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Well played Ryan Grim.

So if America is the driver, is Canada the lookout?

Trump signs executive order dramatically escalating "sanctions" on Cuba, targeting energy, finance, and security sectors

President Trump signed an executive order Friday, marking one of the most sweeping expansions of US economic pressure on Cuba in decades, blocking the US assets of foreign individuals and entities operating in Cuba's energy, defense, financial services, metals, mining, and security sectors, as well as anyone acting on behalf of the Cuban government.

The order also authorizes sanctions on foreign financial institutions that conduct significant transactions with designated Cuban entities, potentially cutting them off from US correspondent banking. This move could further isolate Cuba from the international financial system, limit foreign investment, and exacerbate the island's already severely restricted access to medicine, food imports, and basic goods.

The order builds on Trump's January declaration of a national emergency over Cuba — the same legal basis used to justify the ongoing fuel blockade. Researchers at the Center for Economic and Policy Research found that US unilateral coercive measures had driven Cuba's infant mortality rate to its highest level in decades, rising 148% since 2018.

It worked so well in the last 65 years, so double down.
Beating our heads against the wall is getting us nowhere. We just have to beat our heads against it even harder!

The Customs Incident: The creator explains that Shirley was not targeted by secret police; rather, he committed a standard customs violation by bringing unauthorized professional broadcast equipment into a sanctioned country without the proper permits (0:40-1:07).
Energy Logistics: Shirley claimed hospital power outages were evidence of ideological failure. The creator contends the outages are the direct result of a long-standing U.S. economic blockade and secondary sanctions that restrict Cuba’s ability to import fuel, rather than systemic internal failure (1:50-2:51).
Debunking the "Spy Thriller" Narrative: The creator dismisses Shirley's claims of being hunted or needing a secret extraction, highlighting the absurdity of his "Grand Theft Auto"-style escape plans. He notes that millions of tourists, including 1.2 million Canadians annually, visit Cuba without incident (3:30-4:47).
Geopolitical Commentary: The creator argues that the American algorithm promotes this panic to distract from failures in the Middle East and to maintain a narrative of an "Iron Curtain" to shield Americans from the reality of the U.S.-imposed blockade (5:07-6:00).
The creator concludes that Shirley's video is a poor attempt at journalism that ignores real-world logistics in favor of fear-mongering.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/as ... inas-help/

1. One of the fastest solar transitions globally
Cuba has built dozens of new solar parks with Chinese investment, and imports of Chinese solar panels and batteries have surged.

According to the energy think tank Ember, Cuba is “pulling off one of the fastest solar revolutions on the planet.”

2. Solar’s share of Cuba’s electricity has skyrocketed
Solar generation rose from 5.8% in early 2025 to over 20% of total electricity by early 2026.

During daytime hours in February 2026, solar briefly supplied 38% of Cuba’s electricity.

3. China is supplying both large-scale and household systems
China has provided:

49 solar parks already built, with 92 planned by 2028.

10,000 solar panel kits for homes and public buildings.

5,000 additional PV systems for critical facilities like maternity homes, clinics, and radio stations.

5,000 systems for isolated rural homes (“zero‑volt homes”).

These systems are off‑grid, allowing essential services to function during blackouts.

Cuba is completely out of diesel and fuel oil

Cuba has completely exhausted its diesel and fuel oil reserves, Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy announced Wednesday on state media, prompting protests across the capital on Wednesday evening.

Some districts in the capital are without light for 20 to 22 hours a day, the minister added in his announcement.

Neither Mexico nor Venezuela, once top suppliers, have sent fuel since President Trump’s January 2026 executive order threatening tariffs on any country shipping fuel to Cuba.

The United Nations last week called the fuel blockade unlawful, saying it had obstructed “the Cuban people’s right to development while undermining their rights to food, education, health, and water and sanitation.”