The Guardian reports that Republican donors, Cuban-exile networks and executives linked to the Trump Organization are positioning to profit from U.S. pressure on Cuba. Figures such as Ray Washburne and Albert Huddleston are pursuing mining stakes after foreign companies were pushed out by Trump-era actions. Reports also cite Trump-linked visits to the island, a rise in Florida-routed imports benefiting Crowley Maritime, and concerns that sanctions are harming ordinary Cubans while enriching outside interests.
Allies of Trump and Rubio Quietly Position Themselves to Profit From Cuba, Report Says
Trump and Rubio’s Friends Secretly Prepping to Cash in on Cuba
Reportedly, several Republican donors and executives tied to President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are positioning to benefit financially from U.S. pressure on Cuba. The Guardian reports that, amid stepped-up sanctions and policy shifts, private actors are seeking to fill commercial gaps on the island — a move critics say primarily benefits outside interests while ordinary Cubans suffer.
Who Is Involved
The newspaper names a range of figures and firms: Republican fundraiser Ray Washburne (recently involved in organizing the party’s midterm convention and a former vice chair of Trump’s 2016 Victory Committee) and oil executive Albert Huddleston are both reported to be trying to take over a nickel and cobalt joint venture after Canada’s Sherritt International was forced out following a May executive order.
An Australian firm, Antilles Gold Ltd., ended its Cuban operations in June amid the sanctions; The Guardian says the White House approved the company’s transfer of its stake in a Cuban copper–gold mine to New York investment fund Global Emerging Markets.
Trump Organization Links And Other Interests
Sources told The Guardian that executives associated with the Trump Organization have travelled to Cuba under the name Dominari Holdings and met with figures such as Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former president Raúl Castro, to discuss potential ventures. With Spanish hotel groups Meliá and Iberostar reportedly withdrawing from the island’s tourism market, these visitors may be exploring opportunities to replace departing operators.
Florida-based Crowley Maritime, a shipping line, is also reported to be benefiting as much of Cuba’s imports are now routed through Florida ports. Crowley is a known donor to Florida Republican Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart and María Elvira-Salazar.
Criticism And Human Impact
Critics quoted in the reporting argue that the sanctions and a tightening fuel blockade are worsening living conditions for ordinary Cubans while opening commercial opportunities for external investors and politically connected intermediaries. “If I had done during the Biden administration what Trump’s friends have done now, I’d have been put in jail,” an expert on Cuba policy told The Guardian, underscoring accusations of impropriety.
Observers warn that, beyond immediate commercial gains, the moves raise questions about who stands to control Cuban assets should more sweeping political change occur — and whether the island’s population will benefit from or be harmed by that shift.
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