The United States imposed new sanctions on Cuba on Thursday, targeting nine entities and three individuals, including the Cuban Ministry of Construction and senior officials from the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP).
The measures also targeted entities operating in Cuba’s metals, mining, trade, and labor sectors, including state-owned companies linked to the extraction and processing of minerals such as nickel and cobalt.
The sanctions against the ICAP leadership come after the organization itself was targeted by Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the institute of sponsoring what he called a “vast subversive network” in the United States.
Rubio alleged that Cuba had sought in recent days to use the 100th anniversary of the birth of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro to activate the network and bring sympathizers to Havana to meet with government officials.
The three individuals sanctioned include ICAP President Fernando Gonzalez Llort, First Vice President Noemi Ramona Rabaza Fernandez, and North America Director Leima Martinez Freire.
New measures target Cuba’s mining and construction sectors
The latest sanctions also affect nine Cuban state entities, including the Ministry of Construction and companies operating in the metals and mining sectors. Cuba has significant deposits of nickel and cobalt, making the sector an important part of the country's economy.
The measures follow an executive order issued by US President Donald Trump in May that expanded sanctions targeting Cuban government officials, members of the security forces, and their supporters.
The new sanctions come days after Washington imposed measures on five Cuban entities and eight individuals, including Revolutionary Armed Forces Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera and Chief of Staff Roberto Legra Sotolongo, as well as Cuban military attachés in China and Russia.
Earlier, the US government also imposed sanctions on Cuba’s overseas medical missions program, a major source of foreign currency for the country, targeting state-linked companies and Health Minister Jose Angel Portal Miranda.
Source:Websites
