US Tightens Sanctions On Cuba As Blackouts Deepen Island’s Economic Crisis

The United States has imposed a fresh round of sanctions on Cuba, intensifying pressure on the island as it struggles with severe power shortages, fuel scarcity and a deepening economic crisis.

The latest measures target Fidel Ernesto Castro, grandson of former Cuban President Raul Castro, and Cuba’s Oil Industry Supply Import Company, known as Abapet. The company imports specialised equipment and spare parts needed to maintain the country’s ageing power grid.

The sanctions come as prolonged blackouts become increasingly common across Cuba. Daily electricity outages have at times exceeded 24 hours as the ageing grid struggles with dwindling fuel supplies, worsening an already difficult situation for households and businesses.

Brett Erickson, a sanctions expert and managing principal at Obsidian Risk Advisors, said the new measures could make it harder for Cuba to obtain critical machinery and maintenance parts. He said Havana would likely seek alternative suppliers, but higher procurement costs could increase inflation and put further pressure on the economy.

The latest action follows US President Donald Trump’s threat earlier this year to impose tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba. Washington has also previously sanctioned Cuba’s state-owned oil and gas company.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the measures, accusing those sanctioned of being linked to what he described as a corrupt Castro financial and intelligence network. He said the Trump administration remained committed to a free Cuba.

Cuban officials rejected the US allegations and blamed Washington’s sanctions for worsening conditions. Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga called the US policy a “blockade” and described its impact as “genocide”.

For ordinary Cubans, the crisis is increasingly affecting basic needs. Resident Yaqueline Bernal said she had been without electricity since Sunday and feared for her eight grandchildren.

US-Cuba talks earlier this year have stalled, while sanctions have increased in recent months.