Miguel Díaz-Canel posted a message of gratitude on his social media to the President of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, following her statements of solidarity made during the Commemoration of Cassinga Day 2026.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, the first female president of Namibia, described Washington's energy embargo as "unacceptable" and "very unfortunate" during the event broadcast by the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation.
"They have failed for more than six decades to destroy that country, Cuba, and now they have reached the lowest level by denying people's mobility, sanctioning those who wish to provide oil," he stated.
In his message, shared on X, the Cuban leader wrote: "I deeply appreciate your expressions of solidarity with Cuba and against the blockade and energy siege imposed on us by the U.S. government. Namibia's support is another demonstration that we are not alone in the face of imperialist aggression."
Díaz-Canel's words came hours after the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied, on Tuesday, the existence of an oil blockade against Cuba, attributing the crisis to the end of free Venezuelan oil and the "incompetent communists" ruling the Island. Díaz-Canel responded to Rubio expressing "surprise" at that denial and citing Executive Order 14380 itself.
The Namibian president invoked the historical ties between the two countries: "The cooperation between Namibia and Cuba comes from our blood united in the battlefields. That is why we continue to strengthen Namibia's solidarity with the Cuban people."
The diplomatic gesture occurs at the worst energy moment the Island has faced in decades. The Executive Order 14380 signed by Trump on January 29 imposes secondary sanctions on any country, company, or shipping line that exports oil to Cuba, which has reduced Cuban energy imports by between 80% and 90%.
This is compounded by the halt of Venezuelan shipments—over 26,000 barrels per day—following the fall of Nicolás Maduro, and the suspension of Pemex supplies in January. Cuba has gone four consecutive months without external fuel and needs between eight and ten fuel tankers per month to meet its demand, against an internal production of only 40,000 barrels per day.
The result is blackouts lasting up to 25 consecutive hours in over 55% of Cuban territory, while the projected economic contraction for 2026 reaches 7.2%, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit.
Last Thursday, Trump signed a new executive order that expands sanctions on Cuban energy, defense, mining, and finance, further tightening the grip on the island.
While the regime seeks a narrative of resistance and international legitimacy in statements like those of Nandi-Ndaitwah, the Cuban population continues to face an unprecedented crisis.
"Like Namibia, we must remain standing in solidarity with the people of Cuba," concluded the Namibian president in her speech, words that Díaz-Canel quickly seized upon as political leverage among his own citizens.
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