As Cuba faces a mounting economic and humanitarian crisis, last Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, Jamaica’s main opposition political party — the People’s National Party (PNP) — in a statement urged the Caribbean Community to respond to the ongoing crisis in Cuba with solidarity, principle, and compassion. The PNP stated that recent actions by the United States are contributing to a humanitarian crisis in the island of Cuba.
In a statement, the PNP said that as external pressure intensifies and continues to adversely affect the daily lives and well-being of the Cuban people, it is both appropriate and necessary for the region to respond with understanding and a common interest to help the Cuban people.
According to a report from the People’s National Party, Cuba has made immense contributions to the Caribbean and deserves the community’s support as it faces mounting humanitarian and economic challenges.
“Our shared history and regional bonds require that we act with empathy, fairness, and respect for sovereignty,” the PNP said.
The statement also highlighted the importance of regional and international engagement grounded in international law, non-interference, and peaceful cooperation.
“The Caribbean has always upheld these fundamental principles, and this time. CARICOM countries across the region and beyond must stand firmly in defense of them so that dialogue, stability, and peaceful co-existence can prevail,” the PNP stated.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that economic reforms could offer the Cuban government a path to easing U.S. pressure even as the Donald Trump administration’s oil blockade pushes the island deeper into crisis.
Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants who moved to the United States from Cuba in 1956 declined to spell out specific conditions but suggested that the regime must allow Cubans greater economic freedom, not just political reform, if it wants relief from Washington’s tightening grip.
Less than two weeks ago, two Mexican ships bearing humanitarian aid docked in the harbor in Cuba’s capital, Havana, with the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, promising that more help was on the way.
The Mexican president emphasized that maintaining Cuba’s sovereignty would be paramount in her priorities in helping the Cubans.
Since January, the Trump administration has sought to cut off the oil supplies that support Cuba’s energy grid and other critical infrastructure.
“Thousands of Jamaicans have benefitted from Cuban medical missions, scholarships, and technical cooperation, and the legacy of support must not be forgotten,” the PNP said, noting that as external pressure intensifies and continues to adversely affect the daily lives and well-being of the Cubans, it is both appropriate and necessary for the region to respond with understanding and solidarity.
The statement also emphasized the growing concerns of other Caribbean governments and citizens, calling on them to engage in humanitarian efforts and respond to the Cuban crisis.
