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- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new sanctions targeting Cuba's Ministry of Construction, eight state entities, and three ICAP officials under Executive Order 14404.
- Targeted entities span critical sectors including construction, mining, metals, transportation, and foreign trade, prominently featuring the Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara Nickel Company in Holguín.
- Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez condemned the measures, while Havana rejected Washington's allegations that ICAP uses cultural exchanges to spread anti-American influence.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced a fresh round of economic sanctions against Cuba, targeting the island nation's Ministry of Construction, several key state-owned enterprises, and officials linked to a prominent cultural exchange organization. The move marks a significant escalation in Washington's broader campaign under the Trump administration to restrict Havana's access to international commerce and deepen financial pressure on the Cuban government.
Announced on Thursday, the measures add Cuba's Ministry of Construction and eight state-owned entities to the United States designated restrictions list. The newly targeted companies operate across strategic sectors vital to the island's economy, including construction, mining, metals, transportation, and foreign trade. Among the designated operations is the Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara Nickel Company, a major industrial facility located in the eastern province of Holguín, alongside several metallurgical and mining firms.
The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control implemented the restrictions under Executive Order 14404, which President Donald Trump issued in May. The order provides a framework for imposing penalties on entities Washington considers linked to internal repression or actions that threaten US national security and foreign policy priorities. Under the enforcement framework, any property or financial interests belonging to the listed entities within US jurisdiction are frozen, and US persons are barred from conducting transactions with them.
In addition to state enterprises, three officials associated with the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) were individually sanctioned. US officials accused ICAP of deploying cultural and educational exchange programs to foster anti-American sentiment internationally, charges that Cuban officials have rejected. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez strongly condemned the sanctions, characterizing the restrictions as an unjustified tightening of economic pressure on the Cuban nation.