The Trump administration announced new sanctions against Cuba on Thursday, threatening to deepen an ongoing economic crisis in the island nation. The State and Treasury departments announced they are leveling additional penalties against nine state-owned mining, metal and construction companies. The move also targets the leadership of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples.
Cuba holds significant deposits of cobalt and nickel, which are used in the production of electronics. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused these mining companies of sustaining “the regime’s repressive apparatus through control of key economic sectors.”
