There Are No Missiles Raining Down on Havana. But What I Saw There Was Still Warfare | Owen Jones

Why It Matters

The intensified U.S. sanctions directly endanger Cuban civilians and destabilize a key regional economy, highlighting the broader geopolitical costs of punitive trade policies.

Key Takeaways

• US fuel embargo cripples Cuban hospitals
• Infant mortality doubled since 2018 under sanctions
• Tourism revenue collapses as flights cancel
• Power blackouts force residents to use charcoal stoves
• Sanctions fuel public discontent, lowering government popularity

Pulse Analysis

The United States' decades‑long embargo against Cuba entered a new, harsher phase in early 2026 when the Trump administration threatened tariffs on any nation supplying fuel to the island. By cutting off diesel imports for three months, the policy has left the Cuban power grid on the brink of collapse and forced hospitals to operate without basic supplies such as tranexamic acid. Energy shortages have turned streets into charcoal‑lit corridors and halted waste‑collection trucks, while the loss of reliable electricity has crippled medical equipment and diagnostic labs. This escalation illustrates how trade restrictions can quickly become a de‑facto war on civilian infrastructure.

The humanitarian fallout is stark. Patients like Maria, a 50‑year‑old with terminal cervical cancer, now face delayed treatment and life‑threatening bleeding because essential drugs are unavailable. National infant mortality, once among the lowest in the region, has reportedly doubled since 2018, and premature births are rising as obstetric services falter. Staff shortages are acute; many clinicians cannot afford fuel to reach their shifts, leaving wards understaffed. Repeated blackouts have forced families to cook on charcoal stoves, increasing indoor air pollution and fire risk. The health crisis underscores the direct link between energy policy and public health outcomes.

For businesses and investors, the sanctions signal heightened geopolitical risk across the Caribbean. Tourism, Cuba's primary source of hard currency, has plummeted as flights are canceled and hotels shutter, eroding revenue streams that once attracted foreign capital. The deteriorating domestic environment may also deter multinational firms considering supply‑chain diversification in the region. Meanwhile, growing popular discontent could pressure the Cuban government toward policy reforms or, conversely, trigger tighter internal controls. Policymakers in Washington face a dilemma: maintain a punitive embargo that fuels humanitarian suffering and regional instability, or pursue calibrated engagement that safeguards both U.S. strategic interests and Cuban civilian welfare.