U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new sanctions targeting Cuba on the 7th (local time), signaling increased pressure on the Cuban government to pursue political and economic reforms.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Secretary Rubio stated, "The sanctions announced today demonstrate that the Trump administration will not stand idly by while Cuba's communist regime threatens our national security in the Western Hemisphere."

"We will continue to take action until the government implements all necessary political and economic reforms," he added.

Secretary Rubio revealed that sanctions were imposed on individuals in Cuba who are "engaging in oppression and threatening U.S. national security and foreign policy," pursuant to Presidential Executive Order 14404, announced by President Donald Trump on May 1st.

GAESA (GRUPO DE ADMINISTRACION EMPRESARIAL SA), a conglomerate controlled by the Cuban military which is now subject to sanctions, is a massive group that oversees subsidiaries such as Gaviota, Cuba's largest tourism company, the distributor AUSA, and FINCIMEX, which handles remittances and card operations. The company is led by elites from the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR).

This enterprise, estimated to control over 40% of the Cuban economy, is allegedly siphoning vast profits into offshore secret accounts while the Cuban people suffer from hunger, disease, and chronic underinvestment in critical infrastructure like the power grid. Publicly available estimates alone suggest illicit assets exceed three times the national budget, with illegal assets potentially reaching up to $20 billion.

The CEO of GAESA, Lastres, was also placed on the sanctions list.

Furthermore, MOA NICKEL SA (MNSA), a joint venture between Sherritt International Corporation and the Cuban state-owned enterprise La Compañía General de Níquel, has been known to exploit Cuba's natural resources for the benefit of the Cuban regime at the expense of the Cuban people.

The State Department stated that this company profits from assets originally confiscated by the Cuban regime from U.S. individuals and corporations.

The Federal State Department announced, "Just 90 miles from the U.S. mainland, the Cuban regime has devastated the island and put it up for auction as a platform for foreign intelligence, military, and terrorist operations."

The State Department advised that U.S. persons and U.S. companies are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the sanctioned entities as a result of these sanctions.

U.S. NNP=Sung Ku Hong, Chief Reporter / Special Correspondent NNP info@newsandpost.com