Squiz Today Squiz Shortcuts: What does the US want with Cuba?
Mar 26, 2026
A rapid look at why Cuba's geography and Cold War history matter to US strategy. They trace decades of sanctions and the oil-for-doctors tie to Venezuela. Recent moves on oil, protests and humanitarian strain take center stage. The conversation flags US aims for political change and the risks of migration and regional instability.
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Cuba's Cold War Realignment Changed Everything
- Cuba shifted from US-aligned trade partner to Soviet ally after the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro.
- That realignment produced the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and decades of US economic sanctions aimed at isolating Cuba.
Oil For Doctors Kept Cuba Afloat
- Cuba relied on discounted Venezuelan oil in exchange for doctors and intelligence under the oil for doctors program.
- The US capture of Nicolás Maduro cut that supply overnight and the US then imposed an oil blockade and threatened third-party suppliers.
Fuel Blockade Has Paralyzed Cuban Infrastructure
- The US escalated by imposing an oil blockade and threatening tariffs on countries supplying Cuba, aiming to squeeze fuel access.
- Loss of fuel has caused lengthy blackouts, transport paralysis, water pump failures and hospital disruptions across Cuba.