Today in Focus Is Cuba Trump’s next target?
19 snips
Mar 26, 2026 
Daniel Montero, a US-based reporter covering Havana and the humanitarian toll of the oil blockade, and Ruaridh Nicoll, The Guardian’s Havana correspondent, discuss life under fuel shortages and the economic collapse hitting transport, tourism and businesses. They unpack US pressure, Trump and Rubio’s aims, Cuban political responses, fears after provocative remarks, and what concessions Havana might consider.
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Daily Life Strained By Extended Blackouts
- Cuba faces daily 12-hour blackouts in Havana and longer outages in provinces, driven by an intensified US oil blockade.
- Daniel Montero describes adapting routines like cooking only when electricity is available and community sharing in poor neighborhoods.
Everyday Resilience Amid Intermittent Protests
- Despite crisis, Cubans keep working, laughing and occasionally protesting over long outages rather than mounting a national uprising.
- Daniel Montero notes localized protests flare when power goes too long but dissipate once electricity returns.
Oil Blockade Chokes Transport And Tourism
- The US oil blockade is enforced by pressuring suppliers like Mexico to cut fuel, collapsing transport and tourism.
- Ruaridh Nicoll explains airlines and tourists pulled out and Mexico halted deliveries after US threats and tariffs.