The 2026 Cuban crisis is an oil shortage and economic crisis in Cuba caused by an American fuel blockade.[6][7][8][9] The island is dependent on imported oil, mostly purchased from Venezuela and Mexico, but after the United States' intervention in Venezuela, in which U.S. forces ousted Venezuelan president and dictator Nicolás Maduro, the resulting blockade of Venezuelan oil destined for Cuba left the island without adequate supply.[10] The United States is motivated by a desire for regime change on the island by the end of 2026.[11]
The United States has begun blocking oil tankers heading to Cuba, targeting companies such as the Mexican state-owned Pemex and threatening the responsible countries with tariffs should they resist.[12] According to The New York Times, this is the "United States’ first effective blockade [of Cuba] since the Cuban Missile Crisis".[9]
President Trump has called on Cuba to "make a deal before it's too late".[13] Trump subsequently said the US could implement "a friendly takeover of Cuba".[14]
Background
The United States has maintained an embargo on Cuba since 1962. The severity of the embargo has varied over time, with a notable thaw in relations under President Barack Obama.[15][16] During the second Trump presidency, the U.S. government significantly tightened its economic sanctions against Cuba in January 2025, orienting around a "total pressure" or "maximum pressure" strategy.[17][18]
Cuba's economy depends on foreign oil with most of it imported from Venezuela and Mexico.[10] Recent but persistent issues with Cuba's economy and electrical grid triggered the March 2024 Cuban protests and 2024–2025 Cuba blackouts.[19] In December 2025, as part of the escalation that ended with the United States intervention in Venezuela, the United States seized tankers with Venezuelan oil destined for Cuba and declared a blockade on exports of Venezuelan oil.[20]
On 29 January 2026, Executive Order 14380 was signed and entered into force on 30 January, declaring a national emergency in U.S. and authorizing the imposition of additional tariffs on imports into the United States from countries that directly or indirectly supply oil to Cuba.[21] The United States confirmed that regime change in Cuba is a goal by the end of the year,[13] asking the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel to "make a deal before it's too late".[12]
Impacts
According to the United Nations Human Rights Office, the blockade and ensuing fuel shortage has threatened Cuba's food supply and disrupted the country's water systems and hospitals.[22] The fuel shortage has prevented the harvesting of crops and undermined efforts toward food sovereignty.[23] The lack of fuel has also hampered the UN World Food Programme relief efforts following Hurricane Melissa. In response, the Cuban government has closed schools and universities and limited public transport.[24] Garbage has accumulated throughout Havana and other cities due to the lack of fuel for trash trucks.[7]
Blackouts in Cuba
Cuba experienced its lowest ever temperature of 0°C (32°F) on 3 February as measured at a weather station in Matanzas Province.[25] On 4 February, the eastern provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Holguín and Granma suffered a total blackout, while the western part of the island and Havana suffered serious difficulties with electricity.[26]
Aircraft fuel crisis
On 9 February, Cuba stated that it would not refuel other planes at airports due to a lack of fuel.[27]Air Canada suspended flights to the country on the same day, while Rossiya and Nordwind did so two days later, all citing ongoing fuel shortages in the island as a reason.[28][29]
Havana oil refinery fire
A fire broke out at a key fuel processing plant on 13 February in Havana, exacerbating the energy crisis further since the executive order of Trump on 29 January, which imposed an oil blockade. A large plume of smoke was seen rising above Havana Bay from the Nico López refinery on Friday, drawing the attention of the capital's residents before fading as fire crews fought to bring the situation under control. Cuba's Ministry of Energy and Mines said the fire, which erupted in a warehouse at the refinery, was eventually extinguished and that "the cause is under investigation". There were no injuries and the fire did not spread to nearby areas, the ministry said in a post on social media. "The workday at the Nico Lopez Refinery continues with complete normalcy" the ministry said. The location of the fire was close to where two oil tankers were moored in Havana's harbour.[30]
Other effects of shortages
On 14 February, it was announced Festival del Habano, an annual cigar festival, was called off due to "the complex economic situation" caused by the "economic, commercial and financial blockade" by the US.[6]
On February 17, 2026, it was reported that many collection trucks have been left with empty fuel tanks, causing refuse to pile up on the streets of the capital, Havana, and other cities and towns. Only 44 of Havana’s 106 rubbish trucks (approximately 41.5% of them) been able to keep operating due to the fuel shortages, slowing rubbish collection, as waste piles up on Havana's street corners, the Reuters news agency reported on Monday, citing state-run news outlet Cubadebate.[7]
Canadian mining company Sherritt announced that it would pause operations at its mining facility in Moa.[31]
Attacks
On February 25, the Cuban coast guard killed four men on a United States-registered speedboat violating Cuban waters near Cayo Falcones during a shoot-out. An additional six boat passengers were injured and arrested and alleged tactical gear was found on the boat by Cuban investigators.[4] The Cuban ministry accused the US vessel of initiating the shooting and wounding a Cuban commander.[32] Cuban authorities later announced the arrest of a seventh individual within Cuba itself, who they accused of providing logistical support.[3] At least 2 of the boat passengers were US citizens.[33]
After the ouster of Maduro, the United States began increasing its pressure on Mexico to reduce its oil sales to Cuba with President Donald Trump threatening tariffs against any country supplying Cuba with oil.[34] Mexico temporarily halted shipments of oil to Cuba by 27 January and Mexican PresidentClaudia Sheinbaum said that the decision to halt oil deliveries was "a sovereign decision".[35] In February 2026, Mexico sent 2 ships of humanitarian aid to Cuba to help alleviate the impacts of the US embargo.[36]
The government of Nicaragua cancelled visa-free travel for Cuban citizens in February 2026. This border was a frequent route to escape Cuba, used by thousands of migrants since its implementation in November 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 Cuban protests. It is unclear if the measure was a direct request from United States administration but it is part of a series of concessions made by the administration of Daniel Ortega.[37]
Termination of Cuban medical mission
On 13 February, the Guatemalan health ministry announced it would begin a "phased withdrawal of the Cuban Medical Brigade". The decision was linked to pressure from the US, which has called the Cuban medical mission "forced labor". Income earned by doctors serving in foreign countries is an important source of revenue for the Cuban government.[38] In February, Honduras announced that it was ending the Cuban medical mission. The Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada have also said they would reduce use of Cuban healthcare workers.[39]
US diplomat Mike Hammer pressured the government of Calabria to end their reliance on Cuban medical staff.[40] President of Calabria Roberto Occhiuto said that Cuban doctors were necessary "to keep hospitals and emergency rooms open" in the region, but that he would consider alternatives to hiring more Cuban doctors. Occhiuto denied the US argument that the program was human trafficking.[41]
US license to sell Venezuelan oil to Cuba
On 25 February, United States emitted a license allowing companies to resell Venezuelan oil to Cuba's private sector. US Treasure Department indicated that the exchange must "support the Cuban people, including the private sector."[42]
Negotiations
After initiating the blockade, President Trump called on "make a deal before it's too late" without specifying any potential terms.[13] On 1 February, Trump said that the US was negotiating with "the highest people in Cuba". However, Drop Site News reported that there were no high-level negotiations occurring between the US and Cuba.[43] On 26 February, the Miami Herald reported that the US had been speaking to Raúl Castro's grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, who is not a member of the Cuban government.[33] The next day, Trump again claimed to be negotiating with the Cuban government saying that the US could "have a friendly takeover of Cuba."[14]
Reactions
Cuban government
Initially, Miguel Díaz-Canel used hawkish rhetoric about "U.S. imperialism", and called people to prepare for a "war of the entire nation", while organizing state-sponsored demonstrations against the American oil blockade. On 6 February, he declared that "Cuba is ready for a talk with Washington for every topic without prerequisites", while rejecting negotiations on cases that he viewed as "internal Cuban affairs".[44]
Cuban opposition
On 6 February, El País conducted interview with various Cuban dissidents, including José Daniel Ferrer, Manuel Cuesta Morúa and María Payá Acevedo. Their reactions were a mix of hope and warning against manipulations, including views that the Cuban regime could cease talks when it stabilizes itself.[45]
Canada: Canadian authorities warned about Cuba refusing to refuel Canadian planes at airports and called for Canadians to return.[48]
Chile: Outgoing President Gabriel Boric called the blockade "criminal" and "inhumane," saying that "nothing justifies the harm being done to boys, girls, and innocent citizens".[22]
China: Foreign MinisterLin Jian stated "China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, and opposes foreign interference," and "We will always provide support and help to the Cuban side to the best of our ability."[49]
Portugal: Portuguese authorities are helping tourists return to Portugal via a stopover in the Dominican Republic due to the fuel scarcity in Cuba. The Portuguese hotel chain Vila Galé[pt] closed its operations in Varadero and Havana.[50]
Russia: PresidentVladimir Putin condemned U.S. actions and claimed that Russia will continue to send oil to Cuba despite the threats of blockade.[51]
United Nations: Secretary-General António Guterres stated that he is "extremely concerned" about the humanitarian situation in Cuba, "which will worsen, or even collapse," if the country's oil needs aren't met.[52] UN experts have condemned the executive order issued by the Trump administration, describing the imposition of a fuel blockade on Cuba as "a serious violation of international law and a grave threat to a democratic and equitable international order."[53]
Belarus, Iran, Spain, Vietnam, and the African Union also expressed their support for Cuba.[54][55][56][57][58][59][60]
Other
In February 2026, activists announced plans for the Nuestra América Flotilla, which will attempt to break the US blockade and provide humanitarian aid to Cuba during the crisis. The flotilla is organized by Progressive International and contains members of the Global Sumud Flotilla that had attempted to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.[61][62]
↑"U.S. sanctions Cuban president, 'regime-controlled' luxury hotels". Al Jazeera. 13 July 2025. Archived from the original on 12 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025. But Trump returned the country to the blacklist immediately after returning to the White House as he resumed his "maximum pressure" campaign against Cuba that typified his foreign policy during his first term.
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United States 
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