CA, US & World
Cuba Defies Trump’s Pressure Campaign as Economic Crisis Deepens for Residents
Cuba’s government is standing firm against President Donald Trump’s escalating pressure campaign, even as the island’s economic crisis deepens and ordinary residents struggle to afford basic necessities.
The Trump administration has increased economic sanctions, restricted oil supplies needed to power Cuba’s electrical grid and threatened possible military action. The administration says it will maintain pressure until Havana makes changes to its political and economic systems and reduces its ties with U.S. adversaries, including Russia and China.
Cuban leaders have rejected the prospect of making major concessions under pressure. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla has argued that U.S. policy toward Cuba must change, regardless of who occupies the White House.
Despite decades of American sanctions, the communist government has remained in power. But the worsening crisis is exposing growing divisions between wealthy Cubans with access to imported goods and residents struggling to pay for food and other essentials.
In Havana, expensive imported products are increasingly available to those who can afford them, while many ordinary Cubans face shortages and declining purchasing power. The contrast between luxury goods and widespread hardship has become more visible.
The Trump administration is seeking to use that growing frustration to encourage change within Cuba’s government. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly called on people seeking change on the island to act, while Cuban officials have criticized U.S. efforts to recruit people inside the country.
Meanwhile, negotiations between Washington and Havana have made little apparent progress. Cuban officials are betting they can withstand the pressure, potentially hoping that other international developments and U.S. domestic politics will shift the administration’s priorities.
For many Cubans, however, the immediate concern is survival. Power outages, a weakening currency and inadequate pensions have made everyday life increasingly difficult.
Armando Ruiz, a retired construction worker interviewed by CNN, said he was waiting to collect a monthly pension worth less than five dollars at black-market exchange rates.
“It’s only enough to get a little bit to eat,” Ruiz said, questioning how long the situation could continue.
While the political standoff continues, the question remains how long ordinary Cubans can endure the island’s worsening economic conditions.
By: NBC Palm Springs
October 28, 2026
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