Secretary of State Marco Rubio has moved against several Cuban entities tied to the island’s communist government, warning that American organizations doing business with sanctioned groups could face consequences.
The action places new scrutiny on a longstanding network connecting Cuban officials with U.S. activist organizations. Federal investigators are also examining relationships involving nonprofits funded by American tech entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham, who has directed hundreds of millions of dollars toward progressive and Marxist causes.
Rubio Targets Cuba’s Longstanding Influence Network
The sanctions include the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, known as ICAP, an organization Fidel Castro established in 1960 to promote Cuba’s revolutionary ideology and cultivate relationships abroad.
U.S. officials and intelligence assessments have long viewed ICAP as an important component of Cuba’s broader influence and intelligence structure.
“For decades, Cuba has been the world capital for radical left-wing terrorism,” Rubio said. “The regime in Havana has recruited, trained and backed violent Marxist and third-worldist movements across our hemisphere and beyond.”
The administration’s move comes as federal authorities examine whether American nonprofit groups have helped advance Havana’s political interests inside the United States.
Cuba Convoy Draws Federal Scrutiny
The latest action follows a March “convoy” organized with several U.S. nonprofits, including the People’s Forum, Progressive International and CodePink.
The trip brought controversial Marxist streamer Hasan Piker to Cuba, where participants publicly expressed support for the country’s communist government.
Meanwhile, the journey has become part of a broader federal inquiry. CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin confirmed that federal officials questioned her about the trip and whether she may have violated U.S. sanctions.
Federal investigators are also examining an alleged network of 145 organizations with combined revenues approaching $1 billion. Authorities are looking into whether the groups have promoted Cuban government interests and communist ideology in the United States.
“Today, we are targeting the network that enables and funds Cuba’s subversive and radical operations,” Rubio said.
Singham’s Funding Comes Under The Microscope
Several organizations that have worked closely with ICAP, including the People’s Forum, CodePink, BreakThrough News and Tricontinental, have received funding connected to Singham.
Singham, a Marxist-oriented technology entrepreneur based in Shanghai, has directed roughly $285 million toward nonprofits since 2017, according to reporting cited in the investigation.
Those organizations have developed close relationships with ICAP and the Cuban government. Singham is also married to CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans.
Federal authorities and lawmakers are now examining whether some organizations supported by Singham have acted on behalf of foreign interests without properly registering under U.S. law.
Officials are also examining whether the network has amplified messaging favorable to the Chinese Communist Party and the Communist Party of Cuba.
Former Cuban Spy Leads ICAP
ICAP is currently headed by Fernando González Llort, one of five former Cuban intelligence officers known as the “Cuban Five.”
The five men were convicted in the United States on espionage-related charges and later released after serving prison sentences.
Critics argue that ICAP provides an entry point for foreign activists seeking relationships with Cuban officials and revolutionary organizations. They contend that the institution helps spread the Communist Party’s political messaging, organizing methods and strategic objectives.
ICAP has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and maintains that it operates as a civil society organization.
Rubio designated ICAP as one of five Cuban entities subject to restrictions under sanctions authorities created through President Donald Trump’s Cuba executive order.
The sanctions also cover Cuba’s Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, known as MINFAR; the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, or CDR; Minera La Victoria S.A.; and Amistur Cuba S.A., a state-run tourism company that has arranged Cuban trips involving U.S. nonprofits connected to the Singham network.
Cold War-Era Strategy Still Shapes Debate
Experts say the sanctions reflect a broader administration effort to address not only Cuba’s government but also American institutions that officials believe help project Havana’s influence overseas.
A declassified CIA report from the Cold War era, “Cuba: Castro’s Propaganda Apparatus and Foreign Policy,” described international propaganda and influence efforts as a central part of Castro’s foreign policy.
The report identified ICAP among organizations considered important to Cuba’s efforts to cultivate sympathetic political movements abroad and expand its influence beyond the island.
One prominent example dates back to the Venceremos Brigade, a Cuba solidarity program founded in 1969. The initiative brought generations of American activists to Cuba through exchanges involving Cuban authorities and institutions, including ICAP.
Over time, the program became one of the most recognizable links between American activists and Cuba’s revolutionary government.
Today, the Venceremos Brigade operates as a fiscally sponsored project of the People’s Forum.
Progressive International’s Cuba Connections
The March convoy also highlighted the relationship between Progressive International and Cuban officials.
During the trip, Progressive International co-founder David Adler appeared with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and ICAP President González at an official ICAP event in Havana.
The relationship has drawn additional attention because of Progressive International’s broader involvement with organizations connected to Cuba.
Years earlier, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass participated in Venceremos Brigade trips. Her political rival Spencer Pratt later revived that connection during his mayoral campaign.
Bass has denied wrongdoing.
Supporters of U.S.-Cuba exchanges describe them as educational and humanitarian efforts intended to encourage international understanding.
Critics see something very different, arguing that such programs can operate as political influence campaigns that build support for Havana’s government and its ideology.
Havana Pushes Back Against Rubio
The Cuban government swiftly condemned Rubio’s sanctions.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused Washington of increasing economic pressure on Cuba and worsening tensions between the two countries.
“The Treasury Department has added new names of Cuban leaders, organizations and companies to an illegitimate sanctions list,” Díaz-Canel wrote on social media. “They are aimed at reinforcing the blockade measures and the scenario of conflict between Cuba and the United States.”
Rubio’s warning, however, went beyond the Cuban organizations directly named in the sanctions.
“Anyone providing services to these sanctioned actors is at risk of sanctions themselves,” he said. “Foreign banks and other companies that provide services to these entities should freeze those activities.”
The message puts U.S. organizations, financial institutions and foreign companies on notice as Washington takes a closer look at the networks that connect Cuban officials with international activists.
The latest sanctions suggest the administration intends to pursue those relationships as aggressively as the Cuban entities themselves.
