Cuba runs out of fuel as U.S. oil embargo intensifies, sparking protests and humanitarian crisis

Cuba has completely depleted its oil and diesel supplies as of May 2026 amid an intensified U.S. embargo that includes Executive Order 14380, which authorizes tariffs on countries trading oil with Cuba. The crisis escalated after Venezuela stopped fuel shipments following President Maduro's capture in January 2026, and Mexico ceased shipments under U.S. pressure, with at least one Russian tanker diverting course. The fuel shortage has caused Cuba's electrical grid to collapse multiple times, leaving 10 million people without power for up to 20 hours, forcing airport closures, school shutdowns, and preventing thousands of hospital procedures. The Trump administration explicitly pursues regime change while the U.N. General Assembly voted 165-7-12 in 2025 to end the embargo, and U.N. officials warn of humanitarian collapse and condemn the measures as collective punishment.

U.S. embargo legal framework

• ▪Executive Order 14380 was issued in January 2026 authorizing additional duties on goods imported from countries that directly or indirectly purchased Cuban oil or provided oil to Cuba
• ▪Presidential Proclamation 3447 was issued in 1962 under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 as part of U.S. measures against Cuba
• ▪Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on January 11, 2026, that there will be no more oil or money going to Cuba
• ▪The Helms-Burton Act was enacted in 1996 as part of U.S. sanctions measures against Cuba
• ▪NSPM-5 initiated the first Trump administration maximum pressure campaign against Cuba in 2017
• ▪U.N. General Assembly Resolution 80/4 was adopted in 2025 calling for an end to the Cuba Embargo with a vote of 165-7-12
• ▪The national emergency declared in Executive Order 14380 remains in effect despite the Supreme Court striking down certain tariffs
• ▪The U.S. Supreme Court struck down certain tariffs in Executive Order 14380, including those in the order
• ▪The U.N. General Assembly has annually adopted a resolution calling for an end to the Cuba Embargo for 33 consecutive years

Maritime enforcement mechanisms

• ▪The tanker Skipper was seized in December 2025 under Venezuela sanctions after conducting a ship-to-ship oil transfer to Neptune 6, which was believed to be enroute to Cuba
• ▪The seizures of tankers Marinera, Bella 1, and Sophia were based on Iran and Venezuela oil sanctions schemes rather than implementation of the Cuba oil embargo
• ▪The arrival in Havana of a Mexican oil tanker prompted Donald Trump's January 11, 2026, Truth Social post about Cuba
• ▪The Russian-flagged tanker Anatoly Kolodkin was allowed to berth in Cuba in late March 2026
• ▪No vessel has been seized or boarded pursuant to the Cuba-oil authorities themselves as of May 14, 2026

Regime change objectives

• ▪Secretary of State Marco Rubio said within hours of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's capture in January 2026 that he would be concerned if he were in the Cuban government
• ▪Executive Order 14380 provides that the tariff mechanism may be modified if Cuba aligns sufficiently with the United States on national security and foreign policy matters
• ▪Donald Trump told CNN in March 2026 that Cuba is going to fall soon

Humanitarian impact

• ▪Cuba's national electrical grid suffered several total collapses leaving approximately 10 million people without power
• ▪U.N. human rights experts condemned Executive Order 14380 as a serious violation of international law that risks constituting collective punishment of civilians

Naval blockade law analysis

• ▪No international armed conflict exists between Cuba and the United States as of May 14, 2026

Perspective of Trump administration

• ▪Executive Order 14380 provides that the tariff mechanism may be modified if Cuba aligns sufficiently with the United States on national security and foreign policy matters

Perspective of U.N. human rights experts and Secretary-General

• ▪U.N. human rights experts condemned Executive Order 14380 as a serious violation of international law that risks constituting collective punishment of civilians