Oil blockade, sanctions, and military threat: Six months of maximum U.S. pressure on Cuba

Washington has maintained a policy of maximum pressure on Cuba for the past six months, employing an oil blockade that has significantly increased blackouts, imposing new sanctions deterring foreign investment, and consistently maintaining the underlying threat of military intervention.

This intensified pressure began on January 3, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated at the time, "If I were in Havana, I would be worried." Since then, the U.S. has escalated its rhetoric, economic actions, and military posturing against the island. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken of "taking" Cuba, labeling it a "failed state" and brandishing the military option.

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If I were in Havana, I would be worried.

A pivotal moment was the executive order on January 29, which finalized the oil blockade against Cuba, initiated by disrupting Venezuelan crude oil flow. This action has exacerbated the island's chronic blackouts, with Cubans now receiving an average of only one to two hours of electricity per day. Furthermore, on May 1, Trump signed an executive order introducing secondary sanctions for any foreign company with ties to the Cuban state. Consequently, major foreign investors like Canadian miner Sherritt, international hotel chains, two major shipping companies, and the bank handling Visa and Mastercard operations have announced their withdrawal.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel formally acknowledged government-to-government conversations on March 13. Trump had been indicating for weeks that contacts were occurring and urged Havana to reach an agreement. Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former President Raúl Castro, emerged as a key Cuban contact. At least four in-person meetings have taken place, including two political discussions, one security meeting attended by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and a defense matters discussion near the U.S. Guantanamo base involving U.S. Southern Command chief Francis Donovan. Washington publicly demands fundamental political and economic changes, while Cuba asserts these are internal matters.

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taking Cuba