The U.S. embargo on Cuba has long created hardship for the island, and today it continues to deepen the country’s economic and humanitarian crisis. By restricting trade, financial transactions, and access to U.S. goods—including essential items like food, medicine, and fuel—the embargo severely limits Cuba's ability to meet the basic needs of its population. As shortages worsen, many Cubans are driven to leave the country, contributing to increased migration flows that affect not only the United States but also neighboring countries in the region. This ongoing situation has fueled criticism from Latin American nations, many of which argue that the embargo is outdated and harmful, causing friction in their relations with Washington DC.

The roots of the embargo stretch back to the early years of the Cold War. In 1959, Fidel Castro led a revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. Soon after taking power, Castro’s government began nationalizing American-owned businesses and aligning itself with the Soviet Union. In response, the United States cut off diplomatic ties and imposed initial trade restrictions. The crisis escalated dramatically in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the Soviet Union placed nuclear weapons on the island. That same year, President John F. Kennedy formalized the full trade embargo, intended to isolate Cuba economically and politically.

Over the decades, the embargo was strengthened through various laws, particularly during the 1990s, making it difficult even for non-U.S. companies to trade with Cuba. Although President Obama relaxed some of these restrictions and restored diplomatic relations in the mid-2010s, the Trump administration reversed many of those changes, and President Biden mostly kept the tighter Trump-era rules in place. As of mid‑2025, President Trump’s administration has reversed any of Biden’s easing measures and is actively maintaining or tightening embargo-related policies largly in response to Florida's Cuban-American republican politics shaped by generations of Cuban exiles. 

Today, the embargo remains a powerful symbol of Cold War-era tensions, but its real-world effects are deeply felt by ordinary Cubans. It contributes directly to the island’s economic instability and plays a central role in the current regional challenges surrounding migration and diplomacy. The embargo itself is codified into U.S. law, meaning only Congress can repeal or significantly amend it—not the President. Executive actions can narrow or widen enforcement—e.g. rescind or reinstate restricted lists, adjust licensing, suspend Title III claims, or affect State Sponsor of Terrorism (SSOT) designation.