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May 15, 2026
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Cuba open to US aid amid fuel crisis and blackouts

AI Summary
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has suggested that Havana would accept humanitarian aid from the US if delivered in accordance with international practices. However, he emphasized that lifting the US trade embargo would be a more effective way to alleviate the suffering of the Cuban people.

The US Aid Offer

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has suggested that Havana would accept humanitarian aid from the United States if it is delivered in accordance with internationally recognised practices.

But he added that, if the goal were truly to relieve the suffering of the Cuban people, the US would do better to lift its trade embargo on the island.

The Fuel Crisis and Blackouts

The president’s remarks came in a social media post on Thursday, one day after the US offered $100m in humanitarian aid to Cuba.

The aid offer, however, came with the condition that Cuba’s government institute “meaningful reforms”.

  • Cuba has been under a comprehensive trade embargo from the US since the 1960s.
  • The island sits just 150 kilometres, or 90 miles, from US shores.

The Impact on Cuba

Since President Donald Trump took office for a second term in 2025, US pressure on Cuba’s government has been heightened.

In January, Trump first cut the flow of funds and fuel from Venezuela to Cuba. Then, he threatened steep tariffs against any country that provides Havana with oil, implementing a de facto fuel blockade on the island.

The result has been island-wide blackouts and energy shortages that have left public services at a standstill, including at hospitals.

The US Goal

The Trump administration, meanwhile, has signalled its goal is to see regime change in Havana, where communist leaders in the government have been accused of violent repression.

In a statement on Wednesday, the US Department of State indicated it had been negotiating in private with the Cuban government to offer aid in exchange for government reform.