Shipments of Venezuelan and American oil could begin flowing to the Communist island to relieve the humanitarian crisis

[only small amounts, to private sector only]
Updated Feb. 25, 2026 3:50 pm ET

MIAMI—The Trump administration is easing its policy on the sale of Venezuelan oil to Cuba, providing a potential lifeline to the island’s eight million people as a fuel shortage accelerates a humanitarian crisis.

The policy announced Wednesday applies to transactions involving Cuba’s small private sector “that support the Cuban people,” but sales to the ruling Communist government in Havana would remain illicit under the comprehensive sanctions that Washington has imposed for decades, the Treasury Department said Wednesday. The Treasury would allow the sales on a case-by-case basis.

they're making it so that you have to get a license from the us empire to sell to cuba and it's seems like ploy for diplomatic cover to allow the empire to say that they didn't block oil shipments.