The Journal. Is Cuba on the Brink of Collapse?
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Mar 19, 2026 
Vera Bergengruen, a Wall Street Journal reporter on national security and foreign affairs, unpacks Cuba’s deepening crisis. She explores how U.S. pressure and oil shortages are choking daily life. The conversation follows blackouts, rare unrest, and signs of strain inside the Communist system. It also looks at why a collapse may not bring a clear next step.
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How The Oil Squeeze Pushed Cuba Into Crisis
- Cuba’s current breakdown stems from a long-fragile economy colliding with a sudden oil cutoff after Venezuela stopped shipments and Trump threatened tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba.
- Vera Bergengruen says the blockade isolated one of Cuba’s last lifelines and turned chronic shortages into a sharper economic implosion.
When Cuba Stopped Functioning As A Country
- The clearest sign of collapse was not just blackouts but the stoppage of normal life across Cuba.
- Flights vanished, tourism dried up, buses stopped, schools and universities closed, and Cuba even shortened the workweek because people could no longer move or work normally.
Morón Protesters Burned A Party Office
- A crowd in Morón escalated Cuba’s rare unrest by attacking a Communist Party office after a 30-hour blackout.
- Protesters burned furniture and set parts of the building on fire, a remarkable direct challenge to the government.