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The Canadian hotel chain Blue Diamond Resorts would have announced the immediate cessation of all its operations and the use of its brands in Cuba, in another blow to the already devastated tourism sector of the island and the regime's finances.
The official statement released this Saturday by the wholesale agency Sudameria attributes the decision to "the current conditions of the Cuban tourist market and the ongoing operational limitations affecting the destination, including logistical, infrastructure, and supply challenges."
The measure encompasses all of its brands on the island: Blue Diamond Resorts Cuba, Blue Diamond Cuba, Royalton, Memories, Starfish, Mystique, and Resonance.
The chain had been operating in Cuba since 2011 and managed 62 hotels and more than 12,900 rooms in destinations such as Varadero, Havana, Cayo Coco, Cayo Santa María, Cayo Largo del Sur, Cayo Cruz, Trinidad, and Camagüey, making it one of the largest foreign operators on the island.
Ironically, just days before the announcement, Blue Diamond had reopened three resorts in Varadero, as indicated by the specialized media Reportur.
The announcement comes amid unprecedented pressure from the Trump administration on foreign companies operating in Cuba. On May 7, the State Department, at the urging of Secretary Marco Rubio, formally designated GAESA as a sanctioned entity, the business conglomerate controlled by the Revolutionary Armed Forces that dominates Cuban tourism through its subsidiary Gaviota.
The sanctions establish a deadline until June 5, 2026 for all foreign companies and financial institutions to sever their operational ties with GAESA and its subsidiaries —Gaviota, Gran Caribe, Cubanacán, and Islazul— under the threat of secondary sanctions.
Blue Diamond could not operate in Cuba without engaging with those entities, as its management contracts were specifically with the state groups controlled by the military apparatus of the regime.
The withdrawal of Blue Diamond adds to a series of exits that reflect the collapse of the foreign business model on the island. The Canadian miner Sherritt suspended operations in Cuba following new sanctions, and its joint venture MoaNickel exited on May 8.
The major shipping companies have suspended operations in Cuba since mid-May, and the Spanish hotel companies are reported to have begun preparing for their exit before the deadline of June 5.
The announcement comes at the worst possible time for Cuban tourism in decades. Cuba closed 2025 with only 1.81 million international tourists, the worst figure since 2002 excluding the pandemic, according to the National Office of Statistics and Information.
In the first four months of 2026, tourism in Cuba plummeted by 55.8% year-on-year, with only 328,608 international visitors.
According to the statement, "as of this date, future bookings, inquiries, and arrangements will be managed directly by the respective owners of the hotels and/or the corresponding local operational entities," meaning the state groups of the Cuban regime itself.
With the deadline of June 5 less than a week away, the pressure on foreign companies that still have ties to GAESA and its subsidiaries will only intensify in the coming days.
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