Cuba has suspended its annual cigar festival after the country's energy situation deteriorated following the U.S. blockade of oil shipments from Venezuela.
Foreign news agencies report that Cuban authorities have decided to cancel the annual cigar festival in Havana amid widespread impacts caused by the energy crisis, after the U.S. prevented Cuba from accessing oil supplies from regional allies.
The Festival del Habano organizing committee announced on Saturday (14 Feb 2026) that this year's event, originally scheduled to last five days in late February, will be postponed until further notice.
The committee stated that the decision was due to the "complex economic situation" Cuba is facing, caused by the "economic, trade, and financial blockade" imposed by the United States.
Previously, it was believed that Cuba received about 35,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Venezuela, but after U.S. forces raided Nicolás Maduro in Caracas earlier in January, they blocked all oil shipments to Cuba.
Since then, the existing daily power outages in Cuba have worsened, with some blackouts lasting up to 18 hours in a day, affecting hospital emergency rooms, dialysis patients, and water pumping stations.
Cuba is also facing aviation fuel shortages, causing several airlines to suspend flights to Cuba, while some countries, including the United Kingdom, have issued travel warnings advising against non-essential travel to the island nation.
U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Cuban leaders to "make a deal," warning that failure to do so will have consequences, though he did not specify what those consequences might be.
Cuban cigars are renowned as some of the best in the world but remain illegal in the U.S. due to the longstanding American trade embargo.
Each year, about 1,300 travelers from 70 countries attend the Festival del Habano to sample cigars from Cuban producers and to visit tobacco farms and factories.
Because international tourism to Cuba is limited by the U.S. embargo, this year's festival organizers have decided to wait for improved conditions before rescheduling the event.
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Source:bbc