Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla during talks in New York that Beijing would support Cuba’s sovereignty and economic development, according to Chinese state media. Wang said China opposed “all forms of power politics and bullying,” in remarks widely seen as directed at Washington.

The comments come as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on Cuba through sanctions, legal action and restrictions on Venezuelan oil shipments to the island. Washington last week indicted former Cuban president Raul Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian U.S. aircraft, a move condemned by Beijing.

China has expanded economic support for Cuba in recent months, including rice shipments and agricultural cooperation agreements, as Havana struggles with fuel shortages and economic strain linked to U.S. sanctions.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said previous administrations had considered action against Cuba for decades and suggested he could be the president to pursue it. While he did not outline specific plans, his remarks marked the latest escalation in Washington’s rhetoric toward the communist-run island.

Rubio, speaking separately in Miami before departing for meetings in Europe and India, said the administration’s preferred outcome remained a negotiated settlement but acknowledged doubts that meaningful progress could be achieved with Cuba’s current leadership.

“The president’s preference is always a negotiated agreement that’s peaceful,” Rubio said, adding that prospects for such an outcome were limited given the current political environment in Havana.

The comments came one day after U.S. federal prosecutors announced an indictment accusing Castro of ordering the 1996 shootdown of civilian aircraft operated by Cuban exiles based in Miami. The charges include murder and destruction of an aircraft. Cuban authorities have rejected the case, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel describing it as a political maneuver intended to justify potential aggression against the island.

The indictment has fueled speculation that the Trump administration may be considering a more confrontational approach toward Cuba. Analysts have drawn comparisons to Washington’s earlier operation against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by U.S. forces earlier this year and faces federal criminal charges in the United States.

Senior U.S. officials, including Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, have held discussions with Cuban representatives in recent months aimed at improving relations. Rubio said those contacts failed to produce meaningful results and contributed to the administration’s decision to impose additional sanctions on Havana.

Among the latest measures are sanctions targeting Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., a business conglomerate controlled by Cuba’s armed forces. Rubio also announced that a relative of the group’s executive president had been detained by U.S. immigration authorities after her legal residency status was revoked.

The administration argues that Cuba presents a national security challenge because of its security and intelligence ties with China and Russia, as well as its relationships with governments viewed as adversarial by Washington.

China rejected the U.S. position on Thursday. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing supports Cuba’s sovereignty and opposes external interference and sanctions.

The heightened tensions come as the U.S. military conducts exercises in the Caribbean involving the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and accompanying vessels. U.S. Southern Command said the deployments are part of previously scheduled maritime operations with regional partners.

Trump has increasingly linked future relations with Cuba to demands that Havana expand economic openness and reduce ties with U.S. geopolitical rivals, while continuing to tighten sanctions pressure on the island’s government.

The charges announced by U.S. authorities on Wednesday intensified tensions between Washington and Havana and prompted criticism from Beijing, which reaffirmed support for Cuba’s sovereignty and opposition to foreign interference.

“The U.S. side should stop brandishing the sanctions stick and the judicial stick against Cuba and stop threatening force at every turn,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing in Beijing.

“China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity and opposes external interference,” Guo said.

The indictment against Castro, 94, includes charges of conspiracy to kill Americans and destruction of aircraft linked to the 1996 shooting down of two planes operated by anti-Castro activists, an incident that killed four people.

Castro, the younger brother of late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, led Cuba from 2008 until 2018 after decades as one of the country’s most powerful political figures.

U.S. President Donald Trump described the indictment as a “very big moment” on Wednesday but downplayed suggestions of immediate action against the Cuban government.

The development comes as Cuba faces a prolonged economic crisis marked by fuel shortages, inflation and declining foreign currency reserves, conditions Havana has blamed in part on longstanding U.S. sanctions and restrictions.

China has maintained close political and economic ties with Cuba and has consistently criticized Washington’s sanctions policy toward the island nation.

The Cuban government said the meeting occurred “in a context marked by the complexity of bilateral relations” and was intended to contribute to dialogue between the two countries after months of escalating tensions.

The CIA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The talks came one day after Cuba’s energy minister, Vicente de la O Levy, said the country had exhausted its reserves of diesel and fuel oil, leaving the national power grid in what he described as a “critical” condition.

“We have absolutely no fuel oil and absolutely no diesel,” Levy said on state media on Wednesday, acknowledging the country had no remaining reserves as prolonged blackouts intensified across the island.

Residents in several districts of Havana staged protests late Wednesday, chanting “turn on the lights,” banging pots and pans and setting fire to piles of rubbish as electricity outages stretched to as long as 22 hours in some areas.

Cuban authorities blamed the shortages on what they described as a U.S. blockade that has sharply restricted the island’s ability to import fuel and financing. Washington imposed additional measures targeting Cuba’s energy sector in January, further straining supplies.

In its statement, Havana reiterated that Cuba did not pose a threat to U.S. national security and rejected allegations related to foreign military or intelligence activity on the island, including claims regarding a Chinese presence.

“Havana has never supported any hostile activity against the United States, nor will it permit actions against any other nation to be carried out from Cuba,” the statement said.Relations between Washington and Havana have deteriorated significantly in recent months.

U.S. President Donald Trump has expanded sanctions on the communist-run island and publicly floated the possibility of greater U.S. control over Cuba’s affairs, while Cuban officials have accused Washington of deliberately worsening humanitarian conditions.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently renewed an offer of $100 million in aid on the condition that distribution be handled through the Catholic Church rather than the Cuban government.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in a post on X that the humanitarian situation could be alleviated more effectively if the United States eased sanctions and restrictions on the island.

“The damage could be eased in a much simpler and faster way by lifting or relaxing the blockade,” Diaz-Canel said, adding that Cuba would not obstruct humanitarian assistance if Washington demonstrated “true willingness” to provide aid.

Despite mounting tensions, diplomatic engagement between the two governments has continued. A senior-level bilateral meeting took place in Havana on April 10, marking the first landing of a U.S. government aircraft in the Cuban capital since 2016.

Ratcliffe held talks with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas and Cuban intelligence officials during the visit, marking one of the most significant direct intelligence-level engagements between Washington and Havana in years.

A CIA official said Ratcliffe traveled to Cuba “to personally deliver President Donald Trump’s message that the United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes.”

The Cuban government confirmed the meeting in a statement, describing it as taking place “against a backdrop of complex bilateral relations.”

According to U.S. officials, Washington reiterated concerns that Cuba could not remain a “safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere,” while Cuban representatives rejected assertions that the island posed a security threat to the United States and objected to Cuba’s continued designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, has long maintained influence within Cuba’s security establishment despite holding no formal government office. He previously served as his grandfather’s bodyguard and later oversaw Cuba’s equivalent of the Secret Service.

Officials familiar with the discussions said Rodríguez Castro also held a private meeting earlier this year with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a Caribbean Community summit in St. Kitts.

The Havana meetings come amid escalating economic strain in Cuba following tighter U.S. restrictions on fuel shipments to the island. Cuban authorities have warned that severe shortages of diesel and fuel oil have destabilized the national electricity grid, leading to prolonged blackouts and worsening shortages of food and basic goods.

The continuing dialogue between U.S. and Cuban officials has also marked the first known U.S. government flights into Cuba outside the naval base at Guantanamo Bay since 2016.

Earlier this week, the U.S. State Department reiterated an offer to provide $100 million in humanitarian assistance and satellite internet support if the Cuban government agreed to permit distribution and access arrangements.

In January, President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba as part of a broader effort to pressure Havana economically. Trump has also warned of possible intervention in Cuba, although sources familiar with internal discussions told AP that military action was not considered imminent.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel recently said Cuba was prepared to defend itself against any external threat while continuing to accuse Washington of intensifying the island’s economic crisis through sanctions and fuel restrictions.

Rubio, traveling with President Donald Trump during a visit to China, said Cuba’s deepening economic turmoil stemmed from structural failures and corruption rather than US sanctions, which Havana has long blamed for shortages and financial distress.“It’s a broken, nonfunctional economy, and it’s impossible to change it,” Rubio told Fox News aboard Air Force One.

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to change the trajectory of Cuba as long as these people are in charge in that regime.”Cuba has been grappling with severe economic disruption and energy shortages, with authorities reporting that around 65% of the island experienced electricity blackouts on Tuesday.

The US State Department publicly renewed the $100 million assistance proposal, saying the package would include humanitarian support and funding aimed at expanding “fast and free” Internet access across the island.

“The regime refuses to allow the United States to provide this assistance to the Cuban people,” the department said in a statement, adding that Cuban authorities would be accountable if they rejected “critical life-saving aid.”Washington last week imposed new sanctions targeting key entities within Cuba’s state-controlled economy and foreign partners linked to the sector.

Trump has recently intensified pressure on leftist governments in Latin America and has suggested Cuba could become a future target of broader US strategic efforts after the removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro earlier this year.

Cuban authorities rejected Rubio’s characterization of the crisis and blamed US restrictions for worsening fuel shortages and economic instability.President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the worsening conditions were caused by what he described as a US “energy blockade,” accusing Washington of threatening countries supplying fuel to Cuba with punitive tariffs.

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla dismissed Rubio’s claims that Havana had rejected the aid proposal, calling the assertion “a lie” and questioning whether the offer was intended to undermine Cuban sovereignty.

Cuba has witnessed a series of small but increasingly visible protests in recent months as residents face prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages and rising economic hardship.

Witnesses told AFP that demonstrators in parts of Havana banged pots and pans and demanded electricity be restored following new power outages.Cuba’s fuel imports have sharply declined since the United States moved earlier this year against Venezuela’s leadership, reducing energy support from Caracas.

Since then, only one Russian oil tanker has reportedly reached the island.The Trump administration previously provided $6 million in humanitarian aid to Cuba through Catholic Church-linked charities, which have historically acted as intermediaries between Washington and Havana.

A recent escalation in US policy toward Cuba is disrupting longstanding international medical programmes, with potential consequences for healthcare systems across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The measures, which target the deployment of Cuban doctors abroad, are part of broader economic and diplomatic pressure on Havana, a country that has been under US sanctions for decades.Cuba’s overseas medical missions have historically been a central component of its international engagement and a significant source of revenue.

Since the 1959 revolution, the Cuban government has deployed medical professionals to countries facing shortages, initially responding to crises such as the 1960 earthquake in Chile. Over time, these efforts evolved into formal bilateral agreements, with Cuban doctors providing services in underserved regions across Latin America, the Caribbean, and beyond.

According to Tiago Rogero, South America correspondent for The Guardian, these programmes have become increasingly constrained due to US pressure on host countries. Washington has argued that the arrangements amount to exploitative labour practices, citing the Cuban state’s retention of a portion of doctors’ earnings.

While some testimonies from medical personnel have supported claims of exploitation, Rogero noted that this does not represent the majority view among those involved. Analysts cited in his reporting suggest that financial considerations specifically limiting revenue flows to the Cuban government—are a central factor behind the policy.

The withdrawal of Cuban medical personnel is already affecting healthcare provision in several countries. A number of governments have ended their agreements with Cuba, in some cases under pressure linked to US sanctions mechanisms such as financial restrictions and visa policies. These measures have reduced the availability of healthcare workers in regions that were already facing shortages.

Cuban doctors have played a significant role in filling gaps in national health systems, particularly in remote or low-income areas where local capacity is limited. In countries such as Brazil, they have been deployed to underserved communities, often in roles that domestic practitioners were unwilling or unable to fill.

Their presence has been part of a broader strategy sometimes referred to as “medical diplomacy,” through which Cuba has combined healthcare assistance with international cooperation.Beyond their immediate service delivery, Cuban medical programmes have also included training initiatives for foreign students in Cuban institutions.

This has contributed to building healthcare capacity in partner countries, although such efforts typically require long-term investment before yielding results.The current policy shift is raising concerns among healthcare professionals and development experts about the absence of alternative arrangements.

Rogero reported that non-governmental organisations and local practitioners anticipate a worsening of healthcare access in affected regions. “Most of these countries do not have enough doctors of their own,” he said, adding that the termination of Cuban programmes is not being matched by new support mechanisms.

The policy comes in the context of a broader reduction in US development assistance. The dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which previously funded health and development programmes in Latin America, has further limited available resources.

Observers note that this combination reduced aid and restrictions on third-party assistance—may intensify existing vulnerabilities in public health systems.The geopolitical dimension of the policy is also evident. US sanctions have long been used as a tool of foreign policy toward Cuba, and recent measures, including tighter fuel restrictions, indicate an expansion of pressure.

While the stated rationale focuses on labour conditions within the medical missions, analysts suggest the policy aligns with broader efforts to constrain the Cuban state economically.For recipient countries, the immediate concern remains service continuity. Healthcare systems in parts of Latin America and the Caribbean rely heavily on external support to address shortages in personnel and infrastructure.

The removal of Cuban doctors is expected to disproportionately affect rural and low-income populations, where access to medical care is already limited.Rogero emphasised that the impact will be most acute among vulnerable groups. “How will they cope now without the few doctors they had?” he said, pointing to the lack of contingency planning. In many cases, Cuban medical teams represented the primary or sole source of healthcare provision in certain communities.

The situation underscores the interconnected nature of global health systems and the role of international cooperation in addressing disparities. As policy decisions reshape these arrangements, the consequences are likely to be felt most strongly at the local level, where healthcare access depends on sustained and coordinated support.

The measure, introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia under the War Powers Act of 1973, would have required Trump to end U.S. actions enforcing restrictions on Cuba unless Congress explicitly authorized them.

Democrats argued that Washington’s use of Coast Guard and other federal assets to disrupt oil shipments and tighten sanctions amounted to hostilities that should fall under congressional oversight.Republicans moved to dismiss the resolution, arguing it was procedurally out of order because the United States was not engaged in direct military hostilities with Cuba.

Their motion succeeded in a 51-47 vote.Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans in dismissing the resolution, while Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky joined Democrats in supporting it.The vote marked the first Senate test specifically focused on Cuba as Democrats continue to challenge Trump’s military and strategic actions in several theaters, including Iran and Venezuela.

Previous efforts to constrain the administration’s authority under the War Powers Act have failed.Kaine said U.S. enforcement measures had triggered severe humanitarian consequences on the island, including worsening water shortages, electricity outages and disruptions to medical care.

“My argument is that under the terms of the resolution we are already engaged in hostilities with Cuba because we are using American force, primarily the Coast Guard, but other assets as well, to engage in a very devastating economic blockade of the nation,” Kaine said during Senate debate.

Cuba has been grappling with prolonged shortages of fuel, food and medicine, while U.S. sanctions and interruptions to Venezuelan oil shipments have added pressure to the island’s struggling economy.The Trump administration has said its policy aims to pressure Cuba’s leadership to end political repression, release political prisoners and implement economic liberalization.

Trump, speaking after the recent conflict with Iran, said Cuba would be a next foreign policy priority and pledged “a new dawn for Cuba” during remarks last week at a Turning Points USA event.Democratic Senator Peter Welch of Vermont said the resolution was intended not only to challenge the blockade but also to prevent the possibility of direct military escalation.

“The United States and Cuba need to find a way to peacefully coexist,” Welch said.Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida defended Trump’s approach and accused Democrats of overlooking rights abuses by Cuba’s government.“President Trump is doing everything he can to bring back freedom and democracy all across Latin America, and we should do everything we can to support him,” Scott said.

The War Powers Act, passed in 1973 following the Vietnam War, was designed to reassert congressional authority over decisions involving U.S. military engagement abroad, requiring presidents to notify Congress and limiting unauthorized hostilities.

At the Church of the Holy Spirit in Old Havana, nearly 50 elderly residents gather three times a week for a free lunch of rice, beans, ground meat and coffee, a modest but essential supplement for pensioners whose monthly incomes often amount to less than $10 at informal exchange rates.

Among them is 84-year-old retired chemical engineer Carmen Casado, who receives a monthly pension of 2,000 Cuban pesos, worth roughly $4 on the informal market. Living alone, without children or remittances from relatives abroad, she relies on church meals in addition to the limited bread, rice and beans available through Cuba’s state-run ration stores.“This is a lifeline for us retirees with small pensions,” Casado said.

“What we get from the bodegas alone is not enough.”Older Cubans, many of them former state employees such as teachers, doctors, nurses and technicians, have been among the hardest hit by the worsening downturn, which intensified this year following an oil embargo imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The crisis has brought further cuts to subsidized goods that for decades formed the backbone of Cuba’s social safety net, while rising shortages and inflation have eroded the value of fixed pensions.At the same time, the migration of younger Cubans has left many elderly residents isolated, without family members to provide financial support or day-to-day care.

Cuba was already one of Latin America’s oldest societies before the latest wave of emigration. By the end of 2024, nearly 26% of the population was aged 60 or older, according to Cuba’s National Bureau of Statistics, compared with a regional average of 14.2% reported by the U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).Over the last five years, Cuba’s population has declined by nearly 1.5 million, largely because of outward migration.

The number of residents on the island has fallen from 11.1 million to 9.7 million.The demographic shift is increasingly visible in Havana, where elderly residents stand in long lines for rationed food, sell small items such as cigarettes on the streets or search for assistance from churches and state institutions.

The pressure has prompted the government to authorize private entrepreneurs to operate elder-care services and residential facilities, a notable shift in a country where social services have traditionally remained under state control.Casado says she still considers herself fortunate. At 84, she remains physically independent, climbs the stairs to her aging apartment without a cane and needs only blood pressure medication, which she says is still available through state pharmacies.

Born in 1942, she has lived through the Cuban Revolution, the 1962 missile crisis, the Soviet-backed economic boom of the 1970s and 1980s, and the severe shortages of the post-Soviet “Special Period.”Despite today’s hardships, she continues to place responsibility for Cuba’s economic difficulties largely on the United States.

“We’re doing everything we can here to move the country forward,” she said. “But the thing is, we have a very powerful enemy, and he’s right there, right on our doorstep.”

The hardship has intensified since the beginning of the year following an oil embargo imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, worsening fuel shortages and compounding a prolonged economic downturn that has strained food supplies, transportation and public services across the communist-run island.

At the Church of the Holy Spirit in Old Havana, nearly 50 elderly residents gather three times a week for a free lunch of ground meat, rice, red beans, crackers and Cuban coffee — a modest meal that many describe as essential.“This is a lifeline for us retirees with small pensions,” said 84-year-old Carmen Casado, a retired chemical engineer whose monthly pension of 2,000 Cuban pesos is worth about $4 at the informal exchange rate widely used in daily transactions.Casado lives alone, has no children and receives no remittances from relatives abroad.

She said the food supplements the limited rations of bread, rice and beans available through Cuba’s state-run subsidized stores, known as bodegas.“What we get from the bodegas alone is not enough,” she said.Older Cubans, many of them former state employees including teachers, doctors, nurses and technicians, are among the groups hardest hit by the downturn.

Monthly pensions for many retirees remain below $10, while access to subsidized goods has narrowed and inflation has sharply reduced purchasing power.At the same time, the country’s aging population and the mass departure of younger Cubans have deepened social isolation for many elderly residents.

According to Cuba’s National Bureau of Statistics, nearly 26% of the population was aged 60 or older by the end of 2024, almost double the Latin American regional average of 14.2% reported by the U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).Over the past five years, Cuba’s population has declined by nearly 1.5 million people, largely due to migration, reducing the island’s resident population from 11.1 million to about 9.7 million.

The impact is visible across Havana, where elderly people often wait alone in long lines for rationed bread and rice or search through refuse for recyclable materials and food scraps.The severity of the problem has prompted the Cuban government to authorize private entrepreneurs to operate elder care services and residential facilities, a notable shift in a system historically dominated by state control.

Casado said she still considers herself fortunate. She remains physically independent, walks without assistance and manages her household alone in a deteriorating 19th-century building in the capital.Born in 1942, she lived through the Cuban Revolution, the 1962 missile crisis and the severe economic collapse that followed the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.

Like many of her generation, she said she continues to support the government despite worsening living conditions and attributes much of the country’s hardship to U.S. policy.“We’re doing everything we can here to move the country forward,” she said. “But the thing is, we have a very powerful enemy, and he’s right there, right on our doorstep.