In January, after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, the Trump administration turned its attention to Cuba. In the months since, the White House has used every tool at its disposal to unseat the Communist government.
In May, sparking fears of a humanitarian crisis, Cuba reported that it had officially run out of oil as a result of the U.S. oil blockade.
Today, Lynsea Garrison, a senior producer for “The Daily,” talks with one Cuban about how his life has transformed under President Trump’s pressure campaign, and what the future holds for Cuban people.
Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/lynsea-garrison" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lynsea Garrison</a>, senior producer on “The Daily” for The New York Times.
Background reading: 
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/22/world/americas/cuba-oil-gas-crisis-schools-education.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cuba’s already-struggling schools are ending the academic year early</a> because of the crippling fuel shortage caused by the U.S. oil blockade.</li>
 <li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/world/americas/cuba-power-crisis-oil-blockade.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The blockade has deepened a humanitarian crisis</a>, forcing Cubans to lean on the island’s long tradition of community solidarity.</li>
</ul>
Photo: Lisette Poole González for The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily" rel="noopener noreferrer">nytimes.com/thedaily</a>. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 
Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher">https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher</a>. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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