In early January 2026, Cuba finds itself in one of its most precarious positions since the fall of the Soviet Union. The island nation's economy, already battered by decades of U.S. sanctions, internal inefficiencies, and global isolation, has been dealt a potentially fatal blow by the abrupt cutoff of oil and financial aid from its longtime ally, Venezuela. This development follows the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 20