The Human Cost of Economic Coercion

Abstract

Cuba has faced severe power outages since President Donald Trump imposed a de facto oil blockade on the Caribbean island earlier this year. With his executive order on January 29, 2026, he declared Cuba “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to the US and authorized extensive tariffs against any country that directly or indirectly provides Cuba with oil. On May 1, 2026, another executive order further tightened sanctions against the country. Cuba has faced a US trade embargo for more than six decades that has significantly constrained the country’s economic development and restricted its access to international markets, capital, goods, and services. The recent blockade has exacerbated economic conditions, further worsening the humanitarian crisis. In March, the Cuban government reported that around 96,400 patients were awaiting surgery, 30,000 children had their vaccinations delayed, and the blackouts have led to further complications affecting thousands of patients. In mid-May, Cuba’s energy minister declared the country had run out of diesel and oil fuel. While the focus of debates around sanctions is usually on their imposition and success, this recent crisis underscores an aspect that receives relatively little attention, namely, their humanitarian consequences.