Cuba Looks to Vatican for Help to Ease US Oil Embargo, Washington Post Reports

March 27 (Reuters) – Cuban ⁠officials ⁠have petitioned ⁠the Vatican to help ​persuade the administration of U.S. ‌President Donald Trump to ‌ease its ⁠oil ⁠embargo in senior-level meetings with Vatican officials ​including Pope Leo, the Washington Post reported on Friday, ​citing people familiar with the ⁠matter.

Reuters could ⁠not immediately ⁠verify the ​report. The Vatican press office, the ​White ⁠House and the Cuban government did not immediately respond to a request ⁠for comment.

Havana and Washington entered talks earlier ⁠this month as an oil blockade imposed by Trump pushes the Communist-run nation deeper into economic crisis. Reports had suggested the Trump administration was seeking ⁠to remove Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel from power.

(Reporting by Anusha Shah and Chandni ​Shah in Bengaluru; Editing ​by Aidan Lewis)

Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

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