By José Ernesto Nováez Guerrero on June 11, 2026
Two days ago, on June 9, an article in the Miami Herald reported that Vanguard Energy, a company based in Coral Gables, Florida, United States, had just finalized—after months of talks with U.S. and Cuban authorities—a historic agreement that would allow fuel shipments from the United States to Cuba to reach levels not seen in decades.
The agreement included the lease of part of the oil storage infrastructure of the Cuban state-owned company Cuba Petróleo (CUPET). The article, citing company officials, made it clear that the fuel would never be transferred to the Cuban government and would be sold directly by a company representative to the Cuban private sector, including charitable and religious organizations.
Vanguard Energy had previously finalized the sale of fuel tankers to private Cuban importers, based on the existing general license for such operations.
The news immediately received widespread media coverage. Although intended for the private sector, the arrival of that fuel would undoubtedly have provided relief from the dire situation facing Cubans.
Twenty-four hours later, on June 10, the same Miami Herald reporter who had written the original article returned with an update. She had received a response to her request for comment from the State Department. That response stated that the company had not received any license for those operations.
On June 11, the Secretary of State announced a new sanction against the Cuban state-owned company CUPET, based on the Executive Order signed by President Trump on May 1. Rubio’s justification for this sanction is the same rhetoric he has been repeating about Cuba in every public forum where he has addressed the issue.
This federal-level reaction was followed, on the very same day, by another at the local level. The Miami-Dade County Tax Collector’s Office announced that it was revoking the license of the company Vanguard Energy.
The head of that entity, Dariel Fernández, stated that his office “revoked the company’s local business tax receipt.” Dariel Fernández is of Cuban origin and emigrated to the United States in 2002. He has built a career in Cuban-American political circles and has clear political ambitions. His office is leading a crusade against businesses based in his county that have any kind of commercial ties to Cuba.
The Vanguard Energy saga is illustrative of the current state of U.S. policy toward Cuba and what the true intentions are.
From an abstract standpoint, the agreement proposed by Vanguard Energy would appear to be in line with the current administration’s objectives. It directs resources to the private sector of the economy, strengthening its position, and positions a U.S. company as the near-exclusive importer in a key sector such as energy.
However, the swift reaction from the State Department and other related agencies shows that, beyond the formal rhetoric, these are not the true intentions behind the blockade. The actions against Vanguard Energy and CUPET serve an “educational” function.
The architects of the collective punishment against the island have no interest in anything that might alleviate the material situation. This would relieve some of the social pressure on a people facing the terrible heat of the Caribbean summer with all the crises hanging over their heads.
The inadequate system of fuel tanks, just like the $100 million in “humanitarian aid,” serves to maintain the appearance—especially in the eyes of domestic public opinion—that something is being done for the people of Cuba, when in reality they are only tightening the noose more and more.
Those who have designed this policy know that it is against the entire society. This has been demonstrated by scientific studies in recent years and reports from the UN Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures.
The Vanguard Energy saga also serves, ultimately, as part of the ongoing psychological warfare against the island. Slamming shut a door that had barely been opened is an effective way to sow discouragement, confusion, and despair.
The Secretary of State wants the Cuban government to fall at any cost. His political future depends on it. He doesn’t care about the people of Cuba; he doesn’t care about their present or their future, and he certainly doesn’t care about freedom or democracy.