Trump is putting pressure on Cuba - why and to what end?

May 22, 2026

Relations between the United States and Cuba have sharply declined as the Trump administration escalates pressure through an oil blockade, expanded sanctions, and an unprecedented murder indictment against 95-year-old former leader Raúl Castro for a 1996 incident involving downed civilian planes. The US has labeled Cuba a national security threat, citing intelligence reports of drone stockpiles and potential Iranian military advisors in Havana, while increasing military surveillance flights in the Caribbean region. Cuba faces severe humanitarian crises including widespread blackouts, fuel shortages, and lack of food and medicine, triggering street protests in Havana against the government.

Who is affected

Cuban citizens experiencing blackouts, food shortages, fuel shortages, and medicine shortages
Hospital patients and staff struggling with non-functioning facilities
Students and government workers facing closures of schools and offices
Raúl Castro and five others facing criminal indictment
Four people killed in 1996 plane incident (three US citizens)
Cuban government officials targeted by sanctions in energy, defense, financial, and security sectors
Current Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez
The Brothers to the Rescue exile group
US military personnel conducting surveillance operations
Venezuela and Mexico (former oil suppliers)

What action is being taken

The US is implementing an oil blockade and has seized oil shipments bound for Cuba
The US military is broadcasting locations of aircraft near Cuba on plane-tracking websites
The US is imposing sanctions on senior Cuban officials
Protesters in Havana are blocking roads with burning rubbish and shouting anti-government slogans
Cuba is preparing for "external aggression"
Both nations are maintaining back-channel talks
China and Russia are condemning US pressure on Cuba

Why it matters

This situation represents a dramatic escalation in US-Cuba tensions that threatens regional stability in the Caribbean. The humanitarian crisis caused by the oil blockade is causing widespread suffering among Cuban civilians while strengthening internal dissent against the communist government. The indictment of Raúl Castro strikes at the symbolic heart of Cuba's revolutionary leadership structure and one-party system, potentially destabilizing the military and security apparatus that controls much of the economy. The increasing military surveillance and intelligence reports about drone capabilities create conditions that could serve as pretexts for armed conflict, drawing in allies like China and Russia and potentially triggering a broader international crisis.

What's next

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the White House's preference is for a diplomatic solution, though he indicated the likelihood of a peaceful agreement is "not high"
The US continues to offer $100 million in aid conditional on distribution through the Catholic Church and independent humanitarian organizations rather than the Cuban government

Read full article from source: BBC