“They are not companies; they are mechanisms of repression”: U.S. on GAESA, CIMEX, and FINCIMEX

The U.S. Department of State issued a new critical message on Thursday against the Cuban regime, accusing its military conglomerates of being instruments of control and repression rather than genuine economic entities.

In a post from its official account on X (formerly Twitter), the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs (Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, @WHAAsstSecty) stated that the military and intelligence apparatus in Cuba "deny the Cuban people the opportunity to succeed," while maintaining a tight grip on the national economy.

“The military conglomerates of the regime control the economy of Cuba: GAESA, CIMEX, and FINCIMEX. These are not companies; they are mechanisms of repression,” wrote the U.S. entity.

“La dictadura crea negocios a través de sus conglomerados militares y mantiene los ingresos solo para su campaña de represión contra el pueblo cubano. Cada dólar gastado a través de ellos sostiene su poder ilegítimo”, añadió.

The statements add to a series of recent messages from Washington in which the United States has intensified its rhetoric against Castroism, directly pointing to the economic structures controlled by the Armed Forces as the financial foundation of internal repression.

The Business Administration Group S.A. (GAESA), led by military officials associated with the Raúl Castro clan, controls key sectors such as tourism, retail, banking, and remittances.

Through subsidiaries like CIMEX and FINCIMEX, the regime channels a significant portion of the foreign currency that enters the country.

Pese a los intentos de La Habana por presentarlas como corporaciones “civiles”, GAESA y sus subsidiarias están bajo sanciones del U.S. Department of the Treasury, que las considera parte del entramado represivo del régimen.

The administration of Donald Trump, which returned to the White House in January, has strengthened its policy towards Cuba, seeking to economically isolate the military conglomerates and reduce their influence in the hemisphere.

This strategy is part of a new approach to regional security, driven by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that directly targets the authoritarian governments allied with the Cuban regime.

The message from the State Department also comes on the eve of the annual voting in the UN General Assembly regarding the U.S. embargo, where the regime often portrays itself as a victim and blames Washington for its internal crisis.

In other recent statements, the U.S. government reminded that Cuba can freely import food, medicine, and humanitarian products from the U.S., which refutes the official argument of a "total blockade."

"The true blockade is that of the regime itself against its people," stated a spokesperson from the Department of State.

With an economy on the brink of collapse and rising social discontent, Havana is increasingly struggling to maintain its international narrative.