Key facts
- The U.S. sanctioned Cuba's state-owned oil and gas company, Unión Cuba-Petróleo (CUPET).
- Sanctions cite unlawfully expropriated assets and the weaponization of energy resources by Cuba.
- CUPET's assets in the U.S. or controlled by U.S. persons have been blocked.
- The U.S. also blocked a plan by Vanguard Energy to ship fuel to Cuba.
- The sanctions were imposed hours after China and Cuba discussed deepening bilateral cooperation.
The U.S. State Department has sanctioned Cuba's state-owned oil and gas company, Unión Cuba-Petróleo (CUPET), amid escalating tensions and discussions between China and Cuba to deepen bilateral cooperation. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that CUPET's assets were unlawfully expropriated from American owners and accused the Cuban government of weaponizing energy resources.
Rubio announced that all property or interests of CUPET located in the U.S. or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked. He asserted that the regime leverages energy trade for corrupt agendas and violently represses the Cuban people. Cuba, already grappling with a decades-old embargo and petroleum shortages, faces intensified power outages and fuel scarcity.
The sanctions were imposed hours after senior Chinese and Cuban officials held a video conference to discuss bilateral cooperation and party-to-party ties. President Donald Trump has previously tightened the U.S. economic embargo on Cuba. In a separate action, the State Department blocked a plan by Florida-based Vanguard Energy to ship 250,000 barrels of gas and diesel to Cuba. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has warned of a 'bloodbath' if the U.S. were to attack the island.