United States' New Sanctions Against Cuba (May 2026)

The United States’ new sanctions imposed on Cuba in May 2026 are included in this scope. The new measures, described by United Nations experts as “energy starvation,” have also brought humanitarian crisis debates to the forefront. The U.S. administration has intensified pressure on the Havana government through new sanctions targeting Cuba’s military-linked economic structures and energy resources, while the Cuban government has characterized these steps as “collective punishment” and a “dangerous policy that could lead to humanitarian catastrophe.”

The U.S. New Sanctions

At the center of the sanctions announced by the U.S. administration is Grupo de Administracion Empresarial SA (GAESA), a major economic entity linked to the Cuban military. In addition to GAESA, which exerts influence across many sectors of the Cuban economy—from tourism and energy to transportation and finance—its manager Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera has also been added to the sanctions list.

The sanctions also target Moa Nickel SA, a joint venture operating between Toronto-based Sherritt International Corp and a Cuban state-owned nickel company. Sherritt International has announced that it has suspended its direct involvement in joint operations in Cuba following the imposition of sanctions.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement on the social media platform X, declared that the Trump administration would not retreat from its stance against the communist regime in Cuba, stating, “The Trump administration will not tolerate the communist regime in Cuba threatening our national security in our hemisphere.” Rubio also emphasized that sanctions would remain in place until political and economic reforms are implemented.

Venezuelan Oil and the De Facto Fuel Blockade

The core of the U.S. administration’s recent pressure policy has been the restriction of Cuba’s access to energy resources. The Washington administration has blocked Venezuela’s oil shipments to Cuba, which have long served as one of the island’s primary energy sources, and has issued presidential decrees threatening sanctions against countries and companies transporting fuel to the island.

This process has been assessed by international circles as a “de facto fuel blockade.” In recent months, only one Russian oil tanker has managed to reach Cuba, further exacerbating the country’s energy crisis.

Prolonged power outages have occurred due to energy shortages, transportation systems have been disrupted, and economic activity has significantly slowed.

UN Experts’ Warning on “Energy Starvation”

United Nations special rapporteurs have strongly criticized the U.S. administration for the humanitarian consequences of its sanctions, highlighting that fuel shortages have paralyzed essential public services, constituting what they term “energy starvation.”

The rapporteurs noted that energy shortages have had severe impacts on healthcare, the education system, water infrastructure, and basic living conditions. They stated that people are struggling to reach hospitals, children are unable to attend school, and more than 96,000 surgeries have been postponed, approximately 11,000 of which involve pediatric patients.

The UN experts further stated that “the use of energy starvation as a tool of coercion is incompatible with international human rights norms.”

Cuba’s Response

The Cuban government has described the U.S. sanctions as “unilateral coercive measures” and “collective punishment targeting the Cuban people.”

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, in his assessment of statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, said the Washington administration is pursuing an extremely dangerous path. Rodriguez stated, “This path could lead to unimaginable consequences, a humanitarian catastrophe, genocide, and the loss of lives of Cubans and young Americans. It could also result in massacres in Cuba.”

Rodriguez also argued that Cuba does not constitute any security threat to the United States and reiterated that discussions on Cuba’s political system are non-negotiable. At the same time, he affirmed that the Havana government remains open to dialogue.

The Trump Administration’s Cuba Policy

U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified his harsh rhetoric against the Cuban government in recent months. In a statement on 2 May 2026, Trump described Cuba as “a place that will soon be taken over by those who will seize its government,” a remark that the Havana administration directly interpreted as a threat.

In response, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated, “No matter how powerful it may be, no aggressor will find surrender in Cuba.”

The Trump administration’s Cuba policy, combining economic pressure, energy restrictions, and hints of military intervention, has been interpreted as signaling a new phase of tension reminiscent of the Cold War era.