The Canadian Ministry of Global Affairs said it is "closely monitoring the situation" and expressed concern about the increasing risk of crisis in the Caribbean island nation. Ottawa is assessing options to support the most vulnerable population groups in Cuba, and reiterated that Canada has a tradition of providing relief aid in emergencies.
The Canadian government also recommends that citizens still in Cuba consider leaving as there are still commercial flight options. According to officials, more than 27,900 tourists left Cuba on Canadian flights before airlines temporarily suspended operations. Other international routes are still operating, but may be suddenly restricted.
The absence of Canadian tourists - who are one of Cuba's important sources of foreign currency - is seen as a worrying sign for the already weakening economy.
For decades, Havana has always called the US embargo a "blockade", while Washington rejects this expression. However, specifically regarding oil, the recent measures of President Donald Trump's administration are considered by observers to be of a blockade nature in reality.
The US Navy and Coast Guard are believed to have pursued oil tankers suspected of transporting fuel to Cuba, inspected ships far to the Indian Ocean and monitored operations in the Caribbean Sea to prevent docks at Havana port.
Meanwhile, the Cuban government had to dispatch some empty oil tankers to unfamiliar supply points such as Curaçao to find fuel, but no significant results have been recorded.
Mr. Ricardo Torres, an economist at the American University, said it is very difficult to accurately determine the amount of remaining oil due to the lack of public inventory data. However, he believes that Cuba may only have a few weeks before it is completely depleted.
It is estimated that Cuba's consumption demand is about 90,000-100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Even with support from countries like Russia, humanitarian aid is difficult to meet the actual needs in the long term.
In Canada, the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) Don Davies called on Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to support Cuba in the context he described as "intense pressure" from the US.
Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Ottawa is "deeply concerned" about the worsening situation in Cuba, but the immediate priority is still to ensure the safety of Canadian citizens.
Analysts believe that Canada's sending of food, medicine or basic necessities is unlikely to escalate relations with Washington, because these items are not prohibited under US sanctions.
However, the possibility of Canada exporting oil to Cuba - as some opinions suggest - is considered a completely different issue, which could lead to complex diplomatic consequences in the context of escalating US-Cuba tensions.
