Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State [AP=Yonhap News Archive Photo]

The U.S. administration of Donald Trump placed Cuba's state-owned oil and gas company, 'Unión Cubapetrolera' (CUPET), on the sanctions list on the 11th (local time).

In a statement that day, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed out, "Like all of Cuba's resources, energy has long been exploited by the Cuban Communist Party government as a tool for repression and personal gain. For years, Cubans have suffered from fuel shortages and blackouts due to a lack of investment in core infrastructure, yet Cuban communist leaders have used energy resources to fill their own pockets."

Rubio added, "This is why I have designated Cuba's CUPET, which holds key assets illegally confiscated from U.S. owners, as a target for sanctions today."

He further stated, "The Trump administration will continue to target Cuba's ability to exploit energy trade to bolster its corrupt agenda and repressive security apparatus."

In addition to Secretary Rubio, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also newly added CUPET to the list of 'Specially Designated Nationals'.