The leaders of Mexico, Brazil and Spain have pledged to intensify coordinated humanitarian assistance to Cuba, warning against actions that violate international law as the Caribbean island faces a deepening crisis driven in part by a tightened United States trade embargo. The joint statement was released on Saturday after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hosted Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in Barcelona, on the sidelines of an international summit of left-leaning governments.
The three governments expressed "great concern about the serious humanitarian crisis that the people of Cuba are going through" and committed to "coordinating an increase in our humanitarian response, aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Cuban people." Without directly naming the United States, the statement called for respect for "territorial integrity, sovereign equality and peaceful settlement of disputes" as set out in the United Nations Charter, and insisted that any solution must allow the Cuban people to "decide their future in full freedom."
Cuba, a socialist-governed island nation roughly 145 kilometres south of Florida, has been subject to a US trade embargo since the 1960s. The Trump administration has significantly escalated that pressure since January, barring oil imports from Venezuela — a key supplier to Cuba — and threatening sanctions against any third country that delivers fuel to the island. The resulting shortages have caused widespread energy blackouts, affecting hospitals and other essential infrastructure. Cuba's government has also accused Washington of pressuring other nations to abandon medical cooperation agreements that are central to the island's economy.
The Barcelona gathering, held under the banner of the "Fórum Democracia Sempre" — a coalition of roughly 20 leaders formed in 2024 to counter the global rise of far-right populism — reflected broader frustration with what participants described as the erosion of multilateralism and international law. Spain's Sánchez used the occasion to criticise right-wing populism in sharp terms, while US President Donald Trump responded on social media by mocking Spain's economic performance and its refusal to allow American military use of its bases during the recent US-Israel conflict with Iran. Trump has also floated the possibility of military action against Cuba, suggesting this week that US attention "may stop by Cuba" after the Iran conflict.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, speaking at a ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of Fidel Castro's declaration of Cuba's socialist character, struck a defiant tone, saying his government was preparing to confront what he described as serious threats, including possible military aggression. The Trump administration has rejected suggestions that its policies bear responsibility for the humanitarian situation, attributing the crisis instead to decades of economic mismanagement by Havana. With fuel shortages persisting and food security increasingly threatened, the three-nation pledge signals growing international momentum to cushion Cuba from the impact of Washington's pressure campaign.