Explainer-What is GAESA, which has taken center stage in US-Cuba tensions?
GAESA, a military conglomerate in Cuba, has become a focal point in U.S.-Cuba tensions. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio blames GAESA for Cuba's economic struggles, claiming it hoards profits for a small elite. In contrast, Cuba's government attributes its economic issues to U.S. sanctions and denies any wrongdoing by GAESA.
- ▪GAESA stands for Grupo de Administración Empresarial and controls many of Cuba's most profitable businesses.
- ▪The U.S. has imposed sanctions on GAESA, accusing it of hoarding profits and contributing to the country's economic crisis.
- ▪Cuba's government rarely discusses GAESA and attributes its economic challenges to U.S. trade and financial blockades.
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Explainer-What is GAESA, which has taken center stage in US-Cuba tensions?Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxFILE PHOTO: A view of Havana, Cuba, October 29, 2019. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini/File PhotoPublished May 22, 2026, 03:04 AMUpdated May 22, 2026, 03:04 AMHAVANA, May 21 - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made no bones about who he blames for Cuba's economic woes.The culprit, according to the Cuban American politician, is a military conglomerate known by its initials GAESA."Cuba is controlled by GAESA," Rubio said on Wednesday in a video message in Spanish addressed to the Cuban people.
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