The warning comes as the United States threatens to impose tariffs on any country that supplies oil to the Caribbean island.
Published February 5, 2026
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that humanitarianism will “collapse” if Cuba’s energy needs are not met, after the US blocked all oil supplies to the Caribbean island and threatened to impose tariffs on countries that intervene to help.
Wednesday’s warning came as Cuba’s severe fuel shortage caused several hours of power outages in the capital, Havana, and soared prices for food and transportation.
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Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York that Guterres is “very concerned about the humanitarian situation in Cuba,” adding: “If oil demand is not met, the situation will worsen, if not collapse.”
Dujarric also noted that the United Nations General Assembly has consistently called for an end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba for more than 30 years.
“The Secretary-General urges all parties to pursue dialogue and respect for international law,” it added.
The United States and Cuba have been enemies since the 1959 Cuban Revolution, when Fidel Castro seized power and his socialist government nationalized U.S.-owned businesses. Washington responded with economic sanctions, which were escalated to a total embargo in 1962.
The Caribbean island has long been mired in economic crisis and was dependent on Venezuela for oil until last month, when U.S. forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a raid on his Caracas mansion.
US President Donald Trump then claimed control of Venezuelan oil and vowed to starve Cuba of its primary products. He characterized Cuba as an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the United States and said he wanted to “work out a deal” with Cuba’s leadership, without saying what the deal would look like.
President Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs if other countries step in to help, worrying Mexico, currently the island’s main oil supplier.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday that her country is using all diplomatic tools to secure oil shipments to Cuba. She also warned of Cuba’s humanitarian crisis, but said she did not want to put her country at risk “in terms of tariffs.”
He told reporters that the United States is “considering the scope and using all diplomatic channels” of the tariffs that President Trump has threatened.
Sheinbaum added that Mexico is seeking an agreement with the United States that would allow it to send humanitarian aid to Cuba this week and also send oil. “There is still no agreement on this,” she said.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel last week condemned President Trump’s tariff threats, saying the U.S. leader was planning to “suffocate” Cuba’s economy under “false and baseless pretexts.” The country also declared an “international emergency” as President Trump’s actions posed an “unusual and unusual threat.”
Mexico supplies about 44% of Cuba’s oil imports, and Venezuela provided 33% until last month, according to the Financial Times. Approximately 10% of the supply comes from Russia, with a smaller amount coming from Algeria.
The British newspaper also cited a report from data firm Kpler on January 30 that said Cuba only had 15 to 20 days worth of oil at current demand levels.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Cuba warned Americans in the country on Tuesday to prepare for “significant disruption” due to power outages and fuel shortages.
Carlos Fernández de Cossio, Cuba’s undersecretary for foreign affairs, told Reuters on Monday that Cuba and the United States were communicating, but noted that the exchanges had not evolved into a formal “dialogue.”
