Cuba

As Trump Talks of 'Taking Cuba,' Real Change Requires More Than Replacing Its Leader

Unrest is rising in Cuba as the country runs out of oil under a U.S. blockade.

Katarina Hall | 3.20.2026 2:50 PM

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(Jiang Biao / Xinhua News Agency/Newscom)

After three months of a U.S.-imposed oil blockade, Cuba's energy system has collapsed, pushing the country into a full-blown national crisis. At one point this week, over 10 million people—almost the entire population—were left without electricity. Even now, roughly half the country remains in the dark.

This didn't come out of nowhere. Cuba has long depended on imported oil to keep the country running. Before the blockade, the island consumed about 100,000 barrels of oil a day: around 40,000 produced domestically, 30,000 supplied by Venezuela at a discount, and the rest coming from countries like Mexico and Russia. After the U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, oil shipments from Venezuela stopped, and the system began to unravel. Washington then escalated further, threatening tariffs on any country that continued supplying fuel to the island. Mexico completely halted its deliveries. A Colombian tanker was intercepted. The island was effectively cut off.

The consequences have been immediate. Gasoline now sells for about $35 a gallon on the black market. Flights are being canceled........

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