One of the largest online platforms used by Cubans abroad to send goods to relatives on the island has suspended operations, raising new questions about the future of a key supply channel as Cuba faces a deepening economic crisis and growing pressure on businesses linked to the country's military-controlled economy.
EnviosCuba announced Sunday that it could no longer continue providing services "for reasons beyond our control." The company did not specify whether the suspension is temporary or permanent, nor did it explain what prompted the decision. It did however say orders already approved or in process would still be delivered and that customer support would remain available to address pending claims.
The platform allowed Cubans living overseas to purchase food, household products, appliances, construction materials and other goods for delivery across the island. Unlike traditional remittances, which involve sending money directly to relatives, EnviosCuba enabled customers to pay for specific products from abroad, with deliveries made inside Cuba.
The suspension affects a network of online stores including La Puntilla, Plaza Carlos III, Puerto Envío, ElectroEnvío and Almacén-On, which were tied to retail chains operated by CIMEX and Tiendas Caribe, as The Miami Herald reports. Both companies fall under the control of the military-run conglomerate GAESA, which oversees major sectors of Cuba's economy, including tourism, banking, retail, ports, fuel distribution and remittance services.
Corporate records cited by Cuban media linked EnviosCuba to Spanish companies based in Palma de Mallorca, including Nactws and Lorengrave, which have been associated with members of the Graverán family, operators of businesses connected to GAESA's e-commerce and remittance networks abroad.
The shutdown comes weeks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order expanding sanctions against individuals and entities connected to key sectors of Cuba's economy. It also follows Cuba's announcement earlier this month that Visa and Mastercard transactions would no longer be processed on the island after a foreign bank ended operations involving Fincimex, a GAESA-linked financial company that handled those transactions.
EnviosCuba has not publicly said whether the suspension is related to sanctions, payment-processing disruptions or other factors.
The development has renewed attention on GAESA's dominant role in the Cuban economy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently described the conglomerate as "a state within a state," arguing that it controls large portions of the country's economic activity. Cuban authorities reject that characterization, saying GAESA is a necessary mechanism for operating under longstanding U.S. sanctions.
Other Cuba-focused delivery platforms, including Katapulk, Supermarket23, Cubamax and MallHabana, remained operational this week.
