US sanctions Cuba oil firm CUPET, tightening pressure on fuel imports
Why it matters: The move targets the state company handling Cuba’s fuel imports as blackouts and shortages deepen across the island.
The United States imposed sanctions on Cuba’s state oil company, Union Cuba Petroleo, in a step that further restricts the island’s access to fuel. The Treasury Department action freezes any US assets held by CUPET and generally bars Americans from doing business with it. CUPET oversees Cuba’s oil production, refining and fuel imports. The sanctions come after Washington declared a national emergency in 2026 that placed tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba, a policy the report says has already cut shipments and worsened power outages. Cuba rejected the measure, calling it collective punishment. The article says a Russian oil shipment reached Cuba in late March, but another tanker later diverted away, leaving fuel scarcity severe.