The amount of disinformation about what is taking place in Cuba is increasing. The underlying premise of the disinformation is that the government of Cuba, not the U.S. administration, is responsible for the conditions the Cuban people are suffering as they wage a life and death struggle for their right to be. For 67 years, the U.S. has done everything in its power to crush Cuba to no avail.

The aim of this disinformation promoted by official circles, their media and counter-revolutionaries is to sow pessimism about Cuba's future and its capacity to resist and prevail so as to deprive it of support. It also tries to cover up the amount of support for Cuba expressed by working people of Quebec and Canada who hold Cuba in the highest regard.

Now is the time to turn the close ties, friendship, support and love for Cuba and its people into concrete acts of support for the Cuban people's resistance to the all-sided blockade against that island nation whose generosity to all those all over the world in need is without parallel. Now is the time to provide Cuba with all-out humanitarian assistance and relieve their shortage of energy as a result of genocidal measures the U.S. is implementing. This is a time to once again join the efforts of the Republic of Cuba, its government and people to defeat the vicious inhuman U.S. blockade which is now impeding all imports of oil in a desperate attempt to destroy the Cuban economy and bring the people to their knees. The salient feature of the genocidal U.S. campaign is its aim to extinguish the human right of the Cuban people to life itself. All acts of blackmail and coercion exercised against other governments to "dissuade" them from providing Cuba with all-out support at this time must be opposed with all the contempt they deserve.

The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) calls on its members, supporters and sympathizers to involve working people from all walks of life to take whatever concrete measures they can to support the Cuban people and help Cuba withstand this latest assault against the right to be of the Cuban people. Let us smash the attempts to promote passivity and despondency by going all out amongst our families, friends, neighbours, co-workers, unions and other organizations to provide concrete information and whatever material aid we can.

It is also crucial to vigorously express rejection of any stands on the part of Canadian officials, cartel party leaders and media which conciliate with the use of blackmail and coercion on the part of the U.S. administration to isolate Cuba. For instance, the official stand of the government of Canada to issue travel advisories to discourage tourism to Cuba is deliberately disinforming. Not only does the government remain silent about how important it is to preserve the role that tourism plays in funding social programs in Cuba and looking after the peoples' well-being, but it also does not propose alternative locations where airlines could refuel going to and from Cuba, as do all the other airlines which are not cutting back on their flights to Cuba. The aim of the travel advisories is suspect. Tourists are cared for in Cuba and their needs are looked after. How does it serve Canada to hamper tourism to Cuba, instead of finding other ways to make sure the airlines can refuel, such as on neighbouring islands, for instance?

Tourists sought out by media to corroborate the stand of the government of Canada that travel to Cuba is dangerous or a disaster or inadvisable have, on the contrary, corroborated how well tourists are cared for. Listening to those who tell the truth shows the well-organized measures being taken by the government of Cuba and organizations at every level, backed up by the people, to use all available resources in a rational way, making sure nobody is left to fend for themselves.

The promotion of the counter-revolutionary conception that Cuba is a failed state, presented as if this is "unfortunate," a matter of truth "like it or not," is unacceptable. So is the constant talk on the part of conciliators which goes so far as to suggest that Canada must put its own interests in first place, calling this "values-based realism." What are the values? What is the realism?

Saying that throwing Cuba under the bus is okay because Canada does not want to annoy U.S. President Donald Trump when it is trying to get his cooperation to engage in free trade talks, is not okay. It is not values-based. It is not "realism." To suggest that the same Trump that the Prime Minister has told the entire world cannot be counted on for anything, can be counted on to engage in rational free trade talks is ridiculous. On principle, it must be opposed.

CPC(M-L) calls on its members, sympathizers and all working people to oppose attempts by the government of Canada, cartel party leaders, media and pundits to get away with insinuations that the Government of Cuba is "not transparent," that it does not uphold human rights, that it is the cause of the intolerable situation its people are facing. Today, when the entire world has seen that it is the United States that engages in and sponsors state terrorism, violates human rights and engages in extreme violence, any attempt to divert attention away from the need to oppose the U.S. measures against Cuba must be opposed. It is a matter of conscience. It is a matter of principle. It is a matter of honour.

Providing concrete support for Cuba at this time of great need is the criterion by which Canada will be judged. It requires supporting Cuba without equivocation. It requires the kind of courage, honesty and conviction which clearly reveal the kind of democracy, freedom and sovereignty the government claims it stands for. Let the working people lead the way by expressing concrete support for Cuba and demanding the government do the same.

All Out to Reject Use of Blackmail and Coercion to Isolate Cuba!

All Out to Support Cuba, Its Government and People!

Solidarity Organizations Mobilize Collective Response in Support of Cuba

The Canadian Network on Cuba (CNC) held an emergency online meeting with member organizations on February 4 to discuss a coordinated collective response to the U.S. Trump administration's executive order on January 29 threatening economic tariffs and sanctions against any country that supplies fuel oil to Cuba. All organizations present rejected the U.S. aim to asphyxiate the island nation and its 11 million inhabitants. Professor Isaac Saney said that in the face of the latest act of state terror against the Cuban people by the U.S. Trump regime, which is the gravest threat yet to Revolutionary Cuba, and doubts created in the Canadian monopoly media about Cuba, the situation calls on the Canadian people to step up their support for their Cuban brothers and sisters.

The meeting discussed several concrete actions. First, member organizations will popularize Petition E-7082 to the Canadian parliament calling for Canada to oppose the U.S. blockade and threats against Cuba. Member organizations of the CNC are called upon to circulate the petition broadly so that by deadline for the petition, April 20, at least 10,000 people will have signed it.

Second, all member organization are asked to promote tourism to Cuba as a concrete act of solidarity with the Cuban people. Professor Saney noted that it is tourism that helps bring in foreign currency that Cuba needs for trade and the purchase of needed items. Attempts by the U.S., picked up by reactionary media in Canada to actively discourage tourism to Cuba is an integral part of the brutal illegal blockade. The meeting rejected the travel advisory posted by Global Affairs Canada aimed at arousing fear and discouraging travelers to Cuba. While Global Affairs Canada has done nothing to support the rights of the Cuban people, the advisory warns that the "situation is unpredictable and could deteriorate, disrupting flight availability on short notice." A participant in the meeting, pointing out that she had just returned from Cuba, explained that all measures have been taken at every level in Cuba to ensure the safety and comfort of tourists.

A third activity the CNC is promoting is for a Day of Action in support of Cuba on February 21 with public rallies to be held across the country. This will be followed on February 22 with a CNC People's Tribunal against the U.S. blockade and state terror against Cuba to be held at the Steelworkers Hall in Toronto.

A phone and letter writing campaign to parliamentarians is also being organized. The CNC executive said that letters to the leaders of the political parties in the parliament are being drafted. Member organizations were called on to encourage their members to get in touch with their local MP to call on them to oppose the fuel embargo against Cuba and ongoing state terror against her people.

Material support in the form of sending containers to Cuba with essentials to assist victims of Hurricane Melissa is also continuing. Donations are being received for a third container going to Cuba on March 7. Arrangements can be made via the CNC through their website www.canadiannetworkoncuba.ca. The CNC executive announced as well that materials for the petition campaign, lobby campaign with Members of Parliament and information on the People's Tribunal will be sent out soon.

The meeting concluded with a high sense of purpose and resolve to step up support for Cuba by mobilizing the Canadian people at this critical time.

Action to load container bound for Cuba, December 6, 2025

Posters for York University Donation Campaign for Cuba, February 20, 2026, Packing Party

Petition to Government of Canada to Stand with Cuba and Uphold International Law

The following petition addresses support for Cuba and her people facing great difficulties as a result of the measures the Trump administration is taking to bring Cuba down.

Petition e-7082 calls on the Government of Canada to take specific actions in response to U.S. aggression in Latin America, to uphold and promote the right of self-determination of the peoples and countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and to deepen Canada's economic ties, trade and assistance to Cuba.

Getting as many signatures as possible for this petition provides an opportunity to further popularize what revolutionary Cuba and its people stand for. It also sends a clear message to the government that it must affirm Canada's obligations to uphold international law by opposing the U.S. blockade and all attempts to undermine the Cuban people and their right to determine their own governance.

Petition

Whereas:

- Canada is a signatory to the United Nations Charter and to other international conventions upholding international law, peaceful coexistence, and sovereign equality of states;

- U.S. military attacks on Venezuelan civilians and the kidnapping of President Maduro constitute flagrant violations of international law, national sovereignty, freedom of navigation, and the fundamental principles of peace and self-determination, constituting an immediate and ongoing threat to regional peace;

- Washington has directly singled out Cuba, Colombia and Mexico for military intervention;

- The U.S. is waging an escalating economic war -- with other coercive measures and threats -- against Cuba, which has been repeatedly rejected by the UN General Assembly as contravening the principles and norms of international law, especially the right of self-determination; and

- Washington's actions are a threat to Canada's sovereignty and independence.

We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:

1. Publicly condemn U.S. aggressions as violations of international law;

2. Refuse to participate in, support, or legitimize military, economic, or political aggressions against Venezuela and other countries;

3. Reaffirm and actively support the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, free from external military intervention;

4. Actively reject any and all interventions and military aggressions against Cuba, Colombia and Mexico;

5. Firmly oppose U.S. economic and other coercive measures against Cuba and vigorously advocate for their removal;

6. Deepen economic ties, trade and assistance to Cuba; and

7. Unequivocally uphold and promote the right of self-determination of the peoples and countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

To sign the petition online, click here. Remember to complete the process by responding to the confirmation email.

Cuba's Principles and Resourcefulness Know No Bounds

We Will Face This New Onslaught with Firmness

– Declaration of Revolutionary Government of Cuba –
January 30, 2026

March of the Fighting People, Havana, January 16, 2026

The Revolutionary Government condemns in the strongest terms the new escalation by the U.S. government against Cuba in its efforts to impose a total blockade on fuel supplies to our country.

The executive order issued by the U.S. President on January 29, 2026, declares a supposed national emergency, under which his government will be able to impose trade tariffs on imports of products from countries that supply oil to Cuba.

To justify such extreme action, the text of the order contains an extensive list of lies and defamatory accusations against Cuba. Among them is the absurd assertion that Cuba constitutes an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to the national security of the United States. The President himself and his government are aware that no one, or very few, can believe such mendacious arguments, but they do not care. Such is their contempt for the truth, public opinion, and government ethics when it comes to endorsing their aggression against Cuba.

With this decision, the United States government, through blackmail, threats, and direct coercion of third countries, is attempting to impose additional pressure on the economic suffocation measures that have been in place since Trump's first term to prevent fuel from entering our country. It consolidates a dangerous way of conducting U.S. foreign policy by force and exercising its ambitions to guarantee its imperialist hegemony. As announced, that country claims the right to dictate to sovereign states which nations they can trade with and to which they can export their domestic products.

The executive order of the President of the United States therefore constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and also violates the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace. It confirms that it is the government of that country that is threatening the security, stability, and peace of the region and the world.

The government of the United States has reached this point after 67 years of failing to surrender and destroy a genuine and legitimate political and revolutionary process of full sovereignty, social justice, and the promotion of peace and solidarity with the rest of the world.

Cuba's historical willingness to engage in serious, responsible dialogue with the United States government, based on international law, sovereign equality, mutual respect, reciprocal benefit, non-interference in internal affairs, and absolute respect for the independence and sovereignty of states, is widely documented.

As everyone knows, including the U.S. government itself, Cuba poses no threat whatsoever to the United States, its national interests, or the well-being of its citizens, who, moreover, have always been treated with respect and hospitality when their government has allowed them to visit the island. Cuba does not threaten or attack any country. It is not subject to sanctions by the international community. It is a peaceful, supportive, and cooperative country, willing to help and contribute to other States.

It is also a country of a brave and combative people. Imperialism is mistaken when it believes that economic pressure and the determination to cause suffering to millions of people will break their determination to defend national sovereignty and prevent Cuba from falling, once again, under U.S. domination.

The international community faces the unavoidable challenge of determining whether a crime of this nature could be a sign of things to come or whether sanity, solidarity, and the rejection of aggression, impunity, and abuse will prevail.

We will face this new attack with firmness, equanimity, and the certainty that reason is absolutely on our side. The decision is one: Homeland or Death, We Shall Overcome!

Havana, January 30, 2026

Economic Collapse and Surrender Are Not in
Cuban Vocabulary President Says

Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic of Cuba, addressed the national and foreign media at the Palace of the Revolution on February 5. From the very first question posed by reporters, through to the end of the press conference, Díaz-Canel demonstrated the mettle of the Cuban people, rejecting the U.S. narrative that Cuba is in economic collapse. He brought to the fore measures being taken for the mobilization of the nation to safeguard the Revolution and face head-on the hardships caused by decades of the U.S. blockade, and now the siege and threats of intervention.

"I believe that the theory of collapse and the insistence on collapse is closely related to the theory of the failed state and to a whole group of [constructs] with which the United States Government has tried to characterize the Cuban situation," he said. "There is no failed state," he said adding that what there is, is "a State that has had to face with much resistance the maximum pressures [...] for economic suffocation by the main power of the world." Moreover, he said, "this is a power that has an imperial [foundation] and a hegemonic purpose of domination." The talk of "collapse," he said, "is in the outlook, in the imperial philosophy, but it is not in the mentality of the Cuban people."

"I am not an idealist," Díaz-Canel said. "I know that we are going to live difficult times, we have lived through difficult times, these in particular are very difficult, but we will overcome them [together], with creative resistance, with the effort and with the talent of all Cubans [working together]."

On Cuba-Venezuela Relations

Díaz-Canel rejected the U.S. logic that Cuba's relation with Venezuela is one of dependency. "Many try to see it as a relationship of dependence between two countries, and with that what they do is restrict it, reduce it to an exchange of goods and services, and that is not the reality of the relationship we have had with the Bolivarian Revolution." He explained that "Since Chávez led the Bolivarian Revolution, a whole relationship of cooperation, of collaboration has been woven, based on principles of solidarity, above all, of integration, of complementarity: how two brotherly countries, friends, could take advantage of the potential of each other according to that integration, to that complementarity. That is why the Comprehensive Collaboration Agreement between Cuba and Venezuela emerged more than 25 years ago."

Díaz-Canel noted that four years after that Agreement, the free trade agreement the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (the Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP)) emerged in 2004, which brought the conceptions of that relationship to a group of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. ALBA-TCP supported Petrocaribe, he said, "which was a group of projects also with an energy approach, but with a focus on social aims, social justice, equity, opportunities and the benefit and development of peoples, not only of Venezuela and Cuba, but of Latin America and the Caribbean." It reflected "the concept of integration, the integration that Martí dreamed of, that Bolívar dreamed of, and that Fidel and Chávez defended, and to which all of us are committed." The social successes that ALBA-TCP achieved were born as part of that close relationship between Cuba and Venezuela, Díaz-Canel said.

By way of concrete examples, he spoke of the Miracle Mission project which restored vision to more than 3.5 million Latin Americans. He also spoke of literacy accomplishments noting that since Cuba declared itself the first territory free of illiteracy in Latin America and the Caribbean, four other countries have now also achieve this benchmark. "[T]hey could achieve it," he said, "precisely because that concept of complementarity and integration in a system of relationships is not based on selfishness, but precisely on these concepts, which are humanistic concepts, concepts of an approach of leaving no one behind."

It is precisely these human-centred concepts and values promoted in the region which the U.S. is striving to obscure and destroy by belittling the sisterly and revolutionary relations between Cuba and Venezuela, by claiming that Cuba is merely dependent on Venezuelan oil. Díaz-Canel acknowledged the economic and commercial relations, that take the form of very important collaborative projects. One of these, "especially in energy, for the provision of medical services, compensated a significant part of the needs for fuel, not all, but an important part, especially in the most recent times, [but] Venezuela has always been subjected to coercive measures, under pressures and that has also affected that exchange."

Oil Blockade -- Cuba Is Not Alone

Díaz-Canel went on to speak about the U.S. "naval blockade of Venezuela, which has prevented Venezuelan ships or ships from other countries with Venezuelan fuel from reaching Cuba." He said that it "is stepped up even more with the Executive Order of the Government of the United States in recent days, manipulating countries that supply oil through the threat of tariffs, which practically is the pretext that has made it an energy blockade of our country."

Cuba, however, is not isolated or alone, Díaz-Canel said. He spoke of the immediate international condemnation from Russia, China, and other international leaders, movements and countries targeted by the U.S. Executive Order that is aimed at suffocating Cuba's economy by means of an energy blockade. Support has not been confined to statements but exists in concrete measures, "things that we cannot explain openly today," he said, "because the enemy is targeting all the paths that can be opened to Cuba, but I can assure you with every sense of responsibility that Cuba is not alone, and that at a time like this there are many people, governments, countries, institutions, companies that are willing to work with Cuba."

U.S. Unconventional Warfare Demands Global Response

Díaz-Canel wrapped up this portion of the press conference saying: "Every time one observes what is happening, the learnings and lessons that we have been able to draw in these days from what happened in Venezuela and from the reaction after Venezuela of the United States Government to Cuba and to others, one thinks about what the world could do, because I believe that the world cannot allow itself to be overwhelmed, the world cannot allow itself to be humiliated, the world cannot allow itself to be crushed by force. I think that on issues like this the first thing is that we have to understand, countries have to understand, peoples have to understand what is happening. They have to understand that we are all facing in the world, without exception, a war that is political, that is ideological, a war that also has a cultural component and a war that has a communication component, a media component. And it is the concept of an unconventional war, of a fourth-generation war that combines all these elements and others. [...]

"So I think that the first thing that the people, the governments, the countries, the nations, the Global South have to understand is this -- they have to understand what is in dispute, what are the scenarios in which that dispute unfolds, what future is being offered to us out of this very brutal present, and then look for articulation, for unity."

"Seeking unity cannot be only of discourse," Díaz-Canel said. "It has to also be a unity of action, of constant denunciation, of seeking all possible integration into blocs or in fronts defending ideas, also seeking economic, commercial, cooperative, collaborative actions that defend multilateralism. [...]

"They are acting as if they were the Hitlerite hordes when a country is attacked, when the world is subjugated, when a president is kidnapped or when criminal actions are committed against ships, against people extra judicially, without any element of legality."

Cuba Is Ready to Confront U.S. Military Aggression

Cuba takes the threat of U.S. aggression seriously, Díaz-Canel said. It is prepared and mobilizing and does not suffer the pessimism of those who when faced with "that annexationist swarm that we have out there [...] begin to falter, of those who begin to show cowardice or weakness in the face of the pressures and psychological war they are waging against us, in the face of the announcements of a possible military aggression or of continuing to intensify the blockade of Cuba with the consequences that it can bring for our people." He reiterated that reality shows that Cuba is a country of peace and is not a threat to the United States, whereas "the one who is constantly talking about aggression [...] has been the United States Government."

"[W]e did the analyses," Díaz-Canel said, "of everything that had been happening: of the events of January 3 in Venezuela, of the implications for the area of Latin America and the Caribbean, the threats in the region and the threats to Cuba. One of the priorities that we established was to deploy a Preparedness Plan for defence in the interest of a People's War, which includes the preparation of the territorial defensive system of our country in all its links, from the national defence zone [...] This is legitimate and even contemplated in our Constitution.

"We have declared Saturdays to be national days of defence and then, gradually and systematically, all the components of our territorial defensive system are being prepared [...] We updated all the plans to deal with an aggression of the National Defense Council's working bodies; we updated them, we include clarifications that have to do with the experiences we have gained from the latest conflicts at the international level. [...]

"We updated the Plan for the move to a State of War, if necessary. [...] The note from the Defense Council that was published said exactly this: 'In compliance with the activities planned for Defense Day and with the objective of increasing and perfecting the level of preparation and cohesion of the management bodies and staff, this Saturday [January 31] the National Defense Council met to analyze and approve the plans and measures for the transition to a State of War, as part of the preparation of the country under the strategic conception of the War of All the People.' It is not saying that we declared a State of War; it is saying that we are preparing if we have to go into a State of War, at some point. [...] And our people are participating. I have visited military units where we have done exercises. I have shared with university students who have also undertaken defence tasks in defence zones of the municipality, and we are going to continue participating systematically in this type of activity."

Cuba Is Not a Terrorist State

Díaz-Canel gave a clear evidence-based response when asked about the U.S. having Cuba on a list of states that support terrorism. He reiterated the well known historical facts about U.S. assassination attempts against Fidel, the 1976 bombing of the Cubana de Aviación plane and other examples. He then said, "Cuba is not a terrorist country. Cuba is also not a threat to the security of the United States. Cuba has never carried out or proposed or armed an aggressive action that endangers the territorial integrity, or the security or stability of the Government of the United States. We do not protect terrorists. There are no military forces in Cuba from other nations or other groups. There are no military bases from other countries in Cuba. We have military cooperation and military cooperation agreements with friendly countries, with allies; but that in no way means that there are military bases in Cuba."

He posed the question as to which country has military bases around the world; that stands out for supporting state terrorism in the world; that committed aggression against Venezuela and kidnapped its president; that supports the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza; that attacks and disappears boats along with people -- in an extrajudicial manner -- that have not been proven to be linked to drug trafficking, without investigations, without evidence. Are these not acts of terrorism, Díaz-Canel asked. Which is the main state in the world that poses a danger to the security of the world, to the peace of the world? It is the United States, he said.

Díaz-Canel went on to discuss measures being taken to cope with electricity shortages and the steady progress being made in the expansion of renewable power generation, including using renewable energy to bring electricity to the most remote communities situated in difficult terrain; developing self sufficiency in food production. He discussed as well the responsibilities and leading role of the organizations of the Communist Party of Cuba in mobilizing the population to face head-on the difficulties caused by the U.S. blockade aimed at suffocating the Cuban economy and revolution.

(Granma)

Cuba Boldly Steps Up Self-Reliance
in Energy Production

Installing solar panels in Villa Clara in Sanctis Spiritus, January 2026

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez announced on February 5 that Cuba has a strategy to expand the use of its own energy sources in response to the crisis caused by the U.S. blockade on oil shipments to the island.

Diaz-Canel explained that since December 5, 2026, two days after the U.S. began its illegal naval blockade against Venezuela, Cuba has not received a single drop of fuel. This situation has had a broad impact on public health, the economy, transportation, and electricity generation, he added.

Despite the latest intensification of U.S. strategy of "economic suffocation," which is aimed at sowing fear among oil shipping companies and international suppliers, the Cuban government is working to ensure that this escalation of external aggression has the least possible impact on the Cuban people and economy.

"Cuba will not renounce receiving fuel. It is a sovereign right," Díaz-Canel stressed, adding that surrender is not an option and making clear that the U.S. has no right to impose its economic warfare on the Caribbean island or on third countries.

The Council of Ministers approved guidelines for a contingency plan designed to confront attempts at economic strangulation. While temporary restrictions on consumption and increased energy savings will be necessary, those measures will not be permanent, Diaz-Canel stressed.

The Cuban government's response is based on a comprehensive strategy to transform the energy matrix, including the recovery of electricity generation capacity -- more than 900 megawatts have been restored -- the use of domestic energy sources, restoring storage capacity affected by the 2022 accident at the Matanzas supertanker base, increasing national crude oil production, electricity generation from associated petroleum gas and the development of a national shipping fleet.

In 2025, Cuban authorities completed the construction of 49 photovoltaic solar parks, adding about 1,000 megawatts to the country's energy supply. Currently, those parks are generating 38 per cent of the national energy supply, at a time when Cuba has been unable for several weeks to rely on the normal energy distribution system due to fuel shortages.

Díaz-Canel announced that 5,000 photovoltaic systems of 2 kilowatts each are being installed in an equal number of homes that previously lacked electricity, which will allow Cuba to reach 100 per cent electrification. Another 5,000 photovoltaic systems are also being installed at prioritized service centers, including maternity homes, nursing homes, senior centers, polyclinics, residences for vulnerable children and bank branches, among others.

Authorities are also distributing another 10,000 photovoltaic systems to workers in the education and health sectors, while new investments in wind power generation capacity are underway. The Cuban government also expects to increase production of associated petroleum gas and supply manufactured gas to 20,000 new customers in Havana.

The Cuban president explained that successful tests were conducted in December for refining crude oil and producing derivatives, as well as for acquiring engines capable of using that fuel.

He pointed out that while none of these actions alone solves the problem immediately, they allow for changes in the energy matrix and help prevent the situation from becoming more severe. "The will to resist, recover and create will include expanding local production of goods and services," Díaz-Canel said.

"What does it mean to prevent fuel from reaching a country?" Díaz-Canel asked, It is a measure that directly affects the lives of millions of people, he said. Surrender is not an option and Cuba will not renounce its sovereign right to receive fuel, expressing the will and spirit of the Cuban people.

(teleSUR)

Cuban People Step Up Defence of Their Homeland in Light of Escalating U.S. Attacks

Since the U.S. terrorist attack on Venezuela on January 3 and in the face of new U.S. economic measures against Cuba, the Cuban government and people have reaffirmed their principled stand in defence of Cuba and Cuba's international obligations and stepped up measures to face the challenges imposed by the U.S. attacks and strengthen Cuba's defences.

On Thursday, January 15, Cuba received the remains of its combatants who fell defending Venezuela on January 3. More than half a million Cubans turned out in somber yet militant gatherings across the country to pay their respects and commit to holding aloft the glorious banner under which they fought and died for country during the aggression by the United States government against Venezuela.

In the presence of the leaders of the Cuban government, state and armed forces, soldiers solemnly descended from the plane, carrying the urns with the mortal remains of the heroes, covered with the flag of the lone star, the flag they defended in the land of Bolívar and Chávez, because defending Venezuela was also defending Cuba. The remains were placed in six armoured vehicles in front of the formation of troops. To the beat of the National Anthem, three rifle salutes shook the airport terminal.

After a call to silence, Army Corps General Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas spoke with sensitivity and respect. "We do not welcome them with resignation," he said, "we do so with deep pride and eternal commitment because we know, and the people of Cuba have learned this through the hardest of trials, that death does not defeat those who fall with a rifle in their hands defending a just cause. [...] They bring with them the enduring example of dedication, courage, and fidelity to the noblest ideals of man." "We will always remember you in every effort, every challenge, every victory [...] you are an example of honour. You are a lesson for those who hesitate, you are a warning to those who threaten," he concluded.

At dusk, Army General Raúl Castro, accompanied by President Díaz-Canel, led the last honour guard for the combatants at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. Raúl then paid tribute in front of each of the urns.

On January 16, President Díaz-Canel presided over a second day of tributes. Before tens of thousands of Cubans gathered at the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Tribune, he gave an unequivocal response to U.S. threats, saying "There is no surrender or capitulation possible, nor any kind of understanding based on coercion or intimidation. Cuba does not have to make any political concessions, and that will never be on the table for negotiations for an understanding between Cuba and the United States." Cuba has the peoples of the world who are striving for peace, justice and independence standing with it.

Speech by Cuban President in Response to Escalating U.S. Threats (excerpts)

"[T]he current U.S. administration opened the door to an era of barbarism, dispossession and neo-fascism, no matter what that might mean in terms of more war, destruction and death. [...]

"Only those who do not know the value of friendship, solidarity and cooperation forged between peoples can confuse the relationship between Cubans and Venezuelans as one merely of business or the simple exchange of products and services. Above all, Cubans and Venezuelans are brothers! (Applause.) Giving our own blood and even our lives for a brotherly people may seem strange to others, but not to Cubans. [...]

"No matter how much they insist on glorifying their camouflaged soldiers with their helmets and bulletproof vests, night vision goggles, protected by planes, helicopters and swarms of drones, amid intentional blackouts, the assault of the Delta Force terrorists was not the walk in the park they have sold to the world.

"One day we will know the whole truth, but even Trump has been unable to deny that several attackers were injured. Our brave fighters, with conventional weapons and no vests other than their morals and their loyalty to the mission they were fulfilling, fought to the death and dealt blows to their adversaries! (Applause.) [...]

"The current emperor of the White House and his infamous Secretary of State have not stopped threatening us. 'I don't think much more pressure can be exerted,' Trump said in a tacit recognition of the extreme levels to which the blockade imposed on Cuba for more than six decades has escalated. [...]

"[A]ccording to their imperial conception, 'going in and destroying the place' is all that remains for them to subdue us. That grotesque statement, which has aroused deep outrage in the Cuban people, can only be interpreted as an incitement to the ruthless massacre of a country that has never promoted hatred toward others.[...]

"Cuba does not threaten or challenge! Cuba is a land of peace! It was here in Havana, on the initiative of Cuba, that 12 years ago, during the Second Summit of CELAC [the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States], Latin America and the Caribbean were proclaimed as a Zone of Peace, an achievement brutally ripped apart by the fascist onslaught in Venezuela. This commitment to peace in no way undermines our readiness for combat in defence of our sovereignty and territorial integrity. If we were to be attacked, we would fight with the same ferocity bequeathed to us by several generations of brave Cuban fighters, from the wars of independence in the 19th century, the Sierra Maestra, the clandestine struggle and Africa in the 20th century, to Caracas in this 21st century. There can be no surrender or capitulation, nor any kind of agreement on the basis of coercion or intimidation.

"Cuba does not have to make any political concessions, nor will that ever be up for negotiation in order to reach an understanding between Cuba and the United States. It is important that they understand this: we will always be ready for dialogue and for improving relations between our two countries, but on equal terms and on the basis of mutual respect. That's how it has been for over six decades. It will be no different now! [...]

"Let Us March Together! And in memory of their heroic example, let us swear:

"Fatherland or Death!

We Will Win!

Ever Onward to Victory! "

The gathering was followed by a March of the Fighting People led by President Díaz-Canel and other officials of the Communist Party of Cuba and the Cuban government. Chants of Down with Imperialism!, Yes to Cuba, No to Yankees!, Bring President Maduro Back! and Justice for the Fallen! were among those voiced by the marchers, affirming that Cuba will defend its independence and sovereignty.

National Defense Day, January 17

Throughout Cuba on January 17 defense exercises were held which included armed forces and civilians. Speaking to participants, Cuban President Díaz-Canel emphasized that the entire country, as part of its defence preparations had, for the past three weeks, been conducting exercises involving combined forces from regular units, the Territorial Troop Militias, and the Production and Defense Brigades. He said that this intense, systematic and rigorous program of preparation for the defense of the country is yielding concrete results and that "By participating in this way, preparing ourselves for the defense of the homeland, unity is achieved, and when we have united, history has shown that we have always achieved victory." He told university students who were honing their skills for combat that "This level of preparation that you are developing in these times is very important to us, because we have to truly prepare ourselves," underscoring that "the best way to avoid aggression, as Fidel and Raúl have always warned us, is to be prepared for defense."

Delegates to National Assembly of People's Power Supported
to Assist Constituents

On February 9, the President of the National Assembly of People's Power and the Council of State of Cuba, Juan Esteban Lazo Hernandez, announced the decision of the Council of State that wherever possible delegates to the National Assembly would be relieved of their work duties in order to be able to work directly with their constituents and pay attention to their concerns and other problems in the community. In this work delegates will be supported by state bodies, agencies and other entities. In working directly with their constituents the delegates are to be kept informed about decisions made to address the complex situation facing the country and are to keep their constituents updated on the information they receive regarding actions and measures related to the current situation in the country.

(With files from TeleSUR, Granma)

Opposition to Disinformation About Cuba a Crucial Fight

Avoiding Responsibility: Canada's Travel Advisory as Complicity in the War on Cuba

– Isaac Saney –

The Government of Canada's travel advisory urging Canadians to "avoid non-essential travel to Cuba due to worsening shortages of fuel, electricity, and basic necessities including food, water, and medicine" is not a neutral public-safety notice. It is a political act. More than that, it is an act of acquiescence to -- indeed collaboration with -- the illegal and immoral U.S. economic war on Cuba. By presenting a pending humanitarian crisis as a reason to stay away, rather than naming and condemning the deliberate policies that have produced it, Ottawa becomes complicit in the collective punishment of the Cuban people.

Let us be clear: Cuba's shortages are not the result of natural disaster or internal collapse. They are the foreseeable and intended outcome of a systematic campaign by Washington -- now intensified by Donald Trump and Marco Rubio -- to strangle Cuba's access to fuel, foreign exchange, and trade. Canada's failure to officially condemn and reject these measures, and its decision instead to issue advisories that echo their consequences, amounts to tacit endorsement.

This unmasks the duplicity in Prime Minister Mark Carney's recently "acclaimed" speech at Davos, in which he criticized the hypocrisy of the current international order. Fine words ring hollow when not matched by principled action. Just as Ottawa failed in its duty to unequivocally oppose and reject the genocide in Gaza, it is now failing as a similar catastrophe -- engineered through economic means -- threatens Cuba. One cannot denounce hypocrisy on the world stage while practicing it at home.

The stance of the Canadian government stands in stark opposition to the will of the vast majority of Canadians, who not only reject the U.S. economic war on Cuba but are demanding that Ottawa provide immediate, direct, and concrete material and humanitarian assistance to the island -- especially in the form of oil and energy shipments to a nation under siege.

Across social media and public platforms, Canadians are raising their voices, urging the federal government to act now. This public sentiment is powerfully expressed in the recently launched Canadian Parliamentary Petition (e-7082), which condemns the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba and calls on Canada to deepen economic ties, trade, and assistance to the heroic island nation. The petition has already garnered -- and continues to gather -- thousands of signatures, sending a clear and unmistakable message to Prime Minister Carney and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand: Canadians want concrete solidarity with Cuba, not complicity in its punishment.

Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have family members in Cuba. Millions more have travelled to the island, returning not merely as tourists, but as witnesses to -- and participants in -- enduring human connections. Over decades, Canadians have come to hold a deep and abiding respect for the Cuban people: for their dignity, resilience, creativity, and generosity in the face of relentless external aggression. Whatever our political or ideological differences, Canadians overwhelmingly support relations with Cuba grounded in mutual respect, equality, and the unassailable right of the Cuban people to choose their own path, free from coercion and domination.

To defend Cuba today is to defend Canada. It is to defend Canada's sovereignty against extraterritorial bullying. It is to defend the right of Canadians to travel, trade, and engage freely. It is to defend international law against raw power, coercion, and the grotesque doctrine that "might makes right". And it is to defend a people who, despite decades of siege, continue to stand with dignity and courage.

History will record, with unforgiving clarity, where we stood at this decisive moment. Canada must choose independence over subservience, principle over expediency, and humanity over cruelty.

(February 12, 2026)

Cuba Tourist Board Sends Open Letter to
Canadian Travel Industry and Loyal Travellers

To our Valued Travel Partners and the People of Canada.

For decades, the bond between Cuba and Canada has been more than just a matter of tourism; it has been a profound friendship built on mutual respect, shared memories, and a deep-seated love for our island's culture and people. Today, we write to you to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support.

Due to logistical challenges we are currently facing which are beyond our control -- stemming from a complex global geopolitical landscape that has strained international supply chains -- direct air operations from Canada have been temporarily suspended.

The Cuba Tourist Board in Toronto offers its most sincere apologies to the thousands of passengers whose long-awaited vacations have been disrupted. We also wish to recognize the immense effort put forth by our travel partners -- the advisors, tour operators, and all involved -- who have worked tirelessly to accommodate their clients during this time. Your dedication does not go unnoticed.

We wish to reassure you that many tourism facilities in Cuba remain operational and guests currently at their destinations will continue to enjoy their stays as planned until their scheduled return dates. We remain in constant, active communication with all tour operators to ensure every request is met and every traveller is cared for with the warmth Cuba is known for.

In these challenging moments, we have been overwhelmed by the messages of solidarity, empathy and love pouring in from our loyal partners and the many "repeaters" who consider Cuba their second home. This connection is the heartbeat of our industry.

Cuba is a nation defined by its resilience. We have overcome obstacles before and we will overcome this as well. We are looking forward to the brighter days ahead when we can once again welcome our Canadian friends back to our shores with open arms.

Thank you for standing by us.

With heart and gratitude,

The Cuba Tourist Board

Toronto, Canada

(February 10, 2026)

Cuba Condemns Terrorism and Reaffirms Its Cooperation in Matters of Security and the Fight Against Money Laundering.

– Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba –
February 1, 2026

Cuba unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, while reaffirming its commitment to cooperate with the United States and other nations to strengthen regional and international security.

Cuba categorically declares that it does not harbor, support, finance, or tolerate terrorist or extremist organizations. Our country upholds a zero-tolerance policy against the financing of terrorism and money laundering, and is committed to the prevention, detection, and confrontation of illicit financial activities, consistent with international standards.

Any prior contacts with individuals who were later designated as terrorists occurred exclusively within narrowly defined humanitarian contexts, associated with internationally recognized peace processes, undertaken at the request of their respective governments, and carried out with complete transparency.

Cuba does not host foreign military bases or intelligence installations and firmly rejects being portrayed as a threat to the security of the United States. It has never engaged in hostile actions against that country, nor will it permit its territory to be used against any other nation.

Cuba, on the contrary, is prepared to resume and broaden bilateral cooperation with the United States in addressing shared transnational threats, while unwaveringly defending its sovereignty and independence.

Cuba proposes to renew technical cooperation with the United States in fields such as counterterrorism, anti-money laundering, drug trafficking prevention, cybersecurity, human trafficking, and financial crimes, and remains committed to reinforcing its legal framework to sustain these efforts, recognizing that progress has been achieved whenever both parties have demonstrated the will to cooperate.

The Cuban people and the American people derive mutual benefit from constructive engagement, lawful cooperation, and peaceful coexistence. Cuba reiterates its willingness to sustain a respectful and reciprocal dialogue with the Government of the United States, directed toward concrete outcomes, grounded in mutual interest and international law.

Havana, February 1, 2026.

(Cubaminrex)

U.S. Funding of Subversive Media to
Undermine Cuba's Economy

The escalating U.S. campaign of sanctions and economic pressure against Cuba has since the fall been accompanied by a subversive media campaign via the website El Toque. It is meant to sow doubt amongst the people that they are the ones in control of their destiny because they exercise control over the direction of their economy, despite all the difficulties that arise from the U.S. blockade.

The Cuban publication Razones de Cuba (Cuba's Reasons) explained that El Toque "under the guise of providing 'informational services,' has established itself as a harmful actor for the Cuban economy and the stability of its families." In particular, "its most well-known product -- the informal exchange rate -- has become an instrument of economic manipulation, far from being a faithful reflection of reality."

Cuba is facing extreme hardship caused by the U.S. blockade, that includes many financial measures that restrict revenue from foreign sources, which in turn raises the costs of doing business and limits avenues for making international payments. This puts pressure on Cuba on multiple fronts.

Amidst this situation, El Toque is publishing a false and misleading informal exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Cuban peso, showing 460 pesos to the dollar, versus the dual official rates of 24 or 120 to 1. An investigation carried out November 13 and 22, 2025 by economists, specialists and mathematical engineers of the University of Havana showed that the exchange rate published was not representative or statistically sound.

An article in Granma published December 10, 2025 explained how El Toque's publication of a false informal exchange rate harms the Cuban economy and people. Yubán Gutiérrez Quintanilla, PhD in Science, first vice president of the Association of Economists and Accountants of Cuba, explained:

"Given that this TMRI [Representative Informal Market Rate] has become the main reference for the informal exchange rate on the island, its manipulation has a direct impact on the economy. Gutiérrez Quintanilla listed the damages: 'distortion of prices and state economic planning, promotion of inflation and erosion of purchasing power, encouragement of speculation, and discouragement of remittances entering through official channels.'

"In a context of economic blockade, these practices prevent foreign currency from entering the national banking system, affecting Cuba's ability to make essential imports. The experts' conclusion is clear: 'The manipulation is not found in the algorithm's calculation, but in the selection of data. They have a number and go out looking for data so that the calculation gives them the number they already have, Granma concluded.

Just as damning is the fact that El Toque has an openly counter-revolutionary aim. It has links to Europe where it emerged under the auspices of the Dutch broadcaster Radio Nederland, which was itself created for the purpose of subversion against the then Soviet Union. Radio Nederland has received funding from the U.S. government to organize and carry out an escalation of terrorist actions against Cuba.

The director of El Toque is José Jasán Nieves Cárdenas, originally from Cuba. In April 2017, the Más Voces Collective Foundation was established under the direction of Nieves Cárdenas. Colonel Francisco Estrada Portales, head of the Department of Investigation of Crimes against State Security, Ministry of the Interior (Minint) explains that this "collective" was formally presented as "a public non-profit foundation, but which, in practice, received funds from the structures of the United States Government, the State Department, the Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), with the aim of working against the Cuban socialist system."

Estrada Portales went on to say that "Nieves Cárdenas acknowledges that he is a salaried employee with the express purpose of destroying the Cuban Revolution." The acts that he is carrying out through El Toque "could be classified under various criminal offenses covered by our laws, with the aggravating circumstance that he is doing so against his country of birth and for money. He is committing economic sabotage, acting aggressively against the people," Estrada Portales pointed out.

Cuba has made clear its determination to prosecute and dismantle all forms of terrorism and destabilization, such as the activities being carried out by El Toque.

Involvement of Canadian Banks in Economic Measures Against Cuba

In 2025, Cuba's annual report on the U.S.-led regime of illegal sanctions includes something that should be of concern to Canadians and Quebeckers. It states:

"The closure of banking operations between international and Cuban banks was confirmed, as in the case of the National Bank of Canada, which rejected the letter of credit for operations with Cuba's Chemical Industry Business Group."

The National Bank of Canada is based in Montreal and is the sixth largest commercial bank in Canada and the second largest in Quebec.

This is clearly the result of pressure exerted by the U.S. government through the extraterritorial tentacles of its illegal blockade which is a direct violation of Canada's own parliamentary resolution prohibiting compliance with such foreign pressure and interference. This comes at a time when the federal and provincial governments cannot stop talking about upholding Canada's sovereignty and the "national interest" in the face of a U.S. trade war and threats of annexation.

The decision of the National Bank of Canada to halt banking operations with Cuban banks is disgraceful especially given that Canada and Cuba have maintained uninterrupted diplomatic ties for more than 80 years, and the peoples of both countries have longstanding relations based on friendship and cooperation.

Canada has legislation on the books, specifically the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act (FEMA) in effect since 1985, which the government can use to protect Canadian interests against the extraterritorial application of foreign laws in Canada. In fact, with respect to the U.S. blockade on Cuba, there has been an order in place under FEMA since 1992, that is supposed to block the extraterritorial application in Canada of the U.S. embargo against Cuba. The 1992 order prohibits a Canadian corporation, including its directors, officers and employees, in respect of any trade between Canada and Cuba, from complying with an extraterritorial measure of the U.S. The same order also prohibits complying with any direction or communication relating to such a measure that the Canadian corporation has received from a person in a position to influence the policies of the Canadian corporation. This situation begs the question as to why this legislation and the 1992 order were not brought to bear in the case of the National Bank of Canada.

UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Calls
on U.S. to Lift Blockade

Alena Douhan meets in Havana with Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla,
November 21, 2025

Alena Douhan, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council, on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures, made her second visit to Cuba in November 2025, having previously visited in 2023. She had an intensive agenda to gather information in meetings with authorities, academics and specialists from various sectors about the harmful effects of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States, in place since 1962.

Douhan announced the initial conclusions of her visit to Cuba on November 22. She indicated that the U.S. coercive actions affect all aspects of life in the country and directly harm its citizens, particularly the most vulnerable groups.

She also noted that these actions are particularly damaging amidst the problems Cuba faces due to international crises, the impact of climate events and internal economic difficulties.

Furthermore, she emphasized that Cuba's inclusion on the U.S. State Department's list of alleged state sponsors of terrorism intensifies the harmful consequences.

Douhan directly verified the real impact of the embargo on the human rights of Cubans through her visits and conversations with various sectors of the country's political, social, and economic life, as well as with institutions and projects.

"Such measures limit the State's capacity to develop public policies, violate the rights to food and a dignified life, obstruct academic exchanges, affect the supply of energy, drinking water, and medicines, and violate the right to life in general," she emphasized.

She indicated that the UN Human Rights Council will present its full report in September 2026, in which it will urge the U.S. to end its unilateral policy -- that is "without international legal basis" -- as well as the secondary sanctions and their excessive enforcement.

(With files from Hatuey Project)

Peoples of the World Affirm Cuba Is Not Alone
Statements

Canadian Network on Cuba

– January 30, 2026 –

The Canadian Network on Cuba condemns in the strongest possible terms the imposition by the United States of a total blockade on fuel supplies to Cuba. This reprehensible, illegal, and immoral action constitutes a direct and blatant attack on the Cuban people and is an escalation of decades of economic asphyxiation and sabotage.

U.S. sanctions have obstructed Cuba's national development and inflicted suffering on ordinary Cubans for over six decades and are roundly condemned by the international community in annual resolutions at the United Nations General Assembly. This unilateral blockade and its many harms have been damningly observed; but the new tariff system and the threat of its naval enforcement marks an unprecedented escalation against the Cuban people, undertaken with explicit intent to plunge Cuba into darkness and to grind its economy to a halt.

Members of the U.S. Congress openly admit that this naval blockade will result in desperate hunger and life-threatening medical shortages, but have made it equally clear that they regard this suffering as necessary to their objective -- namely, the removal of Cuba's leadership by any means. As Florida Representative Carlos Gimenez threatens the Cuban people with "no oil, no travel, no oxygen," we must speak plainly and as one against the cruelty and aggression to come. The U.S. government has never shied away from economic terrorism in its plans to reconquer Cuba, but the severity of this new strategy threatens the Cuban people with annihilation.

Not only does Trump challenge Cuba's own right to self-determination; his oil blockade targets sovereign trade with Cuba's sister nations, as seen in U.S. aggression against Venezuela and tariff threats against Mexico. These coordinated attacks reveal the true significance of Cuba to the region, and the real reason for Trump's claim that Cuba poses "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. interests. Cuba's medical internationalism and peaceful diplomacy are a gift without condition to the peoples of the world, and as the U.S. plots regime change, they as surely mean to challenge all that Cuba stands for and the counter-hegemonic movements that it leads.

The Government of Canada must condemn the U.S. blockade of Cuba and its recent measures as a collective punishment of the Cuban population, sure to result in suffering and death. Furthermore, we demand that Canada cease any military cooperation in the U.S. encirclement, including the deployment of the HMCS Yellowknife on "Operation CARIBBE," and that our government send immediate humanitarian aid to Cuba without coercive political conditions.

In this moment of emergency, the Canadian Network on Cuba is proud to stand with the Cuban people and with progressive forces the world over against the U.S. far-right and its imperialist aggression in Latin America and the Caribbean. For more than sixty years, Cuba has demonstrated the meaning of true independence and internationalism to the world. Now is the time for all peace-loving people to apply these lessons, and to demand as one: LET CUBA LIVE!

Executive Committee,
Canadian Network on Cuba

Ottawa Cuba Connections and Association
d'amitié Outaouais-Cuba

– January 30, 2026 –

Ottawa, January 17, 2026

Ottawa Cuba Connections and the Association d'amitié Outaouais-Cuba unequivocally condemn the recent measures implemented by President Trump against the sovereign island of Cuba. Trump's January 30th Executive Order declares a "national emergency," stating that the policies and actions of the Government of Cuba pose an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. The order establishes a process to impose tariffs on goods from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, either directly or indirectly. It also describes Cuba as aligned with "hostile" countries and groups.

This is a blatant attempt to suffocate an already challenged economy due to more than sixty years of the blockade. It is meant to deprive the Cuban people of their basic needs and their capacity to have economic and diplomatic relations with anyone of their choosing, which is their fundamental right. It is an unabashed application of the initial aim of the blockade which was to make the Cuban people suffer.

When Trump formerly suggested that Cubans "make a deal before it is too late," it is his presumptuous expectation that the Cuban government and people will capitulate to U.S. brutality and savagery. Tempered in the hard-fought struggle for its independence which it won under the leadership of Fidel, and strong with years of dealing with all the U.S. has thrown at them, the Cuban people will make no deals with and will not cow down to those who trample on international law and the freedom of the peoples.

We stand steadfastly with Cuba and condemn this abhorrent attack against the Cuban people's right to be.

Canadian Union of Postal Workers

– February 11, 2026 –

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) stands in solidarity with the Cuban people and the international trade union movement in unequivocally condemning the U.S. government fuel blockade of Cuba.

This is a blatant and unjustifiable assault on the Cuban people, who are entitled to dignity, self-determination, and freedom. It represents a clear violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, and Cuba's sovereignty.

The U.S. government's escalating threats of economic and military aggression toward Canada, Greenland, and numerous countries across Latin America, along with its continued aggression against Cuba, are undermining global peace, destabilizing international relations, and eroding multilateral cooperation.

This fuel blockade is not only an act of economic coercion, but also a form of collective punishment that places the health, safety, and survival of the Cuban population at risk. Such measures are inhumane, unlawful, and indefensible.

CUPW firmly believes that the future of every nation, including Cuba, must be decided by its own people, through peaceful and democratic means, free from foreign interference, coercion, or imposed agendas.

CUPW demands that the Government of Canada call on the U.S. Government to stop the blockade and to reaffirm that the UN Charter must apply equally to all member states, without exception.

CUPW urges the Government of Canada to condemn these violations and reject collective punishment of civilian populations, and all forms of economic warfare and political coercion. The Government of Canada must also provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Cuba, free from political conditions or coercion.

United Church of Canada

– February 2, 2026 –

"But let justice roll down like waters, and your righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." (Amos 5:24)

The United Church of Canada expresses its unwavering solidarity with Cuban Mission and Service partners and the people of Cuba. At a time of deepening interconnected crises, the United Church condemns the recent executive order issued by the Trump administration, which declares a national emergency and establishes a process to impose tariffs on goods from countries that sell or otherwise provide oil to Cuba. This threatens the right to life and the wellbeing of Cubans.

"We stand with partners and the people of Cuba, who are calling for respect for sovereignty, justice, and an immediate end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba," says Acting General Secretary, Rev. Cheryl-Ann Stadelbauer-Sampa. "The abuse of economic and political power by the Trump administration seeking regime change by imposing even more hardship on Cubans must be denounced by Canada and the international community."

Cubans have survived more than 65 years of punishing blockades, attempted coups, and economic isolation. Cuban partner organizations and recent visitors say conditions in Cuba today are much more difficult than in the early 1990s, when the implosion of the Soviet Union led to a massive deterioration in living standards. The COVID pandemic shuttered the tourism industry, a main source of revenue used to acquire food, medicines, and fuel from abroad. Cuba has also suffered a series of hurricanes, droughts, and floods, leading to lost crops and food shortages. Energy shortages limit public transit and even the collection of garbage. Punitive U.S. measures under Biden have worsened now under Trump, reversing the many gains delivered when the Obama administration eased such measures.

The return of Trump in 2025, and subsequent appointment of Marco Rubio as U.S. Secretary of State, who is a vocal proponent of increased sanctions on Cuba, has meant additional pressure. U.S. measures not only restrict U.S. citizens and businesses from providing support to the Cuban people. They also interfere with the delivery of humanitarian aid by other countries, because banks limit transactions, suppliers face risks of U.S. retaliation, and shipping freight becomes more complicated and costly.

We reiterate the call on Canada to take an immediate and principled stance: increase humanitarian assistance to Cuba now.

See: [commonfrontiers.ca/canada-should-increase-aid-to-cuba-and-help-end-u-s-sanctions/]

Canada must also unequivocally uphold respect for sovereignty and self-determination, or risk endangering its own. Any failure to stand up to the dictates of the current U.S. administration will only worsen regional and global tensions, and lead to greater abuse because of American economic and military domination.

Through direct diplomacy, Canada should actively work towards lifting the U.S.-led blockade against Cuba. Canada should use its constructive engagement with Cuba as a model for diplomatic action for peace elsewhere, challenging U.S. extraterritoriality and U.S.-enforced unilateral measures that are among the means the American government uses for political and economic coercion and regime change.

British Solidarity Organizations

Britain's Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC), on January 30, issued its condemnation of the latest U.S. actions against Cuba to cut off its oil supplies. The CSC has a broad base among the British working class and people and is made up of more than 5,000 members, affiliated organizations and local groups. Excerpts from its statement follows:

"The Cuba Solidarity Campaign condemns with outrage and indignation the latest executive order signed by Donald Trump, which constitutes a direct assault on the livelihoods and well-being of the Cuban people. This vindictive act threatens to plunge Cuba into a deep humanitarian crisis and represents a grave escalation of U.S. economic warfare, one that demands urgent international resistance. [...]

"Let us be absolutely clear about what this means. Hospitals without power. Incubators and life-support machines unable to function. Emergency surgeries carried out without light. Schools and workplaces forced to close. Bakeries unable to operate. Fuel shortages preventing the transport of food and medical supplies. Food spoiling in fridges and freezers. Hunger, illness and suffering will spread. This is a deliberate attack on an entire civilian population, intended to inflict pain, deprivation and desperation. It is cruel, calculated, and it will cost lives. [...]

"In declaring a so-called national emergency, the U.S. falsely accuses Cuba of supporting 'hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors' claiming that Cuba threatens U.S. 'safety, national security, and foreign policy.'

"This is a grotesque inversion of reality. Cuba has never threatened the United States. While the U.S. exports bombs, troops and war across the globe, Cuba sends doctors. From millions of sight-saving operations through Operation Miracle, to the lifesaving work of the Henry Reeve Emergency Medical Brigade, to training thousands of doctors from the global south at the Latin American School of Medicine, to hosting peace talks in Colombia, Cuba is internationally recognized as a force for peace and humanitarian solidarity. If Cuba threatens U.S. power at all, it is only by example.

"These new sanctions endanger not only the Cuban people but also Cuba's international medical and humanitarian programmes and the millions around the world who benefit from them.

"Trump's executive order also represents a direct attack on the sovereignty of all nations. By threatening sanctions and tariffs against countries that trade with Cuba, the U.S. is using coercion, blackmail and economic intimidation to force other nations to enforce its blockade. This extraterritorial enforcement of the blockade, long embedded in legislation such as the Helms-Burton Act, is a flagrant violation of international law.

"This is economic warfare. It is collective punishment with devastating humanitarian consequences.

"The British government must publicly and unequivocally condemn and call for this executive order to be rescinded, restate its opposition to the U.S. blockade and any attempts by the U.S. to enforce its extraterritorial measures, and defend the Cuban people's right to develop in peace.

"CSC urgently calls on all supporters to escalate action in solidarity with Cuba: lobby MPs, mobilize trade unions and community organizations, strengthen humanitarian aid efforts, and build the widest possible movement to defend Cuba and demand an end to the U.S. blockade.

"If you haven't already you can start by joining 3,000 including more than 120 MPs, trade union leaders and public figures and signing CSC's Urgent Call for Peace and Sovereignty today at bit.ly/CSCPEACE.

"International solidarity is vital to show that Cuba is not alone."

Britain's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cuba

On February 3, MP Steve Witherden, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cuba in the British Parliament, tabled a motion expressing "grave concern" at President Trump's executive order declaring Cuba to be an "extraordinary threat" to the national security of the United States and authorizing new sanctions on countries supplying it with oil. As of February 13, it has been signed by 40 MPs, including Labour, Liberal Democrat, Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru (the Party of Wales), Your Party and Independent members. The motion reads:

"That this House expresses grave concern at the executive order signed on 29 January, 2026 by U.S. President Donald Trump, which unjustifiably declares Cuba as an "extraordinary threat" to the national security of the United States and authorizes new sanctions against any country supplying oil to Cuba; notes that Cuba is already facing a severe energy crisis as a result of the long standing U.S. blockade, and that any further restrictions on fuel supplies will have a severe impact on healthcare, food production, transport, education, essential public services and access to electricity, fuel, and medical infrastructure; further notes that such measures amount to the collective punishment of a civilian population and will inevitably lead to avoidable deaths; recognizes that the extraterritorial application of U.S. sanctions seeks to coerce third party countries into complying with the U.S. blockade, thereby undermining and breaching their national sovereignty and international law; recalls that the United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly and overwhelmingly condemned the U.S. blockade of Cuba, with the UK repeatedly voting in support of that position; and calls on the UK Government to oppose this executive order, reject all extraterritorial sanctions, uphold the right of sovereign states to determine their own trading relationships with Cuba, and advocate for the rescission of measures that endanger humanitarian well-being."

Mexico's Response to Trump Administration's Latest Attack on Cuba

Ships carrying humanitarian aid from Mexico arrive in Havana harbour, February 12, 2026

President Claudia Sheinbaum Seeks Diplomatic Channels and
Different Ways to Support Cuba

In response to the Trump administrations latest attack on Cuba, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned on January 30 that U.S. President Donald Trump's move to impose tariffs on goods from any country that sells oil to Cuba could trigger a "far-reaching humanitarian crisis."

Sheinbaum stressed that these coercive measures will impact sectors such as health and food in Cuba. "Lack of fuel directly affects hospitals and basic services, a situation that must be avoided through dialogue and respect for international law," she said.

In 2025, Mexico became the main supplier of crude oil to Cuba. Now, faced with the possibility of Mexico being subject to U.S. tariffs, the government has instructed Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente to engage in an immediate dialogue with the U.S. State Department to find out the technical scope of Trump's decree and work out how to avoid the crisis.

Sheinbaum added that Mexico wants "to look for diplomatic channels and different ways of supporting [Cuba ...] without putting Mexico at risk."

Recently, the Mexican president affirmed that the shipment of oil to Cuba is a sovereign decision of the Mexican State, aimed at mitigating the effects of the economic blockade imposed by the United States.

She has also repeatedly pointed out that Mexico's solidarity towards the Cuban people is not recent, but has been maintained for years in the face of the problems of shortages caused by the U.S. embargo.

On February 1, Sheinbaum said that Mexico will continue to attempt to send oil to Cuba on humanitarian grounds through diplomatic means.

Mexico Sends Humanitarian Aid to the People of Cuba
Aboard Two Mexican Navy Vessels

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the following statement on February 8, 2026

The people of Mexico maintain their tradition of solidarity with the peoples of Latin America and particularly with the people of Cuba. Our country has always provided aid to sister nations in need, and in recent months we have sent assistance to various countries requiring our support during the wildfires in California and Chile, the floods in Texas, and the tragedies caused by natural disasters in several nations of the continent.

In the same spirit, following the instructions of the President of Mexico, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum, the Ministry of the Navy reports that the Mexican Navy is sending humanitarian aid to Cuba aboard the logistical support vessels Papaloapan and Isla Holbox. Both ships are setting sail today from the port of Veracruz carrying a cargo of more than 814 tons of provisions destined for the people of Cuba.

The provisions from the Central Naval Region were gathered at the dock of the National Port System Administration (Asipona) in Veracruz, where they were loaded onto the ships.

The Papaloapan is transporting 536 tons of essential food items, including milk, meat products, crackers, beans, rice, tuna, sardines, and vegetable oil, as well as personal hygiene products. The Isla Holbox has been loaded with just over 277 tons of powdered milk.

The Papaloapan departed from Veracruz this morning at 8:00 AM and the Isla Holbox at noon. They are expected to arrive in Cuba in four days. More than 1,500 tons of powdered milk and beans remain to be sent.

Through these actions, the Government of Mexico reaffirms the humanistic principles and spirit of solidarity that guide it, and its commitment to international cooperation among peoples, especially with those who require humanitarian assistance in situations of emergency and vulnerability. Cuba and Mexico are sister nations, heirs to a long history of solidarity that we honour today.