The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, accused the Cuban regime of monopolizing the island's energy, maritime, and technological resources to enrich its military leadership and those close to power, while the population faces blackouts, shortages, and economic stagnation.
In a statement that reinforces the political message of the sanctions announced this Thursday, Washington also identified Cuba as a base of operations for international actors hostile to the United States.
"The ruling elite of Cuba is monopolizing the island's energy, maritime, and technological resources for their own enrichment, leaving the Cuban people facing blackouts, shortages, and a stagnant economy," the statement noted, published in the afternoon.
Rubio highlights the enrichment of the Cuban elite
The Secretary of State stated that the Cuban government relies on a network of state-owned enterprises, joint ventures, and intermediaries abroad to maintain an economic system that, as he pointed out, benefits the sectors connected to those in power.
In that context, he accused international allies of Havana of supplying military equipment that helps sustain the Cuban armed forces and facilitates internal repression.
The statement thus introduces a political and social dimension to the sanctions announced this Thursday: the accusation that the island's resources are being used to benefit the ruling elite while citizens suffer the consequences of the economic and energy crisis.
Rubio also emphasized the economic benefits that, according to Washington, officials and relatives of high-ranking leaders obtain through opaque business structures outside of Cuba.
Warning to relatives of leaders and business networks abroad
It also identifies Any Rodríguez Lastres, daughter of Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, president of the Business Administration Group (GAESA), who had already been previously sanctioned.
Both names were among the targets of the measures previously announced by the State Department, but the new statement emphasizes the role that Washington attributes to the family and business networks connected to the Cuban power elite.
“The Trump Administration will not stand idly by while the Cuban regime channels the island's resources towards its military elite,” Rubio warned.
The Secretary of State added that Washington will also not tolerate individuals close to the regime and their relatives benefiting from opaque networks abroad.
Cuba as a platform for actors hostile to the United States
Another central element of the declaration is the accusation that Cuban territory serves as a base of operations for international actors who represent a threat to U.S. national security.
Rubio stated that Cuba continues to operate as a platform for a global coalition of actors hostile to the United States who seek to threaten, spy on, and conspire against the country and its interests.
The statement places sanctions not only in the realm of human rights and political repression but also in the context of national security and U.S. foreign policy.
The statement does not provide specific evidence regarding the alleged espionage operations in that passage, but it makes clear that Washington views Havana's international military and security relationships as a central component of its pressure policy.
The sanctions announced this Thursday
U.S. authorities also identified five vessels as blocked property.
In addition, the Department of the Treasury issued a determination allowing economic sanctions to be imposed on foreign individuals operating or having operated in the sectors of electronics, manufacturing, maritime transport, and technology within the Cuban economy.
The measures were adopted under Executive Order 14404, which authorizes sanctions against individuals involved in repression in Cuba and threats to national security and U.S. foreign policy.
The State Department had previously released a fact sheet with the details of the designations.
Rubio's subsequent statement does not constitute a second round of sanctions, but rather an exposition of the political and national security reasons that the Trump Administration uses to justify the measures.
The message directly targets the Cuban military and economic leadership, their family connections, and their international partners, contrasting the resources that Washington allocates to these structures with the daily hardships faced by the island's population.
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