Trump administration Cuba strategy faces stalemate as sanctions tighten

The administration's Cuba strategy seems to be entering a more complex phase, with most tools of pressure already in play but no clear path to an outcome. "The signals over the past few weeks have been uneven, to put it mildly. At this point, it's very hard to tell where this is going," said Michael Bustamante, director of Cuban Studies at the University of Miami. "I feel like we're in a kind of stalemate." Over the past several months, Washington has steadily tightened its campaign against Cuba, combining an energy blockade with broader sanctions and stepped-up maritime enforcement. The measures have disrupted oil flows – particularly from Venezuela – and contributed to worsening power outages, rising food prices and strain on basic services across the island.