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Cuba says US embargo caused $8bn in damages, denies talks with Washington

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez reported record losses and blamed US sanctions for nationwide blackouts.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Rusija raskinula sporazum s Nemačkom

What this story says

  • Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez stated that no negotiations or future talks are planned with the United States.
  • Cuba claims the US blockade caused over $8 billion in economic damages from March 2025 to February 2026.
  • The reported damages represent a 7% increase compared to the previous year.
  • Cuba attributes nationwide blackouts to a US oil blockade.

Who covered it

Left 12%(2)Centre 53%(9)Right 35%(6)

Percentages are shares of the 17 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 29 of the 46 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

42/100

Craft

57/100

Hype

41/100

46 sources · methodology

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez announced on Monday that Cuba is not engaged in any negotiations or future talks with Washington. He stated that the US blockade has caused over $8 billion in economic damages to the island nation between March 2025 and February 2026. This figure represents a 7% increase in damages compared to the previous year.

Rodriguez also attributed nationwide blackouts to a US oil blockade imposed earlier in the year. He described the blockade as "genocidal" and stated it punishes every person in Cuba, leading to prolonged periods with minimal electricity and spoilage of food due to heat.

Disagreement on total damages

While most reports state the damages exceeded $8 billion, some sources provide slightly different figures. Belta.by reported damages of over $8.83 billion. News-pravda.com and BAKU.WS also reported damages exceeding $8.8 billion. 1prime.ru and 20min.lt stated the figure was $8.083 billion. EFE and Felix Victorino reported $8.0833 billion. Hindustan Times and WTVB reported $8.1 billion.

What the coverage left out

None of the left-rated reports mention the specific figure of $8.083 billion for damages that was reported by some centre and right-rated outlets. None of the right-rated reports mention the United Nations' statement that the US sanctions are a violation of international law.

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 7 Sept 2026, 20:15, and will add the sides that appear.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

2 rated outlets

  • The left-rated reports highlighted Cuba's denunciation of the US blockade as "genocidal" and reported the record damages. Dnevni list Danas quoted Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez stating there are no negotiations or plans for future talks with Washington, and that the blockade caused over $8 billion in damages, a 7% increase from the previous year. The report also mentioned the US imposing an oil blockade leading to nationwide blackouts and cited the United Nations calling the sanctions a violation of international law. TeleSUR reported Cuba denouncing record damage of more than $8 billion due to the US blockade, and also mentioned cumulative impacts exceeding $178.7 billion.

Centre

9 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated reports focused on Cuba's claim of record economic damages from the US embargo and the denial of negotiations with Washington. Hindustan Times reported that Cuba's foreign minister stated there were no talks underway or planned, amid a "genocidal" blockade that cost the island over $8 billion in damages, a 7% increase from the previous year. The report noted the US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment and that the United Nations called the sanctions a violation of international law. Yle mentioned living conditions are poor due to frequent power outages and that the US imposed an oil embargo. WTVB and Reuters also reported the minister's statement on no negotiations and the blockade's cost. Hola News and El Diario reported the $8 billion figure, with El Diario noting it did not include damage from the energy blockade. Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija and 15min.lt reported record losses of over $8 billion. EFE reported the cost at $8.083.3 million, 7% more than the previous year. 22min.lt also reported record losses of over $8 billion.

Right

6 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports focused on Cuba's announcement of record losses due to the US embargo and the denial of negotiations. Globo reported Cuba's main diplomat stating there were no ongoing or planned negotiations with the US amid the blockade that caused over $8 billion in economic losses. The Straits Times and Reforma reported similar statements regarding no negotiations and over $8 billion in losses. Vz.ru reported the Cuban Foreign Ministry announced record damages exceeding $8 billion, with specific figures of $8.083 billion for the period. News-pravda.com reported damages exceeding $8.8 billion.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Cuba says US embargo caused $8bn in damages, denies talks with…?
Of the 17 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 12% are rated left, 53% are rated centre, 35% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 46. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Cuba says US embargo caused $8bn in damages, denies talks with… left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 17 rated outlets on this story, 12% are rated left, 53% are rated centre, 35% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Cuba says US embargo caused $8bn in damages, denies talks with… biased?
Cuba says US embargo caused $8bn in damages, denies talks with Washington is one event reported by 46 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Cuba says US embargo caused $8bn in damages, denies talks with…?
46 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What did Cuba's Foreign Minister say about negotiations with the US?
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez stated that there are no negotiations currently underway with the United States, nor are there any plans for future talks. He made these remarks amid ongoing US sanctions against the island nation.
How much economic damage does Cuba claim the US embargo caused?
Cuba claims that the US blockade caused over $8 billion in economic damages between March 2025 and February 2026. This figure represents a 7% increase compared to the previous year's reported damages.
What is the cause of the nationwide blackouts in Cuba?
According to Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, nationwide blackouts are a result of an oil blockade imposed by the United States. He described this action as part of a "genocidal" blockade that impacts the daily lives of Cuban citizens.

Read it at the source

46 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

2

Centre

9
Show 1 more

Right

6

Not rated

29
Show 21 more

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

Cuba US Embargo Damages | MediaBias News