Cuba says it has run out of fuel, blames U.S. embargo • Hacker News Board

Re: Cuba says it has run out of fuel, blames U.S. embargo

#101

Post by j_maffe » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:34 PM UTC

Manuel_D wrote: post #87

Someone wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FTA: “U.S. President Donald Trump resumed ramping up a six-decade-old American ecomonic embargo on Cuba in January after cutting off its main supply of oil from Venezuela and threatening sanctions on Mexico, its second largest supply, and any other country that provided oil to the island.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Cuban_crisis : “ The United States began blocking oil tankers heading to Cuba in February 2026…

No really, it's an embargo and a promise to tariff other countries that don't also embargo Cuba. An embargo is like boycotting a store. A blockade is like standing around the store with a bunch of batons promising to apprehend anyone who tries to shop at the store. They are not the same.

They can beat around the bush to pretend what is effectively a blockade to be anything but a blockade. Call it a de-facto blockade if you have to. You're using technicality as a crutch.

Edit: corrected it to blockade

Re: Cuba says it has run out of fuel, blames U.S. embargo

#102

Post by ch4s3 » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:34 PM UTC

vrganj wrote: post #29

What the US is doing to Cuba and has been doing to it for the past 70 years is a horrible crime. What a lack of confidence in their own system to not allow fair competition between Cuban socialism and American capitalism. It feels similar to Putin invading Ukraine because he didn't like the example of an EU-aligned country prospering next door and the populace starting to ask difficult questions.

I can agree that the current de facto blockade of oil is an unwarranted act of aggression and that the embargo was bad policy but the embargo was hardly criminal. The premise of the embargo was that Cuba expropriated American property without compensation so congress was punishing the Cuban government in turn. Again, its bad policy but not really unusual or criminal per se. The embargo has also had a ton of carve out since the end of the Cold War and the US is the main supplier of agricultural good to Cuba. The Cuban government has also engaged in a lot of bad behavior over the decades that warrants some sort of international sanction. They fueled the Angolan Civil War and made the broader conflict far worse (it was sort of their Vietnam). They prop up the worst security states around Latin America, like SEBIN in Venezuela until very recently. They were also involved in helping rig elections and suppress dissent in a number of Latin American countries.

> It feels similar to Putin invading Ukraine because he didn't like the example of an EU-aligned country prospering next door and the populace starting to ask difficult questions.

This is a misreading of Putin's motivation IMHO. He states clearly over and over again that it's about a historical concept of greater and historic Russia. He has even stated publicly it has nothing to do with NATO. So this is a false equivalence.

Re: Cuba says it has run out of fuel, blames U.S. embargo

#103

Post by imvgikviktbt » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:34 PM UTC

shimman wrote: post #78

imvgikviktbt wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Cuban government embargoes their own citizens. I don't understand why there isn't more criticism there.

Well mostly because of the direction actions of imperialism causing the needless deaths of babies but seeing how you seem to be pro-imperialism you probably see this as a good thing for American hegemony. Right up there with bombing school girls in Iran. It's just good diplomacy at that point right? Friendly reminder that the only people that majorly benefit from US foreign policy are the elites, most US citizens are…

What does US imperialism have anything to do with the fact that the Cuban government refuses to allow their citizens to buy and sell goods freely?

Re: Cuba says it has run out of fuel, blames U.S. embargo

#104

Post by Manuel_D » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:34 PM UTC

ceejayoz wrote: post #95

Manuel_D wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A tariff is a tax that a country imposes on goods entering its borders. A country can impose a tariff on any country, at any time, for whatever reason (unless they've signed free trade agreements obligating them to refrain from imposing tariffs). > What would your reaction be if China imposed tariffs on US-Canadian border crossings and seized American ships over it? Again, the ships in being sized were flying false f…

> A tariff is a tax that a country imposes on goods entering its borders. Yes. And that is not what happens here! None of this oil is entering the US at all!

Correct. But the point remains, the US is free to impose a tariff on countries that sell oil to Cuba.

Re: Cuba says it has run out of fuel, blames U.S. embargo

#105

Post by lostlogin » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:34 PM UTC

vrganj wrote: post #81

Manuel_D wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A tariff is a tax that a country imposes on goods entering its borders. A country can impose a tariff on any country, at any time, for whatever reason (unless they've signed free trade agreements obligating them to refrain from imposing tariffs). > What would your reaction be if China imposed tariffs on US-Canadian border crossings and seized American ships over it? Again, the ships in being sized were flying false f…

"Criminal" according to who? The US? Then why does their law apply here? International law? Like the ICC the US ignores? Or the climate agreements it breaks? Or the Geneva convention it runs afoul of? Sure is convenient the US decided this one specific bit is to be taken extremely seriously. Either way, it stinks of imperialism.

> International law? The one the US constantly chooses to ignore?

It’s a little less two faced now though, as this administration ignores US laws too.

Re: Cuba says it has run out of fuel, blames U.S. embargo

#106

Post by ceejayoz » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:34 PM UTC

marknutter wrote: post #76

deadbolt wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Communism must be absolutely incredible for such a small country to be such a threat to a superpower.

Would you tolerate a fascist country in your back yard?

The US has a long history of installing fascists in South America in the name of fighting communism.

Re: Cuba says it has run out of fuel, blames U.S. embargo

#107

Post by janderson215 » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:35 PM UTC

simpaticoder wrote: post #65

daedrdev wrote: post #38

The US has had an embargo on Cuba for a long time that exempted Food and Medicine, while other countries freely traded with Cuba. However, under the Trump admin it has turned into a de-facto blockade of all fuel, which really isn't the embargo, it's a new blockade by the US against Cuba. So I don't get why we blame it on the embargo when the current problems are clearly caused by the blockade. Cuba's previous economi…

Yeah it's crazy when the CCP expresses frustration that you're not doing more capitalism... As an aside, I'm surprised that computers wouldn't make centralized economies more doable. It might not be good but at least the people wouldn't be starving and dying because hospitals are out of electricity.

Isn’t electricity a prerequisite for computing?

Re: Cuba says it has run out of fuel, blames U.S. embargo

#108

Post by legitster » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:35 PM UTC

The embargo on Cuba is unbelievably silly in 2026:

- The Cold War is over and Cuba poses no security risk - Florida is no longer a swing state and appeasing Cuban Americans is not a worthwhile political move - We are willing to ally with much more oppressive regimes for less geopolitical benefits - Cuba was in the process of liberalizing and developing an independent middle class for the first time in half a century before Trump's last crackdown.

The jury is out on whether the "regime change" (or more like, junior dictator promotion) in Venezuela was worthwhile. It's certainly looking like a quagmire in Iran.

By hardballing GAESA, we're probably shooting ourselves in the foot by making the Cuban population more resentful of the US. "Regime change" is a less likely positive outcome than it was 8 years ago.

But we have plenty of models of military dictatorships slowly opening up to becoming stable economies through trade and access. More or less that's what happened with Vietnam, to name one.

Re: Cuba says it has run out of fuel, blames U.S. embargo

#109

Post by ceejayoz » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:36 PM UTC

Manuel_D wrote: post #104

ceejayoz wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A tariff is a tax that a country imposes on goods entering its borders. Yes. And that is not what happens here! None of this oil is entering the US at all!

Correct. But the point remains, the US is free to impose a tariff on countries that sell oil to Cuba.

So it's not "a tax that a country imposes on goods entering its borders" now?

Re: Cuba says it has run out of fuel, blames U.S. embargo

#110

Post by amanaplanacanal » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:36 PM UTC

some_random wrote: post #31

asHqar wrote: post #23

The US starves anyone it does not like from natural resources and subsequently makes them buy US natural resources. It has done this to the EU, now it is trying to do it to China and Cuba. This way they can control everyone.

The US is explicitly not letting Cuba buy US goods, that's literally the only thing it's doing.

And blockading Venezuelan oil from reaching the island. Don't forget that part.