The historical leader of the Cuban exile community, Ramón Saúl Sánchez, accused the administration of Donald Trump of prioritizing economic interests over the freedom of Cuba, following the revelation that Washington authorized the shipment of fuel to the nickel and cobalt mines of the Canadian company Sherritt International in Moa, Holguín.
"I warned you, damn it, and here you have it, sadly. Another deception for the unsuspecting and another game with our pain," wrote on Facebook the president of the Democracy Movement, questioning Washington's decision.
Sánchez stated that expectations of a potential political change on the island are being used to favor business interests.
"The entire theater of approaching the dictatorship in Cuba 'to take it like Venezuela' was to get its claws on 'technology', meaning the mines for business, just as they did with oil in Venezuela," he stated.
Their criticisms respond to the specific license granted by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which allows Sherritt to buy, transport, and deliver fuel, fuel oil, and sulfur to its mining facilities in Cuba.
The authorization, announced on Tuesday, comes after the company suspended its direct participation in Cuban operations due to the tightening of sanctions from Washington.
The connection between Gillon Capital and a former Trump official
One of the aspects that Sánchez questioned the most was the involvement of Gillon Capital LLC, an investment firm linked to the Texas entrepreneur Ray Washburne, who led the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) during Trump's first term.
"Clearer than water: American magnate close to Trump involved in the process," wrote the activist.
Since May, Gillon Capital is negotiating a deal that, if finalized, would allow it to control 55% of the common shares of Sherritt. The Canadian mining company confirmed that it has prepared and submitted the license applications to the OFAC in close coordination with the American firm.
However, the permit does not yet authorize the resumption of nickel and cobalt production in Moa. Sherritt needs a second emergency license to restart its operations and hopes to organize the first fuel shipment before the end of 2026.
Sánchez's criticisms have a direct precedent. Last March, the activist had already questioned the possible economic approaches between Washington and Havana, without guarantees of a political transition.
"Are they now going to tell us that because corporations buy or extract nickel or cobalt from Cuba, we are going to be free?" he asked.
In that intervention, he warned that any economic understanding that allowed the continuity of the Cuban regime would constitute "a lifeline to that tyranny" and a humiliation for those who have been fighting for Cuba's freedom for decades.
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