The United States has announced a new round of sanctions targeting five Cuban organizations, accusing them of supporting activities that threaten U.S. national security and advance the Cuban government’s influence abroad.
In a statement posted to Facebook on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the sanctions were being imposed under authorities established by a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump aimed at increasing pressure on the Cuban government.
The entities designated by the U.S. are the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (MINFAR), the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), Amistur Cuba S.A., the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), and Minera La Victoria S.A.
Rubio alleged that the Cuban government has, for decades, supported radical left-wing movements throughout Latin America and beyond. He said the latest sanctions target what Washington describes as a network that enables and finances Cuba’s political and international operations.
The U.S. also warned that foreign banks and companies providing services to the sanctioned entities could themselves become subject to sanctions and urged them to cease business dealings with the organizations.
“Anyone providing services to these sanctioned actors is at risk of sanctions themselves,” Rubio said.
The measures form part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to increase economic and diplomatic pressure on Havana. A White House executive order issued in May expanded the U.S. government’s authority to impose sanctions on individuals, companies and financial institutions linked to sectors of the Cuban economy deemed supportive of the government.
Cuba has consistently rejected U.S. accusations that it poses a threat to American national security and has condemned sanctions as an attempt to interfere in the island’s internal affairs. Cuban officials have previously described similar measures as politically motivated and harmful to the country’s economy.
The latest sanctions are expected to further complicate financial and commercial dealings involving Cuban state-linked organizations and could have implications for foreign companies conducting business with entities connected to the Cuban government.