Jul 10, 2026 · 52 min
US sanctions and oil embargo trigger severe energy crisis in Cuba
Cuba Under Siege
The economic blockade has pushed Cuba's infrastructure to a near-total collapse, forcing its citizens to navigate unprecedented daily hardships.
- 1US economic sanctions and an oil embargo have caused severe fuel shortages and island-wide blackouts across Cuba.
- 2Ordinary citizens in Havana face collapsed public transit and must carry water up multiple flights of stairs daily.
- 3Hyperinflation has made basic food items like sugar and cooking oil consume the majority of household incomes.
Don't miss
Gustavo Torres Armas describes the exhausting reality of carrying buckets of water up five flights of stairs just to meet his basic daily needs.
The brief
The Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign against Cuba, including a severe oil embargo and economic sanctions, has pushed the island nation into a devastating humanitarian and energy crisis.
In Havana, residents face island-wide blackouts, collapsed public transportation, and soaring food costs, transforming basic survival into a grueling, full-time struggle for ordinary citizens.
Havana resident Gustavo Torres Armas describes carrying water up five flights of stairs and hitchhiking to his art gallery job because public buses have stopped running and taxis are unaffordable.
While some neighborhoods with underground power lines maintain partial electricity, rural provinces suffer through extreme blackouts where power is available for only a couple of hours a day.
Featuring
Mentioned
Cuba
Donald John Trump
HavanaBooks & mentions
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