US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused Cuba's military conglomerate, GAESA, of controlling the island's economy and hoarding profits for a small elite.
GAESA, a business administration group established in the 1990s, controls many of Cuba's hotels, ports, commercial banks, supermarkets, gas stations, and remittance businesses.
The US has imposed sanctions on GAESA businesses, prohibiting US tourism to GAESA-held hotels, and accuses the conglomerate of using profits for the benefit of the military and the Cuban elite.
Cuba denies GAESA enrichment or corruption is at fault for the current economic crisis, pointing to a Trump administration fuel blockade as the cause of 'energy starvation'.
GAESA's finances do not appear in the communist-run government's budget, and the conglomerate's secrecy has sparked speculation about its true size and influence.
