{"id":6042,"date":"2026-09-10T14:01:34","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T19:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/?p=6042"},"modified":"2026-09-11T06:47:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T11:47:40","slug":"trump-war-inflicts-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/10\/trump-war-inflicts-damage\/","title":{"rendered":"Cuba blames U.S. for $8 billion in losses"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">U.S. sanctions against Cuba caused a record loss of <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">$8.083 billion during a single 12-month period, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodr\u00edguez told the United Nations.<\/span><\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Rodr\u00edguez said the losses occurred between March 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026, and marked a\u00a0<span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">7% increase<\/span> over the previous record-high damages posted just one year ago.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Cuban officials say the figure is conservative and <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">does not fully capture the financial devastation<\/span> triggered by fuel shortages in early 2026.\u00a0Critics say Cuba&#8217;s claims don&#8217;t take into account the socialist government&#8217;s failures, mismanagement and inefficiency.<\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">You can download and read the Cuban government&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1jJPp6eUupmel96T2mj53VMZBXLS_V6aA\/view?usp=sharing\">50-page report<\/a> detailing the losses.<\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Or, see below for an AI summary, along with a fact check:<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\ud83d\udcca Economic Damages &amp; Financial Impact<\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Record Annual Losses:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span>\u00a0 the blockade inflicted a record <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">$8,083,300,000 USD<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> in damages, marking a 7% increase from the previous period.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Cumulative Impact:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Over more than 60 years, the total accumulated damages reached <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">$178,700,500,000 USD<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> at current prices (or over $3.89 trillion when adjusted against the price of gold).<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">GDP Suppression:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Without the blockade, Cuba&#8217;s 2025 GDP would have been <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">10.8% higher<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span>.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Banking Persecution:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Due to Cuba&#8217;s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">34 international banking institutions<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> suspended or declined operations with Cuba, severely curtailing international payments and freezing assets.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\u26a1 The Energy Blockade<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">A primary focus of the report is the formal imposition of a sweeping <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">U.S. Energy Blockade<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> via Executive Order 14380 on January 29, 2026.<\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Fuel Shortages:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> By the close of May 2026, the country was short by <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">2,667,800 tons of fuel<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> compared to what was planned.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Severe Blackouts:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Residential areas faced an average of <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">more than 20 hours of daily blackouts<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span>, with some communities going 30 straight hours without electricity.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Grid Failure:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Approximately 1,400 MW of available power capacity sat idle due to lack of fuel, and 11 out of 15 thermal units outside Havana were pushed out of their maintenance cycles.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\ud83c\udfe5 Healthcare &amp; Humanitarian Crisis<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">The combination of the energy blockade and financial restrictions heavily compromised the public health sector:<\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Surgeries Delayed:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Cuba&#8217;s surgical waiting list climbed to <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">100,000 patients<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span>, including 12,000 children.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Cancer Survival Plummets:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Daily cancer deaths have surged past 70, and the cancer survival rate among children and youth <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">plummeted from 85% to 65%<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span>.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Medication &amp; Supply Deficits:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Out of 395 basic framework pharmaceuticals, <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">300 are currently unavailable<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span>. Cuba remains unable to source vital U.S.-component medical equipment like pediatric cardiac pumps or specialized oncology medications (e.g., Pemetrexed, Palbociclib).<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Vaccination Delays:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Disrupted refrigerated transport delayed routine vaccines for <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">over 30,000 children<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span>.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\ud83c\udf3e Agriculture, Education, and Infrastructure<\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Food Production:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Irrigation in the cold season averaged just 2 hours a day (instead of the required 16), breaking agricultural cycles. Distribution of 20,000 tons of humanitarian food aid slowed to a crawl due to a lack of fuel.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Education:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Transportation limits impacted 30% of student\/teacher enrollment, forcing higher education to shift entirely to a remote modality in early 2026. Special education schools faced severe shortages of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and braille machines.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Public Transit:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Havana&#8217;s passenger transport system operates on <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">barely more than 100 buses<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span>, despite needing a minimum of 3,000.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Tourism Collapse:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Following restrictions on supplying aviation fuel, international airlines (such as Plus Ultra) and prominent hotel chains suspended operations, dismantling recovery prospects.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\u2696\ufe0f Expansion of Sanctions &amp; Hostile Rhetoric<\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Secondary Sanctions:<\/span> Executive Order 14404 (May 1, 2026) expanded secondary sanctions, punishing foreign entities, shipping conglomerates (like Hapag-Lloyd), and banks doing business in Cuban strategic sectors (mining, energy, finance).<\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Helms-Burton Act:<\/span> By March 2026, <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">46 lawsuits<\/span> had been filed under Title III targeting foreign and domestic operations utilizing nationalized properties.<\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Regime Change Narrative:<\/span> The report condemns an escalation in aggressive military rhetoric from senior U.S. officials in early 2026, including threats of naval intervention, reconnaissance flights, and open calls for regime change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">The report features<span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\u00a0anecdotes<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> that illustrate the toll of U.S. sanctions. Among them:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\ud83c\udfe5 1. The Anesthesiologist: Operating Under Cell Phone Flashlights<\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Doctor Yudmila Rodr\u00edguez Verdecia, chief anesthesiologist and head of the obstetric operating theater at a major Cuban maternity hospital.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">The report details how the energy blockade subjects hospitals to a state of constant &#8220;asphyxiation&#8221;. Doctor Rodr\u00edguez Verdecia recounts the terrifying reality of navigating sudden power failures mid-procedure: <em data-sfc-root=\"ep\">&#8220;When an electrical emergency occurs, a blackout, the entire unit shuts down. We are plunged into complete darkness.&#8221;<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/em> Because equipment lacks stable backup power, her medical team has been forced to carry out vital surgeries under the dim glow of <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">cell phone flashlights<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> to save lives.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\ud83d\udc66 2. The Pediatric Cancer Patient: Facing Interrupted Radiation<\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Fifteen-year-old Diego, who has spent nearly four years battling cancer, and his mother, Licet Rodr\u00edguez Alonso.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Diego&#8217;s survival relies entirely on highly specialized, energy-hungry radiotherapy and chemotherapy machines. His mother describes the immense psychological and emotional trauma of managing her son&#8217;s treatment in an environment with no stable fuel or electricity: <em data-sfc-root=\"ep\">&#8220;Diego is in radiation, but there&#8217;s no fuel. How will those machines run? If the hospital shuts down, how can I keep Diego&#8217;s treatment going?&#8221;<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/em><!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\u2708\ufe0f 3. The Canadian Family: Blocked from Vacationing by U.S. Law<\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">An unnamed Canadian family seeking to travel to Cuba, as documented by the media outlet <em data-sfc-root=\"ep\">The Pointer<\/em> on January 21, 2026.<\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">To illustrate how the extraterritorial nature of the Helms-Burton Act impacts individuals thousands of miles away from the U.S., the report shares the story of a Canadian family trying to redeem vacation points accumulated on their Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) credit card. When trying to book flights and lodging on the Island through the Expedia platform, their searches for &#8220;Havana&#8221; were completely blocked. Expedia Group restricted the bookings\u2014even for non-U.S. citizens\u2014due to the sweeping legal and financial risks imposed by U.S. secondary sanctions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\u2705 Verified Factual Claims<\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">A detailed fact-check of the Cuban government&#8217;s document confirms that the <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">core financial statistics and political events are highly accurate<\/span>, aligning directly with real-world declarations and media updates from <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">September 2026<\/span>.<\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">The $8.083 Billion Loss:<\/span> Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodr\u00edguez officially presented these exact figures on <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">September 7, 2026<\/span>. International agencies like <em data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Reuters<\/em> and <em data-sfc-root=\"ep\">AFP<\/em> confirmed that Cuba reported a record $8,083,300,000 in damages between March 2025 and February 2026.<\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Executive Orders 14380 and 14404:<\/span> U.S. President Donald Trump did sign <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">EO 14380<\/span> on January 29, 2026, which declared a national emergency regarding Cuba and authorized tariffs against countries supplying oil to the island. This was followed by <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">EO 14404<\/span> on May 1, 2026, expanding stringent secondary sanctions against foreign entities and financial networks.<\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Marco Rubio\u2019s Senate Testimony:<\/span> In late January 2026, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explicitly testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stating, <em data-sfc-root=\"ep\">&#8220;I think we would like to see the regime there change,&#8221;<\/em> matching page 40 of your document.<\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Trump\u2019s Rhetoric:<\/span> President Trump has repeatedly claimed that Cuba is &#8220;devastated&#8221; and suggested &#8220;taking Cuba&#8221; or that it is &#8220;next in line&#8221; for regime change. Most recently, on September 7, 2026, he posted a highly publicized map on Truth Social showing the U.S. flag blanketing Cuba.<\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Specific Healthcare Deficits:<\/span> The specific U.S.-manufactured or patent-restricted oncology drugs listed on page 33\u2014such as <em data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Pemetrexed<\/em>, <em data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Palbociclib<\/em>, and <em data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Brentuximab vedotin<\/em>\u2014are widely documented by international health observers as being blocked or complicated by embargo restrictions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\u26a0\ufe0f Contextual Caveats &amp; Disputed Interpretations<\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">While the baseline events happened, the <em data-sfc-root=\"ep\">cause<\/em> of Cuba&#8217;s collapse is a point of intense global disagreement:<\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">The Cause of the Hardships (Embargo vs. Mismanagement):<\/span> The report attributes 100% of the food, fuel, medicine, and power shortages to the U.S. blockade. While secondary sanctions undeniably cripple global trade pipelines, the <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">U.S. State Department and independent economists counter<\/span> that decades of centralized economic mismanagement, agricultural inefficiencies, and currency inflation are equally responsible for the current systemic failures.<\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Exclusion of Global Price Volatility:<\/span> The text references sharp spikes in gold and current prices. It downplays that global inflation and macro-crises (like the sudden disruption of the Venezuelan oil alliance in early 2026) heavily compounded Cuba&#8217;s isolation independent of direct U.S. laws.<\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">The &#8220;Genocide&#8221; Designation:<\/span> The document utilizes heavily loaded semantic framing, calling the blockades an &#8220;act of genocide&#8221; under International Law. While various UN rapporteurs have expressed human rights concerns over the secondary impacts on children and healthcare, &#8220;genocide&#8221; is a highly strict legal term under the UN Genocide Convention that does not officially apply to trade embargoes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\ud83d\udd0d Summary Verdict<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Cuba\u2019s crisis is a <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">classic example of a &#8220;perfect storm&#8221;<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> where multiple, deeply interconnected factors multiply each other&#8217;s worst effects.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">When analysts look at Cuba without a political lens, they generally see <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">three main layers<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> working together to cause the current collapse:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">1. The Foundation: 60 Years of Cumulative Attrition<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">The <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">60-year U.S. embargo<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> acts as a permanent, heavy brake on the Cuban economy. It systematically blocks access to foreign investment, international credit, and standard global trade networks. This means Cuba has spent decades operating on the razor&#8217;s edge with <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">zero financial reserves<\/span> or safety nets.<\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Sixty Years of Attrition:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> The embargo is not a recent hurdle but the longest-running comprehensive sanctions regime in modern history. Decades of restriction have systematically denied Cuba normal access to global trade, credit markets, and technological development.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">The &#8220;Cumulative&#8221; Drain:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> The article notes that total accumulated damages over six decades have reached <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">$178.7 billion at current prices<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> (or over <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">$3.89 trillion<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> when adjusted against the price of gold). This continuous economic drain meant that when the 2026 &#8220;maximum pressure&#8221; campaign began, Cuba had already been stripped of the financial reserves and infrastructure resilience that a normal economy would use to weather a crisis.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Generational Infrastructure Decay:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> The lack of access to standard international financing and U.S.-patent-protected spare parts over 60 years directly contributed to the current physical collapse of water systems, transport, and the power grid.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">2. The Multiplier: Internal Structural Failures<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Operating inside that highly restrictive environment, the <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Cuban government\u2019s choices<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> have compounded the damage.<\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Bureaucratic Chokepoints:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Rigid, Soviet-style centralized control, strict price regulations, and a reluctance to allow a vibrant private market have stifled domestic food production and industry.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Infrastructure Neglect:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Over the last decade, state planners chose to invest heavily in building luxury tourist hotels rather than upgrading the island&#8217;s aging, 40-year-old power grid, leaving the country highly vulnerable to blackouts.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">3. The Catalyst: Sudden External Shocks<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/h2>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">An already fragile system running on zero margins was then hit by sudden, massive disruptions in early 2026:<\/div>\n<div data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">\n<ul>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">The Venezuelan Shift:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> Cuba lost its primary source of subsidized oil when Venezuelan leader Nicol\u00e1s Maduro was removed from power.<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<li data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\"><span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">The 2026 &#8220;Maximum Pressure&#8221; Campaign:<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> The U.S. immediately capitalized on this vulnerability by issuing <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Executive Order 14380<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> (blocking alternative oil supplies) and <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Executive Order 14404<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/span> (punishing international banks and shipping lines that trade with Cuba).<!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--TgQPHd|||[]--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">Bottom line<\/h2>\n<p role=\"heading\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\">If Cuba had a highly efficient, open economy, it might have navigated the sanctions better. Conversely, even a perfectly managed economy would struggle to survive the longest, most comprehensive embargo in modern history.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. sanctions against Cuba caused a record loss of $8.083 billion during a single 12-month period, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodr\u00edguez told the United Nations. Rodr\u00edguez said the losses occurred between March 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026, and marked a\u00a07% increase over the previous record-high damages posted just one year ago. Cuban officials say &#8230; <a title=\"Cuba blames U.S. for $8 billion in losses\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/10\/trump-war-inflicts-damage\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Cuba blames U.S. for $8 billion in losses\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[375,130],"tags":[407,408,24,58,409,406],"class_list":["post-6042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cuba","category-news","tag-blockade","tag-bruno-rodriguez","tag-cuba","tag-donald-trump","tag-marco-rubio","tag-united-nations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6042"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6042\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6059,"href":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6042\/revisions\/6059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}