US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against the Cuban state energy company Union Cuba-Petroleo (CUPET), thus increasing pressure on Havana and further worsening relations between the two countries, DPA reported, BTA reported.
"Cuba's communist elites have turned energy into a weapon of social control and kleptocratic profit", Rubio said in a post on the social network "Ex".
"For decades, the regime has stolen and hoarded available fuel – using it for Castro's private jet, for security forces used to repress the Cuban people, for lighting empty tourist hotels and for transporting people for fake protests and political spectacles – all while the Cuban people have suffered power outages and waited weeks to charge their cars," he said.
Rubio continued, saying that until the Cuban people receive "greater economic and political freedom and opportunity... we will continue to fight against the communist regime's ability to use the energy trade to advance its corrupt agenda and violently oppress the Cuban people.".
As a result of the sanctions, U.S. citizens are no longer allowed to do business with CUPET. The announcement also said that non-U.S. citizens should expect sanctions if they do business with the company.
The new punitive measures are part of the Trump administration's much tougher policy toward Cuba.