[REVISION HISTORY]

US sanctions deepen Cuba tourism and humanitarian crisis

Updated 19 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-08 04:55 UTC → 2026-09-09 23:45 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The tourism collapse triggered by the May 2026 U.S. executive order targeting the military conglomerate GAESA has accelerated, leaving the industry in “near-total paralysis.” New data from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) shows that international visitors fell by 62% between January and July 2026, totaling 419,000 arrivals compared to 1.1 million during the same period in 2025. Significant drops in arrivals were noted from Canada, the Cuban diaspora, and the United States, alongside declines from Russia, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, China, Colombia, and France. This downturn is attributed to increased pressure from the United States, including a radical energy embargo imposed by President Donald Trump in January and subsequent State Department sanctions. The crisis has led to the withdrawal of Visa and Mastercard payment gateways and the suspension of contracts by major hotel chains. Logistical failures have further crippled the sector; major airlines have suspended flights following reports that aircraft could no longer refuel on the island. U.S. pressure has expanded to target specific individuals and state entities. Recent sanctions by the State Department target Fidel Ernesto Castro Calis, the grandson of former leader Raúl Castro, and several state-owned companies. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla reported record economic losses of ~~$8.083~~ approximately $8.1 billion between March 2025 and February 2026, a 7% increase over the previous year. He noted that this figure does not include damages from recent energy restrictions or secondary sanctions. The administration also highlighted an intensifying energy crisis, with electricity outages lasting more than 60 consecutive hours in some areas, and noted that infant mortality rates rose to 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2025.

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