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The head of German diplomacy, Johann Wadephul, launched a direct and unprecedented criticism against the Cuban regime this Sunday by publicly dismantling the official narrative from Havana regarding the causes of the crisis that is destroying the island.
In statements made in Berlin and reported by the agency EFE, Wadephul denied the existence of a total U.S. embargo against Cuba and described the Cuban political system as a "regime of injustice."
Germany rejects the narrative of the "blockade."
The minister was emphatic in addressing the argument that the Cuban regime has used for decades to justify the island's economic collapse: "I don't see a blockade of that kind."
Wadephul went further and pointed out that the "decisive prerequisite" for improving the situation of Cubans is that the country be "governed better," thus shifting the responsibility for the crisis to the internal leadership of the regime in Havana rather than to U.S. sanctions.
The minister also recalled that Cuba benefited for years from economic and oil support from Venezuela, a backing that is no longer available to the same extent, which further exacerbates the structural situation of the island.
Despite the harshness of his words, Wadephul clarified that Berlin maintains “active assistance measures” directed towards the Cuban population, distinguishing between the rejection of the regime and solidarity with the citizens.
The response of the Cuban regime
The reaction from Havana was immediate. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez came out to defend the narrative of the "total blockade" and the "economic strangulation plan" by the United States, outright rejecting the German characterization of the Cuban political system and evading any internal responsibility for the crisis.
A diplomatic escalation that has been ongoing for weeks
Wadephul's statements did not occur in a vacuum.
On June 6, the German Foreign Office itself —the Auswärtiges Amt— issued its most severe travel warning regarding Cuba, strongly advising against any travel to the island.
The official notice described a situation of collapse: "Across the country, including the capital, Havana, electricity has only been available for a few hours a day for months," the text warned.
The ministry added that "another collapse of the electrical grid cannot be ruled out" and that "currently, the repatriation of sick individuals to Germany cannot be guaranteed."
The document also warned about the inability to guarantee emergency medical care, the rise in crime—especially during blackouts in Old Havana—and the disabling of payments with VISA and Mastercard since that same date, linked to Executive Order 14404 signed by Donald Trump on May 1, 2026, which expanded sanctions against Cuba and introduced secondary penalties for foreign banks connected to GAESA, the military conglomerate that controls large sectors of the Cuban economy.
An unprecedented international front
Germany is not alone in this position. Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, Argentina, and Spain have issued similar warnings about the risks of traveling to Cuba so far in 2026.
The impact on Cuban tourism is devastating.
The island received only 328,608 international visitors in the first four months of 2026, a 55.8% decrease compared to the same period in 2025, with hotel occupancy not exceeding 10%.
Since the beginning of February, planes arriving from abroad have been unable to refuel in Cuba, leading to massive flight cancellations.
Economist Elías Amor has predicted that Cuba could end 2026 with fewer than one million international visitors, the worst tourism result for the island in decades, far from the historic record of 4.7 million reached in 2018.
Wadephul's words accurately summarize the position that is gaining traction in Europe: the Cuban crisis is not a result of the U.S. embargo, but rather of 67 years of dictatorship that have devastated the economy, infrastructure, and freedoms of the Cuban people.
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