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Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla described the remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as "cynical, hypocritical, and deceitful" after he announced new sanctions against the Cuban military conglomerate GAESA and other entities of the regime.
Rodríguez Parrilla shared his reaction on X, where he directly responded to Rubio following the statements from the U.S. official, who claimed that the measures aim to "help the Cuban people."
"The actions he designs, promotes on behalf of the U.S. government, and proposes to his President, based on his personal agenda, are clearly aimed at causing the maximum possible harm to the Cuban population and families, without any excuse," wrote the chancellor.
Rodríguez also accused Rubio of resorting "to slander, blatant lies, and the illusion of deceiving those who listen to him," and described Washington's policy as "a collective punishment of a genocidal nature that condemns the entire nation and uses it as a hostage for the purpose of domination."
The sanctions announced this Thursday by Rubio fall under Executive Order 14404, signed by President Donald Trump on May 1, 2026, and target GAESA, its president Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, the mining company Moa Nickel S.A., 12 Cuban officials, seven military and security entities, and three vessels.
Rubio described GAESA as "the heart of Cuba's kleptocratic communist system", noting that the conglomerate controls between 40% and 70% of the formal Cuban economy, with estimated assets of over $18 billion.
"GAESA is designed to generate income not for the Cuban people, but solely for the benefit of its corrupt elite," stated the Secretary of State, who warned that "additional appointments can be expected in the coming days and weeks."
Since January 2026, the Trump administration has imposed more than 240 sanctions against the Cuban regime and intercepted at least seven tankers carrying oil intended for the island, reducing Cuban energy imports by between 80% and 90%.
The resulting energy crisis has led to blackouts of up to 25 hours a day in more than 55% of Cuban territory, according to data from April and May 2026.
This Thursday, the Canadian mining company Sherritt International suspended all its operations in Cuba, depriving the regime of its main foreign mining partner and affecting between 10% and 15% of the island's electricity generation capacity.
Rubio attributes the energy crisis to the collapse of Venezuelan subsidies following Nicolás Maduro's capture in January 2026 and what he described on Wednesday as the "communist incompetence" of the Cuban government, while the regime continues to blame the American embargo.
The Cuban chancellor closed his message with a warning directed at Washington: "The world will not allow it and is mobilizing."
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