The head of German diplomacy, Johann Wadephul, launched a direct and unprecedented critique against the Cuban regime this Sunday by publicly dismantling the official narrative from Havana regarding the causes of the crisis that is devastating the island.
In statements made in Berlin and reported by the agency EFE, Wadephul denied the existence of a total embargo by the United States against Cuba and referred to the Cuban political system as a "regime of injustice."
Germany rejects the narrative of the "blockade."
The minister was emphatic when addressing the argument that the Cuban regime has used for decades to justify the island's economic collapse: "I don't see such a blockade."
Wadephul went further and pointed out that the "decisive prerequisite" for improving the situation of Cubans is that the country is "better governed," thereby placing the responsibility for the crisis on the internal leadership of the Havana regime rather than on U.S. sanctions.
The minister also reminded that Cuba benefited for years from the economic and oil support of Venezuela, a backing that is no longer available to the same extent, which further exacerbates the island's structural situation.
Despite the harshness of his words, Wadephul clarified that Berlin maintains “active assistance measures” directed at the Cuban population, distinguishing between rejection of the regime and solidarity with the citizens.
The response of the Cuban regime
The reaction from Havana was immediate. Chancellor Bruno Rodríguez stepped forward to defend the narrative of "total blockade" and the "economic suffocation 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 arise in a vacuum.
On June 6, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself —the Auswärtiges Amt— issued its most severe travel warning about Cuba, categorically advising against any travel to the island.
The official notice described a situation of collapse: "Throughout 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 power grid cannot be ruled out" and that "the repatriation of sick individuals to Germany is currently not 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 linked 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 regarding the risks of traveling to Cuba so far in 2026.
The impact on Cuban tourism is devastating.
The island welcomed only 328,608 international visitors in the first quarter of 2026, a decrease of 55.8% compared to the same period in 2025, with hotel occupancy not exceeding 10%.
Since early February, planes coming from abroad have been unable to refuel in Cuba, leading to massive route cancellations.
Economist Elías Amor has projected that Cuba could end 2026 with fewer than one million international visitors, marking the worst tourism result for the island in decades, far from the historic record of 4.7 million achieved in 2018.
Wadephul's words accurately reflect the growing sentiment 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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