The GAE is not an opaque structure, nor is it parallel to the Cuban state; on the contrary, it has been a well-coordinated and proven effective response to the economic blockade that has historically sought to strangle the Cuban Revolution.
The United States government has once again acted with premeditated intent in its eagerness to create pretexts to discredit the Cuban Revolution, its historical leadership, and its leaders, thereby confusing both our people and international public opinion.
This is all part of a roadmap designed by ideologues of the Cuban-American far right, who pride themselves on being creative and unpredictable. Their strategy centers on the use of tools that drastically and unprecedentedly escalate the policy of maximum pressure.
The most recent sanctions against Cuba, announced on May 1st, are part of this plan. Executive Order 14404 targets the Business Administration Group (GAE), this time in conjunction with so-called secondary sanctions directed at any foreign actor that conducts any type of transaction with this Group, emphasizing pressure against financial institutions.
This is the most intense, disproportionate, and dangerous escalation in the recent history of relations between Cuba and the United States.
The deliberate aim is to isolate the country diplomatically, commercially, financially, and in terms of energy; to undermine the nation’s sustainability; to condition dialogue; and to consider options for military aggression. They need to construct and consolidate a narrative of reputational discrediting against all the institutions that underpin our social project.
The Business Administration Group (GAE) was born during the Special Period to confront the economic war, with a creative, unique, and genuinely Cuban vision. Its objective has always been to bring together companies with the capacity to generate the foreign currency and resources that the State requires to maintain and develop social achievements and contribute to the growth of various sectors and branches of national life.
The services rendered to the nation by the Business Administration Group are countless. The material and financial contributions of this organization can be seen in numerous examples: the construction of more than 10,000 homes in various provinces of the country, the creation of a Pioneer Camp and vacation programs for children, and the way in which the Cuban economy was sustained during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proceeds of this business activity have also been allocated to investments in the Lidio Ramón Pérez (Felton) thermoelectric plant in Holguín, and to the design and consolidation of major hydraulic works, including the East-West and North-South water transfer projects, for the benefit of millions of Cubans. Investments and repairs have also been made to polyclinics, family doctor’s offices, and schools. All of these activities have been systematically reported to the leadership of the Party, the State, and the Government, and in every case, subject to the strictest oversight and auditing by the relevant authorities and mechanisms.
The GAE is not an opaque structure, nor is it parallel to the Cuban State; on the contrary, it has been a coordinated and provenly effective response to the economic blockade that has historically sought to stifle the Cuban Revolution.
As the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, stated at the 8th Party Congress, the business improvement process, initially developed within the Revolutionary Armed Forces, is a truly historic achievement. This experience later served the country, and its remarkable results contribute to the national economy.
Thousands of men and women, over the past 30 years, have been discreet guardians of the country’s resources and deserve recognition. Although their work has not been sufficiently publicized, it speaks for itself, rising above the state-sponsored slander orchestrated from Washington.
Today, as the will of the Cuban people is expressed in a process of change, contained in the Government’s Economic and Social Program, this organization is an active participant in the transformations of the country’s business system.
The GAE (Business Group) is not the product of secrecy, nor of elites, and certainly not a means for the enrichment of a select few. On the contrary, it is one of the many examples that, along our path, have allowed us to resist the constant aggression of the United States government. Its history was built, in the words of the Leader of the Cuban Revolution, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, “without the slightest desire for the limelight, as serious matters are done.
Havana, June 2, 2026
“Year of the Centenary of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz”
