Cuba in January 2026: the most important developments in politics
Cuba's politics in January 2026 were shaped by pressure from the United States after the reported capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a close Cuban ally. On 5 January President Donald Trump suggested that Cuba's government was ready to fall, and Senator Lindsey Graham said Cuba's days were numbered. Cuba confirmed that 32 of its citizens died in the US attack on Venezuela and called for collective defense against US threats in the region.
On 11 January Trump told Cuba to make a deal with the United States or face consequences, including a cutoff of oil and money, and reposted a suggestion that Marco Rubio could one day lead Cuba. President Miguel Díaz-Canel answered that no one dictates to Cuba and that the country is prepared to defend itself to the last drop of blood. On 12 January he said there were no current talks with the United States. China's foreign ministry urged Washington to end what it called its blockade of Cuba, and Venezuela reaffirmed its ties with the island. On 22 January media reports citing the Wall Street Journal said the US was planning a change of government in Cuba. Trump said at the end of the month that Cuba would soon fail.
On 30 January the United States issued an executive order tightening the oil embargo, which Trump described as a national emergency over a "Cuba threat". Cuba declared an international emergency and began preparing its population for war, and Díaz-Canel accused Trump of "genocidal" economic pressure. China and Venezuela rejected the US measures and voiced support for Havana's sovereignty. Russia's UN envoy said a betrayal of the kind seen in Venezuela should not be expected in Cuba.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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