Minister says U.S. blockade of Cuba’s oil supply is not only crippling the island’s economy but also putting ‘basic human safety’ at risk

A Cuban official stated on Friday that Cuba’s weakened healthcare system has been pushed to the verge of collapse due to the ,

The nation’s medical system was already constantly in crisis alongside the island’s economy, with shortages of supplies, staff, and medicine being a long-standing norm. However, the chaos has escalated to a new extreme in recent weeks. Ambulances are having trouble securing fuel to respond to emergencies. have plagued run-down hospitals. Flights carrying essential supplies have been halted, as Cuba’s government states it can no longer refuel planes at its airports.

Experts and leaders from several other nations have warned that the island may be approaching a humanitarian crisis.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Cuba’s Health Minister José Ángel Portal Miranda noted that U.S. sanctions are no longer only harming the island’s economy—they are endangering “basic human safety.”

“You can’t harm a country’s economy without impacting its residents,” Portal stated. “This situation might put lives in danger.”

Portal reported that 5 million Cubans with chronic illnesses will experience disruptions to their medications or treatments. This group includes 16,000 cancer patients needing radiotherapy and an additional 12,400 receiving chemotherapy.

He mentioned that cardiovascular care, orthopedics, oncology, and care for critically ill patients needing electrical backup are among the hardest-hit areas. Treatments for kidney disease and emergency ambulance services have also been added to the list of affected services.

The energy crisis Cuba has been dealing with for years worsened to new extremes last month when signed an executive order that would levy a tariff on any nation selling or supplying oil to Cuba. This came only weeks after Trump removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power and declared that no more Venezuelan oil would be sent to Cuba.

Cuba, which produces just 40% of its own fuel and relies heavily on oil to run the island, has long depended on allies such as Venezuela, Mexico, and Russia to make up its energy shortfall. However, those shipments have now stopped.

Trump has openly stated that his broader goal is to push for regime change in Cuba by increasing economic pressure on the island, which has already had difficulty dealing with decades of U.S. sanctions.

Cuban citizens—whom the U.S. government claims it wants to protect—are the ones experiencing the severe ripple effects of the U.S. fuel blockade as difficulties grow daily. Buses have cut routes, gasoline has been placed under strict rationing and is only sold in foreign currency, and widespread blackouts have reached a new peak.

“There’s been a huge change since January,” said Aniliet Rodríguez, a 25-year-old pregnant woman admitted that month to a maternal care center due to severe anemia. “There’s no bread, no milk for nutrition … . There are no medicines.”

Cuba’s healthcare system operates on a universal, free model, with local clinics on almost every block and state-subsidized medicine. However, it has also fallen into a crisis state in recent years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of doctors—paid state salaries that can barely cover a carton of eggs—have left the country, and hospitals have quickly deteriorated.

Medicine shortages have forced many .

Portal stated that these problems are expected to get worse in the upcoming weeks, even though Cuba’s government has struggled to adapt to the new reality. Solar panels have been installed in clinics, and authorities are prioritizing care for children and the elderly.

But he also noted that they have imposed restrictions on some more energy-dependent technologies, such as CT scans and lab tests, adding that doctors will have to use more basic methods to treat patients—effectively denying many access to high-level care.

“We are dealing with an energy siege that directly affects the lives of Cubans and Cuban families,” Portal stated.