Anger and anguish spread across Cuba after Trump's tariff threat

A presidential order threatening tariffs on nations that supply oil to Cuba sent shockwaves through Havana and beyond, compounding already-severe strains from widespread power outages and shortages of basic goods.

Massive blackouts left many Cubans asleep or without reliable information when the announcement arrived late Thursday, and images of long lines at gas stations surfaced as people scrambled for fuel. Drivers waited in long queues to enter stations, while small sellers and older residents coped with rising uncertainty about cooking oil, beans and other staples.

Eighty-nine-year-old retired graphic designer Lázaro Alfonso summed up the mood on the street: "This is a war." Alfonso called the U.S. president the "sheriff of the world" and said he felt like he was living in the Wild West "where anything goes." Another resident, identified as Paola Perez, warned that "Cuba is not to blame for US-Venezuelan relations, but Cuba will be 'affected, quite a lot.'"

The government moved quickly to frame the move as an attack. President Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on X that "No one dictates what we do" and described the measure as "fascist, criminal and genocidal," saying the U.S. administration "has hijacked the interests of the American people for purely personal gain." Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez wrote on X that the action "constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat" and said he was declaring an international emergency.

Washington's measure threatens to impose tariffs on countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, a policy aimed at choking third-party ties that keep the island supplied. The move targets long-standing lifelines, particularly shipments of Venezuelan oil and money that Cuba has relied on for decades. There is speculation that Mexico could also reduce shipments, a development that would deepen shortages if it occurs.

For residents, the immediate effects are concrete: longer colas at service stations, pressure on household supplies and uncertainty for medical facilities and refrigeration-dependent food sellers. Visuals from the capital showed vendors waiting for customers amid littered streets and crowds confronting rationed goods, underscoring how diplomacy and distant policy choices translate into daily hardship.

What happens next hinges on two things: the legal text and implementation of the tariff mechanism, and whether suppliers such as Venezuela or Mexico alter deliveries. Expect further official posts on X from Miguel Díaz-Canel and Bruno Rodríguez, statements from Washington clarifying the executive order and sharper lines at pumps and tiendas. Prepare for ongoing disruption to transport and food supplies as policymakers and foreign suppliers decide whether to comply with the new tariff threat.