The status of the U.S. blockade on Cuba
The U.S. has intensified its long-standing blockade of Cuba through new executive orders targeting oil supplies and threatening further intervention. These actions have led to severe energy shortages in Cuba and international condemnation from the UN.
Why it matters
The escalation of U.S.-Cuba tensions highlights the ongoing geopolitical conflict and the humanitarian impact of economic sanctions on civilian infrastructure.
It has been nearly nine months since the U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening tariffs on any country that supplies Cuba with oil, and the U.S. Coast Guard began intercepting tankers and ships bound for the island. Power cuts in Cuba have since become very common, often lasting beyond 12 hours a day and even close to 20 hours in some provinces. Independent UN human rights experts condemned these actions, calling them “energy starvation” and an “unlawful blockade” of the island country, as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported. In July 2026, the UN General Assembly voted 136-9 (with 30 abstentions) to debate the blockade despite U.S. objections. Mr.
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