US to allow Venezuelan oil sales to Cuba as alarm grows in the Caribbean

The United States announced on Wednesday, February 26, 2026, that it would allow the resale of some Venezuelan oil to Cuba in response to growing alarm from Caribbean neighbors about a worsening humanitarian crisis caused by Washington's oil blockade of the island nation. In a statement, the US Department of the Treasury said it would authorize companies seeking licenses to resell Venezuelan oil for 'commercial and humanitarian use in Cuba,' but explicitly excluded 'persons or entities associated with the Cuban military, intelligence services, or other government institutions.' Venezuela had been Cuba's main supplier of crude and fuel for the past 25 years through a bilateral pact, but supplies ceased after the US abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro last month and took control of the country's oil exports. Mexico, which had emerged as an alternate supplier, also halted shipments following US threats of tariffs on countries sending oil to Cuba. The US blockade has exacerbated an energy crisis in Cuba, severely impacting power generation and fuel availability for vehicles, homes, and aviation. The shift in US policy came as Caribbean leaders gathered in Saint Kitts and Nevis expressed alarm at the impacts of the blockade on Cuba's population of 10.9 million people. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness affirmed solidarity with Cuba during the CARICOM meeting, stating 'Humanitarian suffering serves no one' and warning that 'a prolonged crisis in Cuba will not remain confined to Cuba.' Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew, who studied medicine in Cuba, described friends telling him of food scarcity and rubbish-strewn streets, adding 'A destabilised Cuba will destabilise all of us.' However, addressing the meeting in Saint Kitts and Nevis, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the humanitarian crisis was caused by the Cuban government's policies, not Washington's blockade. Rubio warned that sanctions would be reinstated if oil winds up going to the Cuban government or military, stating 'Cuba needs to change. It needs to change dramatically because it is the only chance that it has to improve the quality of life for its people.' The US pressure on Venezuela and Cuba has left several fuel cargoes undelivered since December, contributing to the island's inability to maintain basic services. Mexico and Canada have announced aid for Cuba, while Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak indicated discussions about providing fuel to the island. Separately, Cuba's Ministry of the Interior announced killing four people and wounding six others on a Florida-registered speedboat that entered Cuban waters, which Rubio confirmed was not a US operation.