GENEVA - UN human rights experts* today condemned the executive order issued by the President of the United States on 29 January 2026 declaring a purported national emergency and authorising the imposition of trade tariffs on imports of oil from third countries to Cuba.
"The U.S. executive order imposing a fuel blockade on Cuba is a serious violation of international law and a grave threat to a democratic and equitable international order," the experts said.
"It is an extreme form of unilateral economic coercion with extraterritorial effects, through which the United States seeks to exert coercion on the sovereign state of Cuba and compel other sovereign third States to alter their lawful commercial relations, under threat of punitive trade measures," they said.
The experts stressed that characterising Cuba as an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to the national security of the United States and accusing the country of supporting "transnational terrorist groups" lacks credibility and appears designed to justify the use of extraordinary and coercive powers. "In the absence of authorisation from the United Nations Security Council, the executive order has no basis in collective security and constitutes a unilateral act that is incompatible with international law," they said.
"There is no right under international law to impose economic penalties on third States for engaging in lawful trade with another sovereign country," the experts said.
They warned that the U.S. executive order directly violates the principles of sovereign equality, non-intervention and self-determination, which are essential pillars of a democratic and equitable international order as reflected in the UN Charter Article 2(1). They also circumvent multilateral frameworks governing international trade and security, including the World Trade Organization.
"A democratic international order cannot be reconciled with practices whereby one State claims the authority to dictate the internal policies and economic relations of others through threats and coercion," the experts said.
They expressed deep concern about the foreseeable humanitarian consequences of restricting fuel supplies to Cuba through the coercion of third States. "Cuba is already experiencing severe energy shortages, due to previous U.S. sanctions, with blackouts lasting up to 20 hours in many areas, affecting refrigeration for food and medication, and contributing to public health crises."
Fuel is indispensable for electricity generation, water and sanitation systems, hospitals, public transportation, and food production, including irrigation, harvesting, refrigeration and food distribution.
"Interfering with fuel imports could lead to a severe humanitarian crisis with knock-on effects for essential services," the experts said.
They recalled that measures which are likely to result in shortages of essential goods may amount to the collective punishment of civilians, raising serious concerns under international human rights law.
The experts called on the U.S. Government to immediately rescind the executive order and cease the use of extraterritorial economic measures, bringing its conduct in line with international law. The executive order compounds the effects of the U.S. existing unlawful designation of Cuba as a "State Sponsor of Terrorism".
They urged all States to refrain from recognising or giving effect to unilateral coercive measures that undermine international law and to take all appropriate steps, including diplomatic and multilateral action, to uphold the principles of international cooperation, sovereign equality, non-intervention and peaceful settlement of disputes.
"The normalisation of unilateral economic coercion erodes the international legal order, weakens multilateral institutions, and inflicts unacceptable suffering on civilian populations," the experts said. "Collective action by States is essential to defending a democratic and equitable international order."
