of Cuba, targeting eight entities, two individuals, and five vessels linked to its financial, oil, and military networks. The decision, made by the administration of President Donald Trump, also targets Chinese suppliers that provide equipment to the Cuban Armed Forces.
In an official statement, Rubio warned that the United States will not tolerate communist networks that threaten the security of the Western Hemisphere and denounced that the dictatorship in Havana uses state-owned companies, joint ventures, and intermediaries established abroad to sustain its power structure and finance its security forces.
The U.S. official specifically questioned the management of the island's economic resources and asserted that the Cuban leadership concentrates the energy, maritime, and technology sectors for its own enrichment, while the population faces blackouts, shortages, and a stagnant economy. He also accused the regime's foreign allies of providing military equipment that helps sustain its repressive apparatus and its activities against U.S. interests.
The measures were adopted under Executive Order 14404, signed by Trump, which allows for sanctions against individuals and organizations related to repression in Cuba or activities deemed a threat to U.S. national security. Among the newly sanctioned is Guillermo Faustino Rodríguez López-Calleja, identified for his involvement in an extensive network of offshore shipping companies that transport crude oil to and from the island.
In parallel, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a new determination that enables the imposition of economic sanctions on foreign individuals operating or having operated in the electronic, manufacturing, maritime, and technology sectors of Cuba. This provision expands the potential scope of restrictions on economic activities that Washington considers linked to sustaining the regime.
Rubio stated that Trump also accused Cuba of functioning as a platform for hostile international actors seeking to spy, infiltrate, and develop operations against the United States.
The new sanctions are part of Washington's policy aimed at pressuring the Cuban regime, restricting its sources of funding, and promoting, according to the official objectives set by the Trump administration, respect for human rights, the rule of law, economic freedom, and a democratic transition in Cuba.
