Energy Sanctions and Regional Stability

Cuba suffered a third major island‑wide blackout on March 16 — described by the Energy and Mines Ministry as a "complete disconnection" of the national grid — amid months without Venezuelan oil shipments, heavy reliance on solar, natural gas and thermoelectric plants, postponed tens of thousands of surgeries, food spoilage and pot‑banging protests as authorities investigate and restore limited power to hospitals and parts of Havana. The outages have sharpened U.S.–Cuba tensions: President Trump has publicly floated taking Cuba and signaled imminent action while the administration is said to be pressing for President Miguel Díaz‑Canel’s departure in negotiations, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for "new people in charge" tied to demands for political and economic change.