In a move signaling a firm stance on Cuba policy, the United States announced Friday that it is blocking transactions involving a key remittance platform tied to the island. The decision follows President Donald Trump’s renewed commitment to tighten economic pressure on Havana since returning to the White House.
Trump wasted no time in undoing steps taken by his predecessor, Joe Biden. Upon re-entering the Oval Office on January 20, Trump swiftly reversed Biden’s removal of Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism—a decision Biden had made at the end of his term as part of broader efforts to improve relations.
This escalation was outlined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American long known for his outspoken criticism of Cuba’s leadership. Rubio revealed that the government is reimposing financial sanctions on an array of Cuban entities—a move Biden had intended to roll back. Along with the other organizations reinstated on the so-called “Cuba Restricted List,” the remittance firm Orbit, SA has been added due to allegations of connections with Cuba’s military apparatus.
“The State Department’s action ensures that resources will not flow to state-controlled entities,” Rubio said in a statement, adding that these organizations are central to the Cuban government’s ability to monitor and control the population.
During Trump’s previous time in office, US authorities had already penalized another remittance processor, Fincimex, citing its military affiliations. In response, the Cuban government replaced Fincimex with Orbit, though reporting later indicated that this new provider was also linked to the island’s armed forces.
Remittances constitute a major financial lifeline for many Cuban families, with Cuban-Americans sending large sums of money each year to relatives on the island. This flow of funds has traditionally provided a critical source of hard currency for Havana’s economy, which has struggled with longstanding US sanctions and internal challenges.
Trump’s tougher approach to Cuba stands in contrast to the strategy pursued by former President Barack Obama, who had sought to end decades of isolationist policies toward the island. Obama considered the longstanding embargo an ineffective means of promoting change, opting instead for diplomatic and commercial openings that Trump largely reversed during his first administration—and is now intensifying in his current term.
