Ottawa is planning to pull out the cheque book for Cuba despite mounting concerns about the regime’s political prisoners, foreign alliances and human rights abuses.

At a Commons committee this week, Global Affairs officials confirmed the federal government is preparing yet another humanitarian aid package, as reported by Blacklock’s.

.@GAC_Corporate will send undisclosed sum in taxpayers' aid to Cuba as Havana envoy tells MPs fuel & food shortages have brought island to a standstill. https://t.co/JzfdRuwsk9 @EmbaCubaCanada @Lianne_Rood pic.twitter.com/lV5kUB9wiS

— Blacklock's Reporter (@mindingottawa) February 25, 2026

Director General of the Caribbean bureau, Mark Richardson, testified that Canada has provided an average of $6.5 million annually in development assistance to Cuba over the past seven years, totalling $6.84 million last year alone.

More is on the way.

Conservative MP Lianne Rood pressed officials on why Canadian taxpayers continue to bankroll assistance to what she called a “one-party dictatorship” aligned with Russia, China and Iran. She also demanded to know how much has been spent since 2020 on embassy operations and diplomatic infrastructure.

Richardson replied, “I don’t have the exact figures.”

Meanwhile, Cuba’s ambassador, Rodrigo Diaz, painted a picture of an island “at a standstill,” citing severe fuel and food shortages, even claiming ambulances are sidelined for lack of gasoline. When asked how many political prisoners the regime holds, he insisted none are jailed for their beliefs, only for breaking the law.

Despite this claim, an undercover Rebel News investigation found Cubans speaking at enormous personal risk, only agreeing to be interviewed if their anonymity was guaranteed, describing a reality of fear and repression the government works hard to conceal.

🇨🇺💥'VIVA TRUMP!': Rebel News goes undercover in Communist Cuba

The reality on the ground in Cuba is far more dire than the world knows. Rebel News exposes what life is really like for those living under the Communist regime in this exclusive documentary.

Just days after the… pic.twitter.com/Wai4CX4TFS

— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) February 6, 2026

Roughly 203 people have been arbitrarily detained following state surveillance and police operations between January and June 20205, according to the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Cubalex.

Canadians STRANDED in Cuba?!

Visit Rebel News for more on this story by @EzraLevant: https://t.co/qNbxDqIltZ pic.twitter.com/Gk5px7tENy

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) February 18, 2026

Fuel and food shortages have brought daily life on the island to a halt following the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year. This abruptly cut off the steady flow of oil that Cuba relied on from Venezuela.

Since then, fuel deliveries from other partners like Mexico have also slowed or stopped under mounting U.S. tariff threats, leaving Cuba without enough energy to keep its economy, transportation, and essential services running.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says a Canadian aid announcement is imminent, but details remain vague.

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