On Friday, I wrote that Cuba has most likely passed the point of no return. I actually took the whole weekend off, so I didn't really keep up with any news, aside from the occasional social media glance, and every time I checked in, all I saw was that things are getting worse and worse for the island nation. I feel like a broken record saying that, but just when you think they've hit rock bottom, that bottom drops out.
But the panicked regime isn't moving... yet. We saw how that turned out with a defiant Nicolás Maduro, but this is not the same situation exactly. We're just hoping for a similar ending.
With that in mind, my plan is to try to do at least one or two updates per week going forward. A lot of you ask me about it, so why not document what is hopefully — and likely — the fall of the regime after nearly 70 years? If you missed my Friday night update, you can read it here: Has Cuba Reached the Point of No Return?
So, without any oil in sight, the regime continues to crack down on what is available to the country's citizens and visitors through bans and rationing. Public transportation is at a standstill. Citizens are denied fuel for their own vehicles. Hospitals are canceling surgeries. Hotels and resorts have been shut down. State work weeks are moving to four days. School days are shortened or canceled completely. Power outages continue to surge. Women are searching for firewood to be able to cook what little food they have.
(For what it's worth, the caption for this video below reads "Cuba, 2026. Two women search for firewood to cook. But from the comfort of Europe, the United States, or Latin America, an idiot leftist tells you that Cuba has dignity and revolution.")
Cuba, 2026.
— 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝗛 𝗱𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗶́𝗮 (@CubaOrtografia) February 8, 2026
Dos mujeres buscan leña para cocinar.
Pero desde la comodidad de Europa, de Estados Unidos o de América Latina, un zurdo idiota te dice que Cuba tiene dignidad y revolución. pic.twitter.com/Plq4maud5W
One huge addition to all of this that we saw over the weekend is that Cuban aviation authorities announced that that there will be no jet fuel available at most airports in the country for at least one month, beginning on Tuesday. The country released an official NOTAM (A0356/26) that specifically states "JET A-1 FUEL NOT AVBL." It means that any plane flying into any of the following nine airports must do so without expecting to refuel: Havana (MUHA), Varadero (MUVR), Cienfuegos (MUCF), Santa Clara (MUSC), Camagüey (MUCM), Cayo Coco (MUCC), Holguín (MUHG), Santiago de Cuba (MUCU), and Manzanillo (MUMZ). The planes will either have to fly with extra fuel or make calculated technical stops in neighboring countries.
So far, Air Canada, which flies to Cuba more than any other carrier in North America, is the only airline to suspend flights. It has promised to send empty planes to Cuba in the meantime to pick up about 3,000 stranded passengers. Other airlines say they're keeping an eye on things, but I wouldn't book any flights to or from the country anytime soon. Not that I would be vacationing there anyway right now...
And despite my tongue-in-cheek headline, you're probably not much better off attempting to travel by sea either. You might end up like one of those little narco-fishing boats we were blowing up there for a while.
We already know from the last six months that the United States has a heavy military presence in the Caribbean, and over the last week or so, it has seemingly grown around Cuba's waters. I've seen several reports of military planes flying in the region, as well as an increase in the number of military vessels located in strategic points around the country, presumably in international waters. Even before Donald Trump's anti-narcotics trafficking build-up in the region, the U.S. Coast Guard and Cuban authorities have also intensified their patrolling of the waters between Cuba and the U.S. over the last year or two.
Of everything that happened this weekend, here's what might be one of the most shocking moves of all: Even old Daniel Ortega, who has long been a Fidel Castro supporter and ally, is cooperating with Trump's pressure on the Cuban regime. Since 2021, the Nicaraguan regime has allowed Cubans visa-free entry into the country. Essentially, Cubans fleeing repression could fly to Nicaragua and then make their way to another country, including the United States. On the surface, it was a humanitarian gesture for Cuban citizens as the country's economy collapsed and political unrest grew. The reality, however, is that it purposely created a major migration route into the United States, taking advantage of Joe Biden-era open border policies. It also gave Nicaragua's economy a little boost.
On Sunday, however, this policy came to a screeching halt. No reason was given, but my guess is that, like the other commie and narco-leaders in the region, Ortega is feeling the Trump heat and wants to avoid more sanctions, tariffs, or maybe even a midnight visit from Delta Force.
And speaking of pressure, Mexico's narco-president, Claudia Sheinbaum, continues to halt her own oil shipments to Cuba, to avoid Trump's tariffs and ire. She did, however, send over a little over 800 tons of food, powdered milk, and hygiene supplies, via the Mexican Navy.
"Through these actions, the Government of Mexico reaffirms the humanistic principles and spirit of solidarity that guide it, and its commitment to international cooperation among peoples, especially with those who require humanitarian assistance in situations of emergency and vulnerability. Cuba and Mexico are sister nations, heirs to a long history of solidarity that we honor today," the Mexican Foreign Ministry said in a statement over the weekend.
The thing is, unlike the humanitarian aid coming from the United Sites that is handled through the Catholic Church, Mexico's aid will go to the regime, which means it may or may not actually reach the people. Critics said Sheinbaum's "help" is just a band-aid on a gushing wound, buying time for the regime when Trump has quite obviously decided that it's time for it to go.
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