Cuba is turning up the heat on Washington over the island’s deepening electricity and economic crisis, while keeping one eye open on reports of a possible $100 million U.S. aid package.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Cuban officials say the blackouts, fuel shortages, and rising hardship are the direct result of decades of U.S. sanctions and what they call an “energy blockade.” The island is going through one of its roughest patches in years, with long power cuts, scarce food and medicine, high inflation, and growing public frustration.
Díaz-Canel said the National Power System is under “especially tense” strain, with a projected deficit of over 2,000 megawatts at peak evening demand. He blamed fuel shortages alone for blocking at least 1,100 megawatts of generation, which has made blackouts worse nationwide.
He accused Washington of blocking fuel deliveries by threatening sanctions against any country or company that trades with Havana.
“This dramatic worsening has a single cause: the genocidal energy blockade that the U.S. has imposed on our country,” Díaz-Canel said.
He pointed to April, when a single fuel tanker arrived and temporarily eased the deficit and blackouts. Cuba needs eight such tankers a month, he noted. Díaz-Canel also accused parts of the U.S. media and political establishment of blaming Havana’s mismanagement while ignoring sanctions. He said neither the decades-old embargo nor Trump-era sanctions have toppled the Cuban Revolution, but newer measures targeting fuel, trade, and investment are meant to increase civilian suffering and provoke unrest.
Despite the criticism, Havana is responding cautiously to reports that the U.S. State Department has proposed $100 million in aid. Officials said it’s unclear if the package would be cash or goods like fuel, food, or medicine.
Cuba said it’s willing to consider aid offered in good faith and is open to working with the Catholic Church to distribute humanitarian help. “We are willing to hear the details of the offer and how it would be implemented,” the government said, warning against using aid as political leverage.
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Havana insists the best help Washington could offer is lifting economic, commercial, financial, and energy restrictions. Officials argue sanctions have intensified “as never before,” hitting nearly every sector and worsening life for millions.
The exchange highlights the 60-plus year standoff between Havana and Washington, even with occasional diplomatic openings. Cuba blames sanctions for the crisis; critics blame state control and policy failures too. But the fact that both sides are talking about humanitarian aid suggests a cautious, limited opening amid worsening conditions on the island.
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