Washington imposes sanctions on 3 individuals and 9 entities in Cuba

Washington, Aug 20 (KUNA) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday the imposition of sanctions on three individuals and nine entities in Cuba, including the Ministry of Construction and the head of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with Peoples. In a statement released by the U.S. Department of State, Rubio accused the Cuban regime of “long having sponsored a wide-ranging subversive network within the United States aimed at identifying, recruiting, and radicalizing subversive elements, largely under the guise of educational or cultural exchanges.” He added that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump “will not stand idly by while a hostile foreign power seeks to exploit our freedoms, which its own people do not enjoy, by deceiving and corrupting American citizens with lies, espionage, and other malicious practices.” The statement clarified that, pursuant to an executive order issued by Trump in early May regarding “sanctions against those responsible for repression in Cuba and for threats to U.S. national security and foreign policy,” Rubio is imposing sanctions today on “three leaders of the sanctioned Cuban Institute for Friendship with Peoples, including its president, Fernando Gonzalez Yuret.” He also announced additional sanctions on nine entities, including the Cuban Ministry of Construction, which he accused of “supporting the regime’s repressive apparatus by controlling key economic sectors.” (End) R.S.R./M.A.A.