TORONTO (AP) — Canada announced Monday it is developing an aid package for Cuba as it faces power outages and severe fuel shortages exacerbated by a U.S. oil embargo.
External Affairs Minister Anita Anand declined to give further details.
“We are working on a plan to assist. We are not prepared to provide any details of that announcement at this time,” Anand said.
Cuba is facing a growing energy crisis, which has been exacerbated in recent weeks by disruptions to oil shipments from Venezuela, Cuba’s main oil supplier, as the United States attacked the South American country in early January and arrested its leader. Mexico, another major supplier, later suspended oil shipments under pressure from the United States.
Air Canada and other airlines have canceled flights to the Caribbean island due to a shortage of aviation fuel on the island.
Canadian tourism is vital to the Cuban economy. Government office Global Affairs Canada said Canada is Cuba’s second-largest source of direct investment, particularly in the mining and tourism sectors.
Canada will join Mexico in providing assistance.
Two Mexican navy ships carrying humanitarian aid docked in Cuba earlier this month, two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba, exacerbating an already severe economic and energy crisis in the Caribbean country. The ships carried about 800 tons of cargo, plus 1,500 tons of milk powder and beans.
The economic crisis that has plagued Cuba since 2020 has been exacerbated by tightening U.S. sanctions aimed at forcing a change in the island’s political paradigm. These pressures resulted in severe shortages and severe power outages, peaking in early 2026.
Because Cuba produces only 40% of the fuel it needs, it remains highly vulnerable to external blockades. While powerful allies such as Russia and China have condemned the U.S. measures, their support has so far remained largely symbolic.
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