With US Oil Embargo, Cuba Scraps Cigar Fair for Now
A classic American car drives along the seafront promenade as a tanker exits Havana, Cuba, on Saturday. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Cuba’s annual cigar fair, originally set for the final week of February, has been postponed, organizers announced Saturday, as the island struggles with widespread blackouts and acute fuel shortages linked to a U.S. oil embargo.
In a statement, event organizer Habanos S.A. said the decision was made to “preserve its high standard of quality,” according to the AP. The company — a joint venture between the state-owned Cubatabaco and international firm Altadis — controls the global monopoly on Cuban cigar sales. A new date for the fair has not yet been announced.
Each year, the company hosts the Habanos Festival, a major gathering for cigar enthusiasts and distributors from around the world. The event typically includes tours of tobacco plantations, auctions, and showcases of the latest craftsmanship. Last year’s festival concluded with an auction where $18 million was paid for a collection of highly sought-after, hand-rolled cigars. The company also reported record sales of $827 million in the previous year.
Several other cultural events, including a national book fair, have also been postponed this month as Cuba faces some of its most severe fuel shortages and power outages in years.
In late January, Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country that sells oil to Cuba, increasing pressure on the island’s communist government to pursue political and economic reforms.
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