Cuba slams new US sanctions against state-run firms

HAVANA - Cuba on Tuesday denounced the latest sanctions imposed by the United States on five Cuban state-owned entities and a member of the extended family of former Cuban president Raul Castro, arguing the measures aim to further harm the economy.

"The US government, led by its dishonest and mendacious Secretary of State (Marco Rubio), continues to take steps to tighten the noose around Cuba's economy," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on X, referring to the sanctions Washington announced earlier in the day.

These sanctions came as Cuba "has proven to be stronger, more capable, and more effective than he expected in the face of the ruthless aggression and collective punishment against the people and their living conditions," said Rodriguez, adding that "what this individual is pushing for from the world's greatest power is a crime."

The sanctions target five Cuban state-owned entities, three of which are linked to the conglomerate Grupo de Administracion Empresarial S.A. and two are related to the mining and metallurgical sectors, according to a fact sheet published Tuesday by the US Department of State.