Cuba condemns new US sanctions as 'illegal' and 'abusive'
Cuba's government has sharply condemned new US sanctions targeting its energy imports and financial transactions, calling them illegal. The measures threaten to deepen the island's persistent blackouts and fuel shortages.
Havana said it rejected a fresh US sanctions package, which entered into force on Friday and extends to third-country firms shipping energy supplies to the island. Cuba's foreign ministry called the move "contrary to international law" and an "abusive" attempt to punish ordinary Cubans.
The penalties stack on top of an existing US oil blockade, leaving the country grappling with daylong blackouts that have stretched on for months. Fuel shortages are making it harder for hospitals to run backup generators and for public transport to operate reliably; the economy contracted again in the first quarter of 2026.
Several Latin American governments are preparing a joint statement at the United Nations calling for the sanctions to be lifted. The European Union is continuing diplomatic contacts with Washington to safeguard humanitarian corridors. Meanwhile, the Cuban peso is trading at historic lows on the parallel market.
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