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3h ago

Cuba Postpones Habanos Cigar Festival as U.S. Oil Squeeze Deepens Fuel Crisis

The United Nations warns the country’s oil shortfall could trigger a humanitarian collapse.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel attends the opening of the XXIII Habanos Festival in Havana, Cuba, February 27, 2023.
A couple sit on a seawall while watching a tanker ship exit the bay of Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
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Overview

  • Habanos S.A. said the Feb. 23–27 festival is postponed until further notice to preserve the event’s standards.
  • Fuel supplies shrank after Venezuelan deliveries stopped following a U.S. operation to seize Nicolás Maduro, with President Donald Trump threatening tariffs that led Mexico to halt shipments.
  • Cuban authorities report rolling blackouts and strict rationing, and the health ministry cites disruptions to maternal care, oncology treatment and emergency services.
  • Air travel has been disrupted as Cuba cannot guarantee jet fuel, with three Canadian airlines suspending flights and other carriers adding technical refueling stops.
  • The cigar showcase is a key foreign‑currency source, with Habanos reporting $827 million in 2024 sales and festival auctions exceeding $18 million last year.