Cuba Crisis Deepens as Costa Rica Cuts Ties and Trump Suggests He Could 'Take' Island Under Intensified U.S. Pressure
Costa Rica abruptly closed its embassy in Havana and ordered most Cuban diplomats to leave, citing human‑rights abuses and prompting Havana to accuse San José of acting under U.S. pressure amid similar moves by allied governments such as Ecuador. The diplomatic rupture comes as U.S. pressure on the island intensifies — President Trump said he believed he might “take” or “free” Cuba and “do anything” with it — while Cuba struggles with a nationwide blackout tied to fuel shortages and reports that Russia has been clandestinely shipping oil to Havana using ship‑to‑ship “spoofing” tactics as Moscow vows assistance and talks with Washington continue.
📌 Key Facts
- On March 16, in an Oval Office interview with Fox News, President Trump said he believed he would have "the honor" of "taking Cuba," saying he could "do anything I want with it," called the island a "failed" and "very weakened nation," and suggested he might either "free" or "take" Cuba; he has previously vowed to "take care" of Cuba’s regime after focusing on Iran and is reported to be holding talks with Havana.
- Trump’s remarks came the same day Cuba’s electrical grid suffered a total collapse on March 16, leaving about 10 million people without power; reporting links the blackout to a deepening energy crisis after U.S. measures since Jan. 29 disrupted fuel shipments.
- Maritime intelligence firm Windward alleges the Hong Kong‑flagged tanker Sea Horse clandestinely delivered roughly 190,000–200,000 barrels of oil to Cuba in early March using sanctions‑evasion tactics — shutting off AIS during a ship‑to‑ship transfer near Cyprus, repeatedly changing declared destinations, sailing without Western insurance and broadcasting misleading "not under command" signals — and reports cite a Russian‑flagged Anatoly Kolodkin expected to deliver crude by around April 4; the Kremlin said it is "ready to provide all possible assistance" to Cuba.
- Reporters link suspected clandestine Russian shipments and recent U.S. measures to Cuba’s fuel shortages and the March 16 grid collapse; U.S. officials told Fox News that U.S. law allows Cuban companies and citizens to purchase oil (the embargo is meant to block regime purchases) but that Havana’s own policies have made legal purchases effectively "impossible."
- Costa Rica closed its embassy in Havana and ordered most Cuban diplomatic staff to leave San José (except consular personnel); President Rodrigo Chaves said, "We have to clean out communists from the hemisphere," and the foreign minister cited a "sustained deterioration" in human rights and increased repression in Cuba as justification.
- The Cuban Embassy in Washington accused Costa Rica of acting "under pressure from the United States," and Ecuador — another government aligned with Trump — expelled Cuba’s ambassador on March 4 for alleged interference and "violent activities," indicating a pattern of coordinated action by U.S.-aligned states against Havana.
- Cuban President Miguel Díaz‑Canel vowed any external aggressor would meet "impregnable resistance," underscoring Havana’s rejection of intensified U.S. rhetoric and regional diplomatic moves.
📊 Relevant Data
As of February 2026, Cuba holds a record 1,207 political prisoners according to Prisoners Defenders, reflecting increased repression against dissidents and protesters.
Cuba Sets Historic Record for Political Prisoners with 1,207 According to Prisoners Defenders — Translating Cuba
Cuba's energy crisis, including the March 2026 blackouts, stems from chronic fuel shortages worsened by U.S. sanctions on oil imports, combined with aging power infrastructure and breakdowns at key plants like the Antonio Guiteras facility.
Cuba hit by island-wide blackout as energy crisis deepens — NPR
The Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 has facilitated over 1.4 million Cuban immigrants adjusting to permanent residency in the U.S. by 2021, contributing to demographic shifts in South Florida where the Cuban-origin population grew from about 1.2 million in 2010 to 1.4 million in 2021.
Cuban Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
Cuban Americans, comprising about 0.77% of the U.S. population (2.5 million individuals), wield significant political influence in Florida, with 68% of likely Cuban American voters in Miami-Dade County planning to support Trump in 2024, driven by anti-communist sentiments.
FIU Cuba Poll 2024: Cuban American voters' support for Trump at an all-time high — Florida International University
Opinions on U.S.-Cuba policy among Cuban Americans vary by arrival cohort: those arriving before 1980 show 65% support for the embargo, while post-1995 arrivals show 45% support, with newer cohorts more open to engagement.
The 2024 FIU Cuba Poll: How Cuban Americans in South Florida View U.S. Policy Toward Cuba — Florida International University
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
"A City Journal opinion piece criticizes the DSA’s apparent friendliness toward Cuba, arguing that left‑wing solidarity with Havana—against the backdrop of Cuba’s energy crisis and tentative opening to U.S.-based investment—papers over the regime’s repression and undermines progressive credibility."
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Costa Rica has closed its embassy in Havana and formally asked Cuba to withdraw its diplomatic personnel from San José, except for consular staff.
- Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves justified the break by saying, 'We have to clean out communists from the hemisphere,' and his foreign minister cited 'sustained deterioration' in human rights and increased repression in Cuba.
- The Cuban Embassy in the U.S. publicly claimed Costa Rica acted 'under pressure from the United States.'
- Ecuador, another Trump-aligned government, expelled Cuba’s ambassador on March 4 for alleged interference and 'violent activities,' showing a pattern of U.S.-aligned states taking coordinated action against Havana.
- Trump has escalated his rhetoric, saying he may 'free' or 'take' Cuba and that he could 'do anything I want with it,' while acknowledging ongoing U.S.–Cuban talks; Cuban President Díaz‑Canel vowed any external aggressor would meet 'impregnable resistance.'
- Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI identifies the Hong Kong‑flagged tanker Sea Horse as allegedly delivering roughly 190,000–200,000 barrels of oil to Cuba in early March using tactics consistent with sanctions evasion.
- Windward reports the Sea Horse shut off its AIS transponder during a ship‑to‑ship transfer near Cyprus, repeatedly changed its stated destination, sailed without Western insurance, and broadcast misleading "not under command" signals while apparently making an unreported delivery to Cuba.
- The Financial Times is cited as reporting that Russian‑flagged tanker Anatoly Kolodkin is expected to deliver crude to Cuba by around April 4.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on March 17 that Russia is "ready to provide all possible assistance" to Cuba as it confronts fuel shortages.
- U.S. officials tell Fox News that, under existing law, Cuban companies and citizens can still purchase oil, arguing the embargo blocks regime purchases but that Havana’s own policies are making legal purchases "impossible."
- The article ties the suspected clandestine Russian shipment to Cuba’s severe March 16 grid collapse that left about 10 million people without electricity after U.S. measures since Jan. 29 disrupted fuel shipments.
- In a March 16 Oval Office interview with Fox News, President Trump said he believes he will have 'the honor' of 'taking Cuba' and that he could 'do anything I want with it,' calling the island a 'failed nation' and a 'very weakened nation.'
- Trump framed 'taking Cuba' as possibly 'in some form,' saying whether he would 'free it' or 'take it' he believes he could 'do anything' he wants with the country.
- The article notes Cuba has been in talks with the Trump administration as Havana tries to fend off potential regime change while grappling with a deepening energy crisis after the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and immediately cut off oil exports to Cuba.
- Trump’s remarks came the same day Cuba’s entire electrical grid suffered a total collapse, plunging the country into a nationwide blackout.
- Earlier this month, Trump publicly vowed to 'take care' of Cuba’s regime once he is finished focusing on Iran, linking Cuba policy to his broader war posture.