CUBA: Oil sanctions will hit the poorest and weakest warn bishops
BISHOPS have warned that Cuba will suffer “social chaos and violence” if fuel blockades are introduced.
The Catholic Bishops of Cuba united at the weekend to direct a message to “all Cubans of good will” especially those who make decisions on the behalf of the Caribbean country.
Relations between the USA and Cuba have become tense following Donald Trump’s order, on 29th January 2026, to sanction countries that provide Cuba with oil.
The island nation is one of the most deprived in Latin America where people face high inflation, poverty and food shortages.
In a statement read out in all parishes – a copy of which was sent to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) – the bishops said the situation in Cuba “has worsened, and distress and despair have intensified”.
They added: “Recent news that, among others, rules out the provision of oil to the country has caused alarm, especially among the less fortunate.
“The risk of social chaos and violence among the children of the same people is real. No Cuban of goodwill would rejoice in this.
“Cuba needs reforms, and these are increasingly urgent, but what it does not need is more anguish or pain. No more loss of life or mourning within Cuban families.
“We have had enough of this in our recent history! We want – and hope for – a new, prosperous, and happy Cuba, but not at the expense of the suffering of the country’s poor, of the elderly, of the sick and of the children.”
Their statement said dialogue and diplomacy could solve any conflict and give Cuba hope.
They added: “The unchanging stance of the pope and the holy see, consistent with international law, is that governments should be able to resolve their disagreements and conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, not coercion or war.
“Because, by talking, men can understand each other. And whenever there is good will, it is possible to find ways to solve conflicts and seek the triumph of truth and goodness, of justice, love and freedom.”
Speaking to thousands of pilgrims in Rome on Sunday, 1st February, Pope Leo XIV said: “I echo the message of the Cuban bishops, inviting all responsible parties to promote a sincere and effective dialogue, in order to avoid violence and every action that could increase the suffering of the dear Cuban people.”
ACN has strong links to the Cuban Church. In September 2024, the former president of the Cuban Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Emilio Aranguren of Holguín, publicly thanked the charity for its commitment, saying that “ACN has been a faithful supporter of the Church in Cuba, not only in material terms, but also through its closeness, prayer, and hope in the hardest of times.”
