Economy & Business - February 2026

Cuba faces multiple crises: oil imports have halted, following the US’ removal of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026) and subsequent threat of tariffs on other oil suppliers; the power grid only operates at half its capacity; and there are food and foreign currency shortages. These are all intensely pressing but short-term problems; here we look at some of the longer term, structural issues that lie behind them and which will have to be tackled in any attempt to get the island back on a pathway to recovery.