Cuba Faces Deepening Crisis as U.S. Embargo Tightens
Havana is grappling with a worsening economic and energy crisis, fueled by a decades-long U.S. Embargo and recent restrictions on key imports. The situation is prompting Cubans to seek alternative transportation and raising concerns about widespread power outages and shortages of essential goods.
Three members of the U.S. Congress, Representatives Carlos Giménez, Mario Díaz-Balart, and María Elvira Salazar, are calling on the Trump administration to close remaining commercial avenues of support for the Cuban government, following recent moves to impede oil imports. According to a report from Fox News, the lawmakers want to halt the flow of over $100 million in supplies that they claim benefit the regime rather than the Cuban people.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has warned that the country is “close to failing” and that oil supplies may be exhausted within 15 days due to potential U.S. Tariffs on exporters. He described the U.S. Oil blockade as “genocidal” and “fascist.”
The embargo, in place since 1960, remains the longest-standing trade embargo in modern history. The United States embargo against Cuba has comprehensive impacts on all sectors of the Cuban economy.
As the crisis deepens, Cubans are turning to alternative modes of transport, including electric tricycles and bicycle taxis, to cope with fuel shortages. Fortuneo reports that these alternatives are emerging in response to the lack of fuel.
Reports indicate that some regions of Cuba are experiencing electricity outages for as much as 20 hours per day. Radio France details the paralyzing effect of the American embargo on the island nation.
The United Nations has expressed “extreme concern” over the worsening crisis in Cuba, according to L’Humanité. The development underscores the ongoing challenges facing Cuba and the international community’s response to the humanitarian situation.
The tightening of the embargo and the resulting economic hardship raise questions about the future of U.S.-Cuba relations and the potential for further instability in the region.
