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The U.S. Department of State, under the leadership of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has announced the designation of five Cuban entities and one member of the extended Castro family linked to the Grupo de Administración Empresarial SA, (GAESA). This move is part of the U.S. government’s ongoing efforts to apply economic pressure on the Cuban regime in response to its human rights record and restrictions on political expression.
According to a Department of State spokesperson, the designated entities include FINCIMEX S.A., a financial services company that provides banking and other financial services to the Cuban government; Banco Financiero Internacional (BFI), a bank that provides financial services to state-owned enterprises and other government-controlled entities; Almacenes Universales S.A., a corporation involved in the management of commercial ports and other logistics services; GeoMinera S.A., a mining company that operates in various sectors of the Cuban mining industry; and Minera La Victoria S.A., another mining company that is also linked to the GAESA.
Furthermore, Mariela Vilma Salgado Fernández, a member of the Castro extended family, has also been designated. The exact role of Salgado Fernández within the GAESA or the Cuban government is not publicly disclosed, but it is known that she is a cousin of former Cuban President Raúl Castro.
The designation of the five entities and Salgado Fernández is in line with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) authority to impose sanctions on individuals and entities linked to the Cuban government. The move will freeze any assets held by the designated entities in the United States and restrict U.S. citizens and companies from engaging in transactions with these entities.
The U.S. action follows a long history of strained relations between the two countries, which have been exacerbated by the Cuban government’s human rights record and restrictions on the right to free expression. The U.S. has previously taken steps to impose economic sanctions on Cuba in a bid to pressure the Cuban government to implement democratic reforms and improve human rights conditions.
In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the U.S. government remains committed to promoting democratic values and protecting human rights in Cuba. “The designation of these entities and individuals demonstrates the U.S. government’s commitment to holding those responsible for the Cuban regime’s human rights abuses accountable,” Rubio stated.