Cuba in March 2026: the most important developments in economy
In Cuba in March 2026, the economy was dominated by a fuel and power crisis under U.S. restrictions on oil shipments to the island. On 4 March a grid failure left about two-thirds of the country without electricity, and Air France suspended its Paris-Havana flights, citing a fuel shortage. On 16 March the national grid collapsed completely, leaving the whole island without power for 29 hours; it was reportedly the sixth total blackout in a year and a half. Between two and three further nationwide outages followed within a week, and power was being restored again on 22 March. The government adjusted labor and transport measures to ease the energy emergency, and turned to solar panels.
Fuel supplies became the central question. Two Russian vessels carrying oil and gas were reported on 18 March to be heading for Cuba, while a tanker with Russian fuel diverted to Trinidad as the United States adjusted its sanctions rules; the U.S. also sanctioned Russian tankers bound for Cuba. On 30 March a Russian oil tanker arrived in Cuba, delivering fuel for the first time in three months. President Donald Trump said he had 'no problem' with the shipment and that Cuba 'has to survive'. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum defended her country's right to supply oil to Cuba, and China and Russia were reported as possible sources of energy relief, including solar aid.
Trump vowed on 16 and 17 March to 'take' Cuba. Meanwhile Cuba announced that it would open key economic sectors to investment from its diaspora and U.S. firms, amid ongoing talks with the United States; the U.S. State Department said the step was not drastic enough. Earlier in the month Cuba opened its economy to public-private companies for the first time in 70 years.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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