Canada faces growing calls to help Cuba amid U.S. pressure

Opposition leaders have urged the Canadian government to send humanitarian aid to Cuba amid reported blackouts and fuel shortages, and Ottawa says an announcement on aid is coming soon.

Canada is facing public and political pressure to respond to fuel and power shortages in Cuba while navigating strained relations with the United States. Opposition figures have called for immediate humanitarian assistance as Cuban communities face blackouts and shortages of food, fuel and medicine. The U.S. has restricted Venezuelan oil supplies to Cuba and warned of penalties for countries that provide fuel, raising the diplomatic stakes for Ottawa. Canada’s government says a decision on humanitarian aid will be announced soon. Key facts: - Interim NDP Leader Don Davies and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet have publicly called for Canada to send aid to Cuba. - Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s minister for U.S. trade and intergovernmental affairs, said an announcement on humanitarian aid is coming soon. - The United States has cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and warned of tariffs or penalties for countries that send fuel. - Canada is a long-standing Western partner of Cuba, with about $1 billion in two-way trade and significant tourism and investment links. - Some countries, including Russia, have publicly pledged assistance, and some Canadian groups are independently shipping medical and food supplies; several airlines have suspended flights to Cuba citing fuel shortages. Summary: The situation places Canada between calls to provide humanitarian help and the risk of damaging ties with the United States during a period of heightened pressure. A government announcement on aid is expected soon, while further details and timing of any measures remain undetermined at this time.