Ruaridh Nicoll in Havana
Sun 1 Feb 2026 08.00 EST
In a social media post on Friday, Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, accused Trump of trying to stifle the island, writing: “Under a false and baseless pretext … President Trump intends to suffocate the Cuban economy by imposing tariffs on countries that sovereignly trade oil with Cuba.”Jorge Piñón, an energy expert at the University of Texas, said diesel is key: “[If Cuba runs out,] the impact would be catastrophic as diesel fuels transportation – both passenger and commercial, the railroad, agriculture, industry, water distribution and sugarcane.” It also powers an electricity system that is faring so badly that many parts of the island suffer from 12-hour-plus blackouts every day.
Help does not seem to be on the way. A shipment due to arrive from Mexico has been cancelled – a “sovereign decision” according to that country’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, despite clear pressure from Washington.
... show moreRuaridh Nicoll in Havana
Sun 1 Feb 2026 08.00 EST
In a social media post on Friday, Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, accused Trump of trying to stifle the island, writing: “Under a false and baseless pretext … President Trump intends to suffocate the Cuban economy by imposing tariffs on countries that sovereignly trade oil with Cuba.”Jorge Piñón, an energy expert at the University of Texas, said diesel is key: “[If Cuba runs out,] the impact would be catastrophic as diesel fuels transportation – both passenger and commercial, the railroad, agriculture, industry, water distribution and sugarcane.” It also powers an electricity system that is faring so badly that many parts of the island suffer from 12-hour-plus blackouts every day.
Help does not seem to be on the way. A shipment due to arrive from Mexico has been cancelled – a “sovereign decision” according to that country’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, despite clear pressure from Washington.
Country is already suffering acute fuel shortage; experts say complete cutoff will be ‘catastrophic’ to its infrastructure
Ruaridh Nicoll (The Guardian)