US Sanctions Cuban State Oil Company CUPET Amid Energy Crisis

The United States government imposed sanctions on Cuba's state-owned oil and gas company, Unión Cuba-Petróleo (CUPET), on June 12, 2026. Acting under Executive Order 14404, the Treasury Department froze CUPET's assets and barred American entities from dealing with the company. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the move targets the weaponization of energy by Cuban elites to maintain social control and fund repression while the general population suffers from chronic fuel shortages and blackouts.

These measures effectively blocked a deal by Florida-based Vanguard Energy to ship 250,000 barrels of fuel to the island. The sanctions follow a broader maximum-pressure campaign that included previous actions against President Miguel Díaz-Canel and the military conglomerate GAESA. President Donald Trump indicated that regime change in Cuba is a question of time and suggested further actions following military operations in Iran.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez condemned the sanctions as a blockade based on lies and an act of genocide. He reported that fuel shortages have prevented the distribution of 6.3 million dollars in essential aid for the UN World Food Program and UN Development Program. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned that the sanctions are incompatible with international law, causing acute shortages of medical supplies and a doubling of infant mortality. To mitigate the crisis, Cuba has sought oil and humanitarian aid from Russia, China, and Mexico.