US pressure on Cuba intensified in 2026 through targeted sanctions on President Miguel Díaz-Canel, calls for his departure, and explicit regime-change goals tied to negotiations over energy supplies and sanctions relief. Severe fuel shortages and blackouts, worsened after the cutoff of Venezuelan oil following the US intervention there, prompted Díaz-Canel to confirm bilateral talks in March, including prisoner releases, while announcing limited economic reforms in June to attract investment and decentralize administration. He retains control as First Secretary of the Communist Party and president, with his term running until 2028 under the 2019 constitution. Cuban officials have rejected leadership change as non-negotiable, and institutional continuity within the party structure remains the primary barrier to near-term removal despite external diplomatic and economic leverage.