SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) 鈥� The U.S. government on Thursday announced sanctions against state-owned oil and gas company in a move expected to increase tensions between the two countries.
U.S. Secretary of State asserted that key assets of the company, known as Cupet, were 鈥渦nlawfully expropriated from American owners years ago.鈥�
He also accused 颁耻产补鈥檚 government of weaponizing energy.
鈥淲hile the Cuban people have suffered fuel shortages and blackouts because of decades of under-investment in critical infrastructure, 颁耻产补鈥檚 Communist leaders have diverted energy resources to line their own pockets,鈥� Rubio said in a statement.
He further noted, without providing evidence, that Cuban officials 鈥渞esell countless barrels of scarce energy on the secondary market, hoarding energy supplies for its military, intelligence and repressive forces, and rationing energy as a tool of social control.鈥�
The Cuban government did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. It has previously said that sanctions punish all Cubans and are aimed at strangling the economy to destabilize both the government and its people.
Cupet鈥檚 fuel sales to the public are almost nonexistent and are currently rationed.
Thursday’s announcement comes almost a week after the U.S. government and other officials, as well as several institutions.
Rubio said in a statement that all property or interests of Cupet located in the U.S. or in possession or control of U.S. people are blocked.
鈥� wants a new future for the Cuban people with greater economic and political freedom and opportunity,鈥� Rubio wrote on X. 鈥淯ntil then, we will continue to target the Communist regime鈥檚 ability to leverage its energy trade to further its corrupt agenda and violently repress the Cuban people.鈥�
Cuba is already struggling under a decades-old embargo and as the U.S. keeps pushing for a change in its economic and political model.
Power outages 鈥� already common given the economic and energetic crisis gripping the island for the past five years 鈥� have only intensified since U.S. President Donald Trump on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba.
Both countries have acknowledged that , but the scope of them is unknown.
Meanwhile, Trump has been threatening military action in Cuba ever since the and arrested former President Nicol谩s Maduro.
Last Thursday, Trump said Cuba has 鈥渟ort of collapsed鈥� and said 鈥渨e鈥檙e going to handle that as soon as we鈥檝e finished鈥� military operations in Iran.
___
Follow AP鈥檚 coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
