Rubio Sanctions Cuban Military Conglomerate GAESA Subsidiaries and Top Generals

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on August 7, 2026 targeting five Cuban entities — subsidiaries of the military-run conglomerate GAESA — and eight individuals, including Revolutionary Armed Forces Minister Álvaro López Miera, Chief of the General Staff Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, and Cuba's military attachés to Russia and China. Rubio said the administration's 'resolve is ironclad' in pressuring Havana. The sanctions were announced the same week the grid collapsed twice in 24 hours and the CIA's new Cuba task force was revealed. UN human rights rapporteurs condemned the broader US pressure campaign, warning of a 'silent Gaza' unfolding in Cuba and stating food 'must never be used as an instrument of political pressure.'