Markey, Warren, McGovern Demand Trump End Crushing Sanctions on Cuba Before Humanitarian Situation Worsens

Letter Text (PDF)

Washington (February 25, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02) today wrote to President Donald Trump urging the administration to lift the oil embargo on Cuba as economic conditions grow dire, risking regional humanitarian and refugee crises. On January 29, Trump invoked new emergency powers to threaten tariffs against any country that sells oil, directly or indirectly, to Cuba. This has forced countries to cease oil trade with Cuba, out of fear of economic retaliation by the United States. The island's domestic production meets only a fraction of its energy needs, and Havana depends heavily on imported oil to sustain its power grid and other essential services. The U.S. sanctions regime has starved Cuba of opportunities to develop domestic energy resources-including solar and wind -which would help Cuba become more energy independent. Now, Trump's efforts to sever Cuba's access to oil will significantly worsen conditions on the island, which will run out of oil imminently.

In the letter the lawmakers wrote, "The Administration has framed its tariff threats as necessary to protect the American people from an 'extraordinary threat' posed by Cuba 'to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.' But Cuba's government and economy have struggled with sustained decline for years, in no small part due to decades of U.S. sanctions. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, an estimated ten percent of Cuba's population left the island, and more than 600,000 Cubans sought asylum in the United States in the last five years. Cuba has not committed or threatened military aggression against the United States since the 1960s and does not possess the capacity or the will to pose a serious national security threat."

The lawmakers continued, "Moreover, you are escalating economic pressure despite the fact that Cuban officials have publicly stated a willingness to negotiate outstanding disputes with the United States. You stated that you 'strongly suggest [the Cubans] make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.' But without actual negotiation on a 'deal,' it calls into question the actual aim of this blockade. If diplomacy is a viable option, choosing instead to exacerbate a humanitarian crisis is both strategically unsound and morally indefensible."

The lawmakers conclude, "The United States has a legitimate and longstanding interest in promoting democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms in Cuba. But taking action that sparks a humanitarian crisis as a means of leverage is not a strategy that results in long-term success or reflects who we are as Americans. Instead, the Administration's actions are depriving innocent Cuban citizens of basic necessities. Policies that intensify fuel shortages, cripple essential services, and deepen economic desperation risk destabilizing not only Cuba, but the broader Caribbean region."

The lawmakers request answers to questions that include:

• What is the Administration trying to achieve with its Cuba policy?
• Will the recent Supreme Court decision to reject major elements of your tariff policy have an impact on your policy toward Cuba?
• What specific intelligence or threat assessment supports the Administration's determination that Cuba currently poses an "extraordinary threat" to the national security or foreign policy of the United States?
• Are there any analysis conducted regarding the projected humanitarian consequences of restricting fuel shipments to Cuba?
• Does your Administration acknowledge that this action will increase migration flows toward the United States?
• What planning has been done to address a potential refugee surge or broader regional instability resulting from deteriorating conditions on the island?

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