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Cuba in crisis: No fuel, no cash and no food as US blockade mounts pressure
US's imposition of a fuel crisis in Cuba, has now escalated into a waste, electricity and public health crisis.
As US President Donald Trump continues to increase pressure on Cuba, the Latin American country continues to plunge deeper into crisis. Amid the economic, fuel and health crisis in the country, Trump has called on the 'failed nation' to strike a deal with the United States.
For the past 60 years, the US has maintained a strict embargo and limited diplomatic ties with Cuba, which has severely affected the Cuban economy.
US pressure mounts
Following his recent calls for regime change in Iran and Venezuela, where the US 'kidnapped' sitting President Nicolas Maduro, Trump declared the US' intention to overthrow Cuba's communist government as it reinstated its blockade.
While Trump stated that the US would remove the communist government 'one way or another', the US president dismissed mounting a regime change operation.
"Why would I answer that? If I was, it wouldn't be a very tough operation, as you can figure, but I don't think that'll be necessary," he told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that the US is currently in talks with the nation amid the blockade.
The many crises in Cuba
In January 2026, Trump signed an executive order targeting countries trading with Cuba, threatening them with tariffs. Trump has issued similar orders with Venezuela and Russia.
With these threats, the US imposed a fuel crisis in Cuba, which has now escalated into a waste and health crisis.
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Garbage and rubbish have started to pile up on the streets in Havana and other cities in Cuba. Due to this waste crisis, many residents have taken to social media to flag their concerns about public health in the capital city.
According to a Reuters report citing Cuban media, in Havana, only 44 of 106 rubbish trucks have been able to keep operating due to fuel shortages. Other trucks stay put with empty fuel tanks as the fuel crisis deepens.
Drivers in Cuba currently are facing several months wait to refuel their cars after the Cuban government rolled out an app to avoid chaos at gas stations.
"I have (appointment) number seven thousand and something," Jorge Reyes, a 65-year-old who downloaded the app on Monday, told Associated Press.
Cuba's fuel crisis was triggered by the US cutting off crucial oil supplies, which were imported from Venezuela, after the US' military raid in Caracas.
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After the fall of Maduro, Cuba turned to Mexico for oil, making it Havana's biggest oil supplier. However, Mexico also stopped its supply after Trump's tariff threats escalated.
Cuba's deputy foreign minister has accused the US of imposing punishment on Cuba.
“To be clear: a. Cuba requires importing fuel. b.The US is applying threats & coercive measures to any country that provides it. c. Lack of fuel harms transportation, medical services, schooling, energy, production of food, the standard of living. d. Massive punishment is a crime,” he wrote on social media platform X.
A group of United Nations human rights experts have also condemned the US oil siege, saying that it has "no basis on collective security and constitutes a unilateral act that is incompatible with international law."
The lack of fuel in Cuba is also hampering the UN World Food Programme's operations across the Caribbean island. Due to a lack of fuel, the transport of food and its availability across the country are endangered.
“We’re already seeing the impact in the availability of fresh produce in the cities,” Étienne Labande, the WFP’s country director, told The Guardian.
The fuel crisis in Cuba has also impacted the energy industry, triggering long blackouts across the nation. A book fair and an annual cigar trade fair in Cuba have also been postponed due to the growing problems.
