Cuba's giant business group under US fire

A big business group in Cuba is now in the crosshairs of US sanctions. The company, GAESA, is run by the Cuban military and controls nearly half of Cuba's economy. That means it oversees everything from shops and hotels to banks and travel agencies. The US government recently added GAESA and its leaders to a blacklist, freezing their assets and banning dealings with them. The sanctions also target a Canadian-Cuban nickel company. It has already decided to pull out after 32 years in Cuba. Experts say the new rules could scare off other foreign businesses. The goal is to cut off money to Cuba’s leaders, but it also makes life harder for ordinary Cubans. The US has been tightening the screws on Cuba for years. Fuel shipments have been blocked since January. Now, with these new sanctions, the economy is feeling the heat even more. Cuba calls these moves collective punishment, saying they hurt regular people more than the leaders they target.Behind GAESA’s power are deep family ties. The company started in the 1990s as a way for the military to keep the economy afloat after the Soviet Union collapsed. Its managers have included close relatives of Cuba’s former president. But there’s little transparency. The company’s accounts aren’t checked by government watchdogs, and its leaders have avoided public scrutiny. The sanctions are part of a bigger fight. The US says it wants to stop money from going to Cuba’s elite. But critics argue these measures only make life tougher for everyone on the island. With fuel and power shortages already a problem, the new rules could push Cuba deeper into crisis.