On December 3, 2024, an investigation by journalist Nora Gamez Torres published in El Nuevo Herald uncovered the links between the company Orbit S.A. and the Cuban regime. Since March 2023, Orbit —partnered with the multinational Western Union— has been managing a portion of the remittances sent to the island.

The investigation accessed confidential documents proving that GAESA —the Cuban government’s military conglomerate— is behind Orbit. According to the report, Orbit is secretly controlled by CIMEX, one of the most prominent and well-known companies under GAESA’s umbrella. Moreover, CIMEX is among the entities sanctioned by the US government.

US remittances to Cuba through Western Union were suspended in October 2020, near the end of Donald Trump’s first term. At that time, it was proven that FINCIMEX (Orbit’s predecessor) had ties to GAESA’s military. The US Treasury Department sanctioned the Cuban company, prompting Western Union to terminate its collaboration with them.

Created in February 2020, Orbit remained “hidden” for years: no media coverage, no online presence, and no activity on social media. In February 2022, it received a license from the Central Bank of Cuba to operate as a non-banking entity authorized to “manage and process international transfers” and “provide payment services for goods and services through its infrastructure, in both cases from abroad.” This was the same license that had previously allowed FINCIMEX to work with Western Union. Remittance transfers to Cuba resumed in March 2023.

For now, Western Union representatives have chosen not to comment on the investigation.

When the remittance flow reopened in 2023, El Toque contacted Orbit’s office in Cuba by phone. The company claimed to have no ties to FINCIMEX, stating it was a subsidiary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX).

In our 2023 report, we questioned the declared lack of association between the Cuban military and Orbit. In August 2021, Yamil Hernandez —then general manager of FINCIMEX— asserted that his company was the only one with the necessary infrastructure and expertise to handle remittances in Cuba.

If Hernandez’s claim was accurate, what changed? Did Orbit acquire the necessary experience and infrastructure in just one year? Were FINCIMEX’s payment points transferred to Orbit?

In the report, we also mentioned that if Orbit’s ties to military power were confirmed, the US government could suspend remittance transfers again.

Orbit also does business with US-based companies like VaCuba Inc. In 2022, VaCuba’s general manager stated they would comply with US laws in conducting business with the island. So far, the company has not commented on the new reports.

The El Nuevo Herald investigation was published just a month and a half before Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency. During his campaign, Trump promised a hardline approach toward the Cuban government, and experts predict he will follow through. He has already chosen Cuban-American politician Marco Rubio —a supporter of this hardline stance— as his Secretary of State

Findings from El Nuevo Herald

From the start, the similarities between Orbit and FINCIMEX were evident. Both companies are headquartered just a few meters apart in Havana’s Playa municipality.

Some of FINCIMEX’s employees and executives also hold or have held positions at Orbit. Among them are Jorge Rojas Naval, who served as legal advisor to both companies, and Annia Perez Mederos, who was a Business Manager at FINCIMEX. According to El Nuevo Herald, Orbit’s current director is Diana Rosa Rodriguez Perez, who was previously vice president of GAESA. Before Rodriguez Perez, an anonymous source told the newspaper that Yamil Hernandez was Orbit’s shadow leader.

El Nuevo Herald claims to possess documents showing that CIMEX sends detailed reports to GAESA about the money transfers processed by Orbit. Reportedly, the company also periodically reviews Orbit’s performance with senior military executives.

Although the Florida-based newspaper did not share the documents, it cited an email sent by CIMEX President Colonel Hector Oroza Busutil to Central Bank of Cuba President Juana Lilia Delgado Portal. In the email, Oroza Busutil complained about the low number of money transfer orders sent to Orbit by VaCuba and requested a meeting with the company’s officials to seek explanations. The colonel attached correspondence between Orbit and VaCuba.

The colonel supposedly should not have the authority to demand such a meeting. Officially, he is not linked to Orbit in any way.

Another document reviewed by journalist Gamez revealed that Orbit uses CIMEX’s financial infrastructure to process remittances sent to Cuba through Western Union. Western Union’s remittance services were suspended on January 28, 2024, due to “technical difficulties” on the island. Simultaneously, Cuban authorities reported a “cybersecurity incident” affecting electronic systems used for gasoline sales managed by CIMEX. Both events appear to be connected. Remittances via Western Union were resumed in May 2024.

Reactions from the US State Department

Hours after the investigation was published, the US State Department commented on the matter. “We have seen the reports about Orbit S.A. and its potential affiliation with the Cuban military, but we have not seen the documents mentioned in the story,” the institution stated. “The Biden Administration is committed to promoting the flow of remittances to the Cuban people without enriching the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services. We understand that Orbit’s fees align with international standards for remittance agents.”

According to other secret documents obtained by the US newspaper, sanctions have been extremely effective in reducing the Cuban military’s profits. In another investigation, the newspaper claimed that GAESA’s remittance flow dropped from $800 million in 2019 to just $35 million by May 2024.

This article was translated into English from the original in Spanish.