[News] US imposes new sanctions on Cuba, targeting 9 entities and 3 people

[Anti-Imperialist News]

english.almayadeen.net
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-imposes-new-sanctions-on-cuba--targeting-9-entities-and-3>
US imposes new sanctions on Cuba, targeting 9 entities and 3 people
Al Mayadeen English
August 20, 2026
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The United States imposes new sanctions on Cuba, targeting nine entities
and three individuals, including the Cuban Ministry of Construction.

   - [image: Men talk in front of a weathered mural of Fidel Castro in
   Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, August 12, 2026 (AP)]
   <https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2026/8/20/625a8795-88a8-4726-b34d-5fbabe26d523.jpg?width=1000>
   Men talk in front of a weathered mural of Fidel Castro in Havana, Cuba,
   Wednesday, August 12, 2026 (AP)

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
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/d%C3%ADaz-canel-marks-castro-s-birthday--cuban-dignity-is-non-neg>
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
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/petro-from-havana--no-to-war--blockades-in-the-caribbean>
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.
Part of a broader campaign

Earlier in August, the United States imposed sanctions on five Cuban
entities and eight individuals it says are involved in weapons procurement
and maintaining military relationships with foreign governments, including
China and Russia.

Rubio announced the measures under an executive order signed by US
President Donald Trump in May that expanded sanctions targeting Cuban
government officials
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/china-slams-new-us-sanctions-on-cuba--calls-for-end-to-block>,
security forces, and entities supporting them.

The latest sanctions target subsidiaries of the Cuban military conglomerate
GAESA, as well as a military aircraft repair company, according to the US
State Department.

Among those sanctioned are Cuban Defense Minister Álvaro López Miera, Chief
of the General Staff Roberto Legra Sotolongo, and Cuba's military attachés
to Russia and China.
US expands pressure on Havana

The latest measures build on previous US actions targeting GAESA and Cuba's
Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR), as Washington
continues its campaign of economic and political strangulation against the
island.

The Trump administration has intensified sanctions against Cuban
institutions and officials, including President Miguel Díaz-Canel, as part
of efforts to isolate Havana's leadership.

The measures follow Washington's declaration of a national emergency
earlier this year and the introduction of tariffs targeting countries that
supply oil to Cuba.

The restrictions have led to severe energy shortages
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/cuba-suffers-new-blackout-as-energy-crisis-deepens-under-us>
 across the island, with frequent power outages affecting households,
transportation, healthcare services, and industrial activity.
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