February 6, 2026

Cuba Humanitarian Aid and Oil Embargo

+70

US announces $6 million in Cuba aid while threatening tariffs on countries selling oil to the island

🌍Foreign Policy

On Jan. 29, 2026, Trump signed Executive Order 14380 declaring a national emergency over Cuba and authorizing tariffs on any country that sells oil to the island, invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

On Feb. 5, 2026, the Trump administration announced $6 million in humanitarian aid for Cuba through the Catholic Church and Caritas, bringing total Hurricane Melissa relief to $9 million — the same day the UN warned of humanitarian collapse.

Trump declared a total blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers on Dec. 16, 2025, cutting off Cuba's primary oil source. Venezuela had supplied 15-17% of its oil exports to Cuba.

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum halted oil shipments to Cuba under US pressure, calling it a sovereign decision. Pemex shipments dropped from 20,000 barrels per day to about 7,000 after Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Mexico City.

By February 2026, blackouts across Cuba lasted up to 20 hours per day, hospitals cut services, water treatment plants struggled to operate, and garbage collection halted in Havana.

The UN launched a $74 million response plan for 2.2 million Cubans affected by Hurricane Melissa, which struck eastern Cuba as a Category 3 storm on Oct. 29, 2025, forcing 735,000 evacuations.

Under EO 14380, the Secretary of Commerce identifies oil-supplying countries, then the Secretary of State recommends tariff levels in consultation with Treasury, DHS, and the US Trade Representative before the president decides.

Rep. Jim McGovern introduced H.R. 7521, the United States-Cuba Trade Act, to repeal the statutory basis for the US embargo. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced a similar Senate bill in 2025.

For 33 consecutive years, the UN General Assembly has voted to condemn the US embargo on Cuba with overwhelming international support.

Secretary of State Rubio held secret back-channel talks with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, grandson of 94-year-old Raul Castro, bypassing Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel entirely.

🌍Foreign Policy

People, bills, and sources

Donald Trump

President of the United States

Marco Rubio

US Secretary of State

Miguel Diaz-Canel

President of Cuba

Raul Castro

Former Cuban leader (age 94)

Claudia Sheinbaum

President of Mexico

Ernesto Soberon Guzman

Cuban Ambassador to the United Nations

Jim McGovern

US Representative (D-MA)

Ilhan Omar

US Representative (D-MN)

Antonio Guterres

UN Secretary-General

Nydia Velazquez

US Representative (D-NY)

Mario Diaz-Balart

US Representative (R-FL)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

US Representative (D-NY)

What you can do

Contact your US representative and senators to ask specifically how $9 million in hurricane relief addresses humanitarian needs when Executive Order 14380 threatens to cut off the oil supply that powers hospitals, water treatment, and food distribution.

Track the Federal Register for announcements identifying covered countries under EO 14380 — watch for tariff determinations against Mexico, Russia, and Algeria, which have historically supplied oil to Cuba.

Monitor UN humanitarian reports on Cuba at news.un.org to understand the crisis scale beyond US government statements. The UN's $74 million response plan covers 2.2 million affected Cubans.

Follow the progress of H.R. 7521, the United States-Cuba Trade Act introduced by Rep. McGovern, which would repeal the statutory basis for the 60-year-old embargo.

Compare State Department aid announcements with UN assessments to evaluate whether US assistance matches documented humanitarian needs — $9 million vs. the UN's $74 million appeal.