Context
The United States has intensified economic and energy-related restrictions on Cuba, worsening fuel shortages, prolonged power cuts and disruptions to essential services. Recent U.S. measures have also expanded sanctions involving Cuba’s energy sector and restricted direct and indirect transactions with designated Cuban entities.
Explanation
- The Cuban Revolution (1959) brought Fidel Castro to power; deteriorating U.S.–Cuba relations led to a comprehensive U.S. trade embargo by 1962.
- Cuba calls these measures a “blockade”, emphasizing their wider effects on trade and finance.
- Venezuela became an important supplier of subsidised oil to Cuba after the Soviet Union’s collapse. But, following the military intervention on January 3, 2026, the United States established de facto oversight over Venezuela’s governance and petroleum sector.
- Cuba’s heavy dependence on petroleum and ageing power infrastructure make reduced fuel imports particularly disruptive.
- The UN General Assembly has repeatedly adopted resolutions calling for an end to the U.S. embargo.
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Cuba Fuel Crisis: U.S. Sanctions and Energy Security