Mexico president says Trump tariffs on Cuba's oil suppliers could trigger humanitarian crisis
Source: The Guardian
Mexico president says Trump tariffs on Cubas oil suppliers could trigger humanitarian crisis
Island country only has oil enough to last 15-20 days, and 12-hour blackouts have become commonplace
Thomas Graham in Tijuana and Ruaridh Nicoll in Havana
Fri 30 Jan 2026 18.08 GMT
Last modified on Fri 30 Jan 2026 19.55 GMT
Mexicos president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has warned that Donald Trumps move to slap new tariffs on countries sending oil to Cuba could trigger a humanitarian crisis on the island, which is already suffering from chronic fuel shortages and regular blackouts.
The US president signed an executive order on Thursday declaring a national emergency and laying the groundwork for such tariffs, ratcheting up the pressure to topple the communist government in Havana.
A White House statement cited the Cuban governments alleged ties to Russia, Hamas and Hezbollah to explain the new tariffs. While the statement did not name Mexico, Sheinbaums government has been the top supplier of oil to the island since 2025, surpassing Russia and Venezuela.
Sheinbaum said on Friday that her government would seek more information about the tariffs from the US state department, while looking for alternative ways to provide humanitarian aid to the Cuban people.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/30/mexico-sheinbaum-trump-tariffs-cuba-oil-crisis