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The president Donald Trump intensified his maximum pressure policy against the Cuban government on Thursday by signing an executive order declaring a “national emergency” and threatening to impose additional tariffs on countries that supply oil to the island.
The decision directly targets exacerbating the fuel shortage, which is already causing prolonged blackouts, paralysis of transportation, and serious economic and social impacts.
Trump justified the measure by accusing the Cuban regime of posing an "unusual and extraordinary" threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, pointing to its ties with Russia, China, Iran, and groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
Although he denied seeking to suffocate Cuba, the president himself stated that the regime "will not be able to survive" under these conditions, noted the BBC.
The executive order aims to deter third countries from selling oil to Cuba under the threat of increased tariffs, expanding a strategy that Trump initiated in 2017 by reversing the opening promoted by Barack Obama and reinstating strict financial and commercial restrictions.
Following the recent U.S. intervention in Venezuela, Washington effectively cut off crude oil shipments from that country, which has historically been the island's main supplier.
The media noted that the Cuban oil crisis is structural. Experts estimate that the country needs about 110,000 barrels per day, but it only produces around 40,000, which forces it to rely on external supply.
In 2026 so far, Cuba has received only one shipment of 84,000 barrels from Mexico, equivalent to less than 3,000 barrels per day, according to data from the company Kpler cited by The Financial Times. At this rate, the island would have reserves for only about 15 to 20 days.
For years, Venezuelan oil not only covered part of domestic consumption but also allowed the Cuban government to obtain foreign currency through its resale.
With that flow cut off, Mexico became the main energy support, with shipments estimated at around 12,000 barrels per day during 2025.
That is precisely the objective of Trump's new order: to warn Mexico not to replace Venezuela as a key supplier, the source emphasized.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel reacted vehemently, and accuses the Trump administration of trying to “strangle the Cuban economy”, describing his government as “fascist, criminal, and genocidal.”
The Chancellor Bruno Rodríguez denounced a new escalation based on "blackmail and coercion" to extend the U.S. blockade to third countries.
From Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum defended the shipments of oil to Cuba as a humanitarian measure aimed at preventing the collapse of hospitals and essential services.
However, he acknowledged that his government does not want to expose itself to new tariffs and instructed his foreign ministry to discuss with Washington to clarify the scope of the order.
Shipments to Cuba account for less than 1% of Mexican production, but their political and commercial cost could be high, reported the BBC.
Meanwhile, the Cuban economy is at its breaking point. Power outages exceed 20 hours a day in many areas, transportation is virtually paralyzed, and the prices of food and fuel are unattainable for the majority of the population.
Industrial production fell in 2024 to its lowest level in 40 years, agriculture continues to struggle due to a lack of inputs and fuel, and tourism ended 2025 with fewer than two million visitors, its worst figure in over two decades outside of the pandemic.
This situation is compounded by a shortage of medications, outbreaks of dengue, zika, and chikungunya, and the drastic reduction of subsidized food. Even the government itself acknowledges the severity of the situation.
In the words of Díaz-Canel, this is not a temporary crisis but rather the accumulation of internal errors and external adversities, now exacerbated by a U.S. offensive that places oil at the center of the political pressure on the island, the media outlet pointed out.
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