Canada pledges food aid for Cuba as US fuel blockade continues

Source: AP




By ROB GILLIES Updated 11:48 AM CST, February 25, 2026

TORONTO (AP) — Canada announced Wednesday it is sending $8 million Canadian (US$6.7 million) in food aid to people in Cuba as the island faces an escalating fuel crisis as oil shipments have slowed following U.S. threats of tariffs.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said she not discuss Canada’s aid intentions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio or the other U.S. officials.
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The funding will be delivered through United Nations agencies instead of the Cuban government.
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Cuba is facing an increasingly dire energy crisis that has heightened in recent weeks after oil shipments from Venezuela, its main oil supplier, were halted when the U.S. attacked the South American country in early January and arrested its then-leader. Mexico, another major supplier, then also suspended oil shipments under U.S. pressure.


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/canada-cuba-aid-embargo-5a85ec96af31c787b51c0f8b9720f968

Because Cuba produces only 40% of its required fuel, it remains highly vulnerable to external blockades. While strong allies like Russia and China have condemned the U.S. measures, their support has remained largely symbolic thus far.

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