Cuba calls US oil blockade ‘an act of war’ at UN Security Council

Cuba’s Foreign Minister Calls US Energy Curbs an Act of War at UN Security Council

Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla addressed the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, warning that the U.S. oil blockade against his country amounts to an act of war and calling on the international community to mobilize against what he described as an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.

“The oil and energy siege imposed by the United States against Cuba is, in its effects, equivalent to a naval blockade — an act of war,” Rodríguez said, according to a statement posted by Cuba’s foreign ministry. He added that “the government of the United States, by its deeds, is in a position to erode international peace and security.”aa

“I call on the international community to mobilize to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe that could be imposed through arms or the fuel blockade,” he told the council, adding that “now should be the time for solidarity with Cuba.”nampa

A Deepening Energy Crisis

The remarks come as Cuba endures its worst electricity crisis in memory. On May 14, the national power grid collapsed again, plunging eastern provinces into darkness while residents in Havana faced outages lasting up to 24 hours. An analysis by El País found that Cubans now spend more hours without power than with it.npr

The crisis traces to a January 29, 2026, executive order signed by President Trump declaring a national emergency with respect to Cuba and authorizing tariffs against any country that directly or indirectly supplies oil to the island. The measure has largely cut off Cuba’s fuel imports, dramatically reducing electricity generation and causing repeated nationwide blackouts since March.hklaw

On May 7, three UN special rapporteurs denounced the effective blockade, characterizing it as “energy starvation” — a condition in which fuel scarcity cripples essential services required for a dignified life — and warning of severe human rights consequences.reuters

Washington Disputes Responsibility

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has rejected the characterization, asserting that U.S. actions are not punitive. “The blackouts in Cuba have nothing to do with us,” he has said, blaming the crisis instead on the cessation of subsidized Venezuelan oil and decades of mismanagement by Cuba’s government.aljazeera

PolitiFact examined Rubio’s claim that Cuba’s 22-hour daily blackouts are unrelated to the U.S. oil blockade, noting that experts dispute this framing. The Council on Foreign Relations has said that while Cuba’s energy infrastructure was already fragile, the Trump administration’s pressure campaign “has pushed an already fragile system to the brink.”elpais

Cuba’s appeal to the Security Council marks an escalation in Havana’s diplomatic response, though it remains unclear whether the body will take any action given the United States holds veto power as a permanent member.