U.S. Sanctions Cuba's National Oil Company

The United States government, under the Trump administration, imposed additional sanctions on Thursday against Cuba's state-owned oil and gas company, Union Cuba-Petroleo (CUPET). This action, announced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, targets CUPET as part of an ongoing pressure campaign against the Cuban government, citing the company's role in supporting a "repressive security apparatus" and diverting resources from the Cuban populace.

The sanctions freeze any U.S.-based assets belonging to CUPET and prohibit entities with U.S. operations from conducting business with the company. This measure is expected to exacerbate Cuba's energy crisis, which has seen increased frequency of power outages, including two island-wide blackouts in March. The International Energy Agency estimated in 2023 that Cuba produces only 40 percent of its oil needs, with imports largely curtailed by previous U.S. actions.

These sanctions follow earlier U.S. efforts to restrict fuel supplies to Cuba, including cutting off energy exports from Venezuela and threatening tariffs against countries shipping oil to the island.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has stated that these restrictions and extraterritorial sanctions are directly harming Cubans, particularly the vulnerable, leading to shortages of essential medical supplies.

The Trump administration has also hinted at potential military action, with officials like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issuing warnings to Cuba.