Cuba holds a unique place in the hearts of Canadian travellers. The mojitos, the music, the warmth of its people, the unhurried pace of life along the Malecón – for decades, it has been our winter sanctuary. This is not a breakup letter. It’s an honest conversation about why now is not the right time to go.

At tripcentral.ca, we have sent hundreds of thousands of Canadians to Cuba over the years. We know its best resorts, its hidden beaches, its rhythm. That’s precisely why we feel an obligation to tell you the truth: the Cuba you’re dreaming of is currently in crisis; a crisis that is not of its own making, and one that is profoundly affecting the experience of anyone who travels there today.

This isn’t media sensationalism. It’s what the data shows, what the Canadian government is formally warning, and what our travellers are experiencing on the ground.

The Crisis in Plain Terms

Cuba is in the grip of its worst economic and energy crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. At the core of it is a single, devastating reality: the island has run out of fuel.

For most of the past three decades, Cuba relied heavily on Venezuela for subsidized oil. When the United States intervened militarily in Venezuela in January 2026, capturing President Nicolás Maduro, that oil supply – roughly 25,000 to 35,000 barrels per day – was cut off overnight. Shortly after, Mexico halted its shipments too, under intense pressure from Washington. President Trump signed an executive order declaring Cuba an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security, threatening tariffs against any country that continued supplying the island with oil.

The result is what international observers are calling the most effective blockade of Cuba since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

-6.5% Cuba’s projected GDP contraction in 2026

Power outages lasting up to 25 hours

-23% cumulative economic decline since 2019

Cuba’s electricity grid has collapsed multiple times since the crisis began. The island faces a generation deficit of around 1,800 megawatts. Independent economists project the economy will shrink by 6.5% in 2026 alone, on top of a cumulative economic decline of over 23% since 2019. Cuba’s GDP per capita now stands at just $1,082, the lowest in all of Latin America and the Caribbean, and a fraction of the regional average of $10,212.

“For over 60 years, the United States has maintained the longest-running unilateral sanctions policy in U.S. foreign relations. Generations of Cubans have lived under these measures.” – UN Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures, November 2025

This is not a temporary blip. The U.S. embargo has been in place since 1962. But what’s happening now represents a sharp, deliberate escalation – described by analysts as a “maximum pressure” strategy targeting regime change by the end of 2026. Whatever your political views on that objective, the humanitarian and practical consequences for ordinary Cubans, and for visitors, are impossible to ignore.

How the Sanctions Escalated: A Timeline

2017–2021 · First Trump Term + Biden

Cuba designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Cuba Restricted Entities List created, blocking transactions with major hotels. Title III of the Helms-Burton Act reactivated, deterring all foreign investment in Cuba.

January 2025 · Second Trump Term Begins

U.S. announces a “total pressure” strategy against Cuba. Cuba re-designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism for a third time. Further sanctions imposed on Cuban military contractors, currency access restricted.

January 3, 2026 · Venezuela Intervention

U.S. forces capture Venezuelan President Maduro. Cuba loses its primary oil supplier – 80–90% of Venezuelan oil destined for Cuba is blocked. Mexico halts shipments under threat of U.S. tariffs days later.

January 30, 2026 · Executive Order 14380

President Trump signs an executive order declaring a national emergency regarding Cuba, authorizing tariffs on any country that supplies Cuba with oil. Cuba’s fuel crisis becomes total.

February 2026 · Infrastructure Collapse

Cuba suspends jet fuel for airliners at José Martí International Airport. Island-wide blackouts become routine – lasting more than 24 hours. Garbage piles up on Havana streets as collection trucks run out of fuel.

What This Means for Travellers

We know what some of you are thinking: “The resorts have generators. It’ll be fine.” We understand that instinct as many of you have visited Cuba a dozen times and seen it weather hardship before. But the scope of what’s happening now is genuinely different, and the Canadian government’s travel advisory reflects that.

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA · OFFICIAL TRAVEL ADVISORY · UPDATED MAY 2026 Exercise a high degree of caution due to worsening shortages of electricity, fuel and basic necessities including food, water and medicine, which can also affect resorts. The situation is unpredictable and could deteriorate, disrupting flight availability on short notice. Specific conditions flagged by Global Affairs Canada include: – Scheduled daily power cuts, plus unexpected outages exceeding 24 hours – Fuel shortages affecting resort generators – loss of AC, hot water, elevators, and food service – Food spoilage at hotels and restaurants due to power and refrigeration failures – Chronic shortages of food, bottled water, tap water, medicine, and currency – Public transportation largely disrupted – some travellers have been temporarily stranded – Long lineups at gas stations that have led to altercations All major Canadian airlines – including Air Canada and WestJet – have suspended scheduled service to Cuba until further notice.

The unpredictability is what makes this so hard to plan around. There’s no reliable forecast of which resort will be affected, or when. Some guests have reported arriving to find no hot water, no air conditioning, no elevators, and limited food service for days at a time. Others have had perfectly fine visits. There’s simply no way to know, and for the price of a vacation, that uncertainty isn’t acceptable.

Beyond the resorts, exploring the island – the street art, the vintage cars, or the local restaurants of Viñales is, according to Global Affairs Canada, “extremely challenging” right now. With public transit unreliable, taxi availability erratic, and gas stations either dry or backed up for hours, independent travel on the island has become genuinely difficult.

The Human Reality Behind the Headlines

We want to be clear about something: Cuba’s people are not the architects of this situation. Cubans are resilient, creative, and deeply hospitable… they have always been! But they are also navigating one of the most difficult periods in their country’s modern history. Inflation has ravaged purchasing power. The Cuban peso has depreciated by 88% since 2018. Basic goods, medicine, food, and fuel are chronically scarce.

In this context, visiting Cuba with the expectation of a seamless resort holiday places additional strain on infrastructure that is already at its breaking point. It also means your vacation experience is, quite simply, not guaranteed.

Cuba’s economy has shrunk by more than 10% since 2018, with exports having halved since 2013. The Cuban peso has collapsed under triple-digit inflation. This is a country fighting for its economic survival and caught in the crossfire of geopolitics far beyond its control.

Our Recommendation

We love Cuba. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and the moment conditions stabilize, we’ll be the first to tell you it’s time to go back. Cuba deserves the tourism revenue. Its people deserve visitors who fall in love with the place and help sustain its culture and economy.

But right now, our job is to protect your vacation investment and your experience. And the honest truth is: Cuba cannot reliably deliver the holiday you deserve in its current state.

The good news? The Caribbean is full of extraordinary options. The Dominican Republic, particularly the Punta Cana and Samaná coasts, offers some of the finest all-inclusive resorts in the world, with none of the infrastructure uncertainty. Mexico’s Riviera Maya and the Pacific coast continue to deliver exceptional value and remarkable natural beauty. Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Barbados offer world-class experiences with stable, welcoming environments.

If Cuba was on your list this year, let us help you find somewhere that will give you everything you’re looking for, the warmth, the music, the beach, the unforgettable meals, without the risk.

Cuba will be back, but unfortunately 2026 looks extremely unlikely. So if you are planning to get away next winter, let’s take care of this vacation first, as we all hope that Cuba returns to its previous stage at some point in 2027.