U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the Trump administration's decision to slap new sanctions on Cuba, the largest of which is against GAESA, or Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., a business conglomerate operated by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.
In addition to GAESA and its leader, the sanctions announced on Thursday (May 7, 2026) included Moa Nickel, a Cuban joint venture with Canada's Sherritt International, which immediately announced it would withdraw from the business, ending a 32-year presence on the island.
