HAVANA – Two Mexican Navy ships laden with humanitarian aid docked in Cuba on Thursday as a U.S. blockade deepens the island’s energy crisis.
The ships arrived two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any country selling or providing oil to Cuba, prompting the island in recent days to ration energy.
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The Mexican government has said that one ship is carrying some 536 tons of food including milk, rice, beans, sardines, meat products, cookies, canned tuna, and vegetable oil, as well as personal hygiene items. The second ship is carrying just over 277 tons of powdered milk.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said that while diplomatic maneuvering to resume oil supplies is underway, humanitarian aid would be sent. She said Thursday that as soon as the ships return, “we will send more support of different kinds.”
“We have stated to both the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico that Mexico is doing everything possible to foster a dialogue that, within the framework of Cuba’s sovereignty...creates the conditions for peaceful dialogue and ensures that Cuba, without any country imposing sanctions, can receive oil and its derivatives for its daily operations," she said.
Before Trump’s announcement, the state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos, Pemex, had already suspended crude oil shipments to Cuba in January, although it has not clarified the reasons behind that decision.
Cuba relied heavily on oil shipments from Venezuela that were halted when the U.S. attacked the South American country in early January and arrested its leader.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has called Trump’s threats an “energy blockade” and said it affects transportation, hospitals, schools, tourism and the production of food.
Cuban aviation officials warned airlines earlier this week that there isn’t enough fuel for airplanes to refuel on the island. On Monday, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to Cuba, while other airlines announced delays and layovers in the Dominican Republic before flights continued to Havana. The cuts in fuel are expected to be another blow to Cuba's once thriving tourism economy.
Cuba also has reduced bank hours and suspended cultural events, while fuel distribution companies have said that sales only will be made in dollars and limited to 20 liters (5.28 gallons) per user.
In addition to severe blackouts, Cuban officials note that U.S. sanctions, which increased under Trump’s second term, cost the country more than $7.5 billion between March 2024 and February 2025.
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Associated Press reporter Fabiola Sánchez in Mexico City contributed to this report.
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