How many executive orders against Cuba has the U.S. issued since 1996?

The United States has issued six executive orders and formal renewals related to the "national emergency" declared against Cuba since 1996, when then-President Bill Clinton first established that legal framework following the downing of the planes belonging to the organization Hermanos al Rescate by Cuban fighter jets.

The original measure, signed on March 1, 1996, classified the actions of the Havana Government as "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.

Since then, the emergency has been extended and modified by five consecutive presidents, without interruption.

Six decrees in thirty years

1. Bill Clinton (1996): Declared the first national emergency following the downing of the aircraft of Hermanos al Rescate. Reason: maritime security and protection of American citizens.
2. George W. Bush (2004): Expanded the scope of the measure and strengthened the sanctions, with an emphasis on preventing financial or material support to the Cuban regime.
3. Barack Obama (2016): He renewed the emergency despite the diplomatic engagement with Havana, arguing that "risks to national security" remained.
4. Donald Trump (2018): Reworded the legal text and reaffirmed that Cuba represented an "unusual and extraordinary threat," aligned with hostile powers.
5. Donald Trump (2025): Extended the emergency through an annual renewal signed on February 24, during his second presidential term.
6. Donald Trump (2026): Issued a new executive order on January 29, which maintains the current declaration and adds a tariff component to sanction countries that supply oil to Cuba.

A legal framework supported by six administrations

The executive orders are based on the National Emergencies Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), regulations that empower the president to restrict transactions, goods, and services when a country is deemed a threat to the security of the United States.

According to the White House, the 2026 order responds to the “alignment of the Cuban regime with hostile countries and actors,” including Russia, China, Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas, as well as the use of Cuban territory by foreign powers for espionage and military influence purposes.

From maritime security to energy control

The main novelty of the current decree is the introduction of a tariff system aimed at economically punishing countries that supply oil to Cuba, even indirectly.

The Department of Commerce and the Department of State must identify the nations involved and implement the appropriate sanctions.

The text also grants the president broad powers to modify or suspend the measures if the Cuban Government takes "concrete actions towards democratization and cooperation in regional security."

A political continuity beyond parties

Since its inception, the national emergency regarding Cuba has been upheld by democratic and republican presidents, which demonstrates an institutional consensus in Washington regarding the perceived risk posed by the Cuban regime.

In three decades, U.S. legislation has shifted from penalizing specific actions —such as the downing of aircraft— to including broad geopolitical and energy considerations, in a context where Havana is strengthening ties with Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran.

With this new executive order, Cuba now has six consecutive presidential decrees that keep it under a special national emergency regime, the longest applied by the United States to a country in the Western Hemisphere since the end of the Cold War.