Spanish hotel chain Meliá is ending all operations in Cuba at the end of the week, citing major difficulties under growing US sanctions pressure. The company stated that the latest sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump make it 'impossible, de facto and de jure, to maintain even minimal operational stability.'
Details of the withdrawal
Meliá announced the decision in a statement to the Spanish stock market regulator on Tuesday. The company operates 34 hotels in Cuba, including the Meliá Cohiba in Havana, and has 14,000 rooms on the island. It said it would work to ensure a smooth transition to minimize impact on staff, suppliers, and clients.
Last month, Meliá had already announced it would cease operating 15 of its 34 hotels, joining other foreign companies cutting ties with Cuba's military conglomerate GAESA under US pressure. The new statement covers all 34 hotels, including the 19 operated in partnership with Cuba's tourism ministry.
Background and impact
Trump ordered new sanctions in May targeting a broad set of individuals and threatening foreign banks and companies that work with them. Meliá was the first Spanish hotel group to enter Cuba after the country opened its tourism sector to foreigners in the 1990s, aiming to ease the economic crisis following the Soviet Union's collapse.
In addition to the long-standing economic embargo since 1962, Washington has blocked all oil shipments to Cuba since January, except for a single Russian ship. The situation has pushed Cuba toward economic breakdown, with power cuts and US meddling straining society.
