Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel confirmed on May 24 that the first 15,000-ton shipment of rice had arrived at Havana port, part of a 60,000-ton rice aid package from China. On social media, he expressed 'deep gratitude' to China and European Parliament members who condemned the pressure campaign facing his government.
Since January 2026, the United States under President Donald Trump has intensified sanctions against Cuba, particularly an oil export blockade. The blockade effectively began after a U.S. military operation captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January, cutting off oil supplies from Venezuela to Cuba. By late January, Trump signed an executive decree designating Cuba an 'unusual and extraordinary threat' to the U.S., threatening economic sanctions against any country supplying oil to Cuba.
Since then, only one Russian tanker has been permitted to reach Cuba. In early May, Cuban Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy announced that the country's oil reserves had run dry. The crisis has caused widespread blackouts, paralyzing transportation and health services in many areas.
Amid this, China has become a key support partner for Cuba. Besides rice, China has donated solar panels to help upgrade Cuba's power grid and transition energy sources. Cuba currently imports nearly 60% of its oil needs, according to the International Energy Agency.
Trump has repeatedly hinted at possible military action if Cuba does not meet his demands. However, bilateral talks have been strained after the U.S. justice system released a murder indictment against former Cuban President Raul Castro related to the 1996 shooting down of two planes operated by Cuban exiles.
In early May, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that the Trump administration had offered $100 million in humanitarian aid to Cuba, conditioned on the country implementing 'meaningful reforms.' However, in posts on May 24, Diaz-Canel rejected Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign, calling it 'a strategy to justify a fictional narrative of an impending collapse, thereby paving the way for military intervention.' He affirmed that Cuba would continue to strengthen ties with China.
