The Revolution’s Last Lifeline
The Trump administration has intensified sanctions against Cuba, targeting its nickel and cobalt industries, which are vital to the island's economy. The sanctions have led to Sherritt International suspending its joint venture with Cuba's state-owned General Nickel Company, exacerbating the country's economic struggles. This move is part of a broader strategy to undermine the post-Castro regime and has drawn criticism for its impact on the Cuban people.
- ▪The Trump administration has imposed new sanctions on companies doing business with Cuba, expanding the embargo significantly.
- ▪Sherritt International announced it would dissolve its partnership with the state-owned General Nickel Company due to the sanctions.
- ▪Cuba's economy is already struggling, with factories idle and long lines for basic goods reported in Havana.
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National SecurityThe Revolution’s Last LifelineThe Trump administration is targeting one of Cuba’s few remaining resources.By Vivian SalamaNickel factory of Holguin, Cuba, 1967. (Gilberto Ante / Getty)May 24, 2026, 8:01 AM ET ShareSave In 1960, Washington watched aghast as Fidel Castro’s post-Revolution government seized companies and assets it viewed as the spoils of vanquished U.S. imperialism. Among the biggest prizes were two plants that sat above some of the largest nickel and cobalt deposits in the world. The United States had acquired one of them to secure a strategic supply of nickel for armor plating and aircraft engines during World War II. But the revolutionaries lacked know-how, and soon, the operations were struggling.
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