Unlike Katapulk, Supermarket23, Cubamax, and Cuballama, which continue to operate, this platform worked directly with Cimex stores.
14ymedio, Madrid, June 15, 2026 — “For reasons beyond our control, we are unable to continue providing our services.” With that brief message, EnvíosCuba announced on Sunday the closure of one of the main platforms used by Cuban emigrants to purchase food, household appliances, and personal care products for relatives on the Island.
The company did not clarify whether the suspension would be temporary or permanent, nor did it explain the reasons behind the decision. EnvíosCuba advertised itself as a platform with more than 10,000 products and a presence in every municipality in Cuba.
Under its umbrella, however, operated stores and websites such as La Puntilla, Plaza de Carlos III, Puerto Envío, ElectroEnvío, Mercado, and Almacén-On, all linked to the State retail networks Cimex and Tiendas Caribe, both controlled by the military conglomerate Gaesa.
Both companies shared the same address in Palma de Mallorca, and Almacén-On’s privacy policy even referred customers to Nactws
Almacén-On’s legal documentation further reveals that the platform used several interconnected Spanish companies. While EnvíosCuba was managed by Nactws, S.L.U., Almacén-On identified Lorengrave, S.L.U. as the responsible entity.
Both companies shared the same address in Palma de Mallorca, and Almacén-On’s privacy policy referred customers to Nactws for certain procedures and complaints. These overlaps point to a coordinated corporate structure rather than a collection of independent stores coincidentally hosted on the same platform.
Formally, EnvíosCuba was operated by Nactws, a Spanish company managed by Sonia Álvarez Pérez. Based on corporate records, Diario de Cuba reported that Álvarez Pérez owned 100% of the company’s capital.
Investigations published by CubaNet in 2023 linked Álvarez Pérez to her husband, Vladimir Graverán Becerra, and their daughter, Anabel Graverán Álvarez. All three were connected to a network of companies established in Canada and Spain to provide technology, remittance, and e-commerce services to Gaesa.
“It felt like dealing with the police. They asked for more information than State Security,” one customer told this newspaper
Nactws’ business expanded rapidly during its early years. The company’s revenue grew from approximately 264,000 euros in 2019 to 2.2 million in 2020 and 4.9 million in 2021, although the trend reversed after the pandemic. The latest available figures place its sales at roughly 1.2 million euros in 2024.
A former customer recalled that the purchasing process required extensive information about both the payer and the recipient in Cuba. “It felt like dealing with the police. They asked for more information than State Security,” he said.
In addition to addresses and telephone numbers, the platform requested identity information and other data intended, according to the company, to verify transactions and complete deliveries. Its privacy policy allowed such information to be shared with financial institutions, payment processors, and transportation and distribution companies.
The platform’s warranty conditions also referred customers to repair workshops operated by the Tiendas Caribe chain, another major state retail network. The company has not explained how it will handle pending orders or refunds.
The closure highlights EnvíosCuba’s strong dependence on the Cuban regime’s commercial and financial system. The platform served as an international storefront for State-run stores and converted part of the family assistance sent from abroad into purchases within the State-controlled retail network.
Instead of receiving money directly, relatives received goods purchased in euros or dollars from abroad
Instead of receiving money directly, relatives received goods purchased in euros or dollars from abroad. In this way, the Cuban State collected hard currency outside the country while delivering products inside Cuba that were generally sold at very high prices.
For now, EnvíosCuba’s disappearance contrasts with the continued operation of other platforms such as Katapulk, Supermarket23, Cubamax, and Cuballama. Their websites remained active on Sunday and continued offering deliveries and sales to recipients on the Island.
The difference may lie in the structure of their operations. Some of these companies collect and retain money outside Cuba, import goods through private firms, or maintain their own inventories and distribution networks. EnvíosCuba, by contrast, was directly connected to Cimex and Tiendas Caribe stores and to the payment infrastructure of the state retail system.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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