What is GAESA, which has taken center stage in US-Cuba tensions?

May 22, 2026 11:05 AM

What is GAESA, which has taken center stage in US-Cuba tensions?

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. "A 'state within the state' that is accountable to no one and hoards the profits from its businesses for the benefit of a small elite." Cuba's leadership rarely talks p...

US arrests sister of Cuban military conglomerate chief

May 22, 2026 9:59 AM

US arrests sister of Cuban military conglomerate chief

The United States arrested Adys Lastres Morera, the sister of the executive president of GAESA, a sprawling conglomerate of military-run businesses, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday. Morera, who entered the United States as a lawful permanent resident in 2023, is now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending removal proceedings, according to separate statement from ICE. Morera's presence poses a threat to the United States and undermines American foreign...