Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and committee members.
As the chair said, my name is Mark Richardson. I'm joined today by my colleagues, Carolyn Knobel, Sébastien Beaulieu and Tara Carney. We're all Global Affairs Canada officials.
Global Affairs Canada is closely monitoring the situation in Cuba and is paying particular attention to two priorities. These priorities are the safety of Canadians on the island and the impact of the current crisis on the people of Cuba, especially the most vulnerable people.
Remember that, on February 5, the Cuban president declared a national state of emergency. In the days that followed, the Cuban government announced a series of emergency measures designed to prioritize essential services. Shortly afterwards, on February 9, in response to a warning from Cuban authorities that jet fuel would no longer be available at the country's international airports until at least March 11, all Canadian airlines announced their decision to suspend flights to Cuba. Since then, over 28,000 Canadians have already returned home. The process has gone smoothly, with no major consular concerns. All Canadians who wanted to return home could do so on flights provided by Canadian airlines.
Cuba's energy crisis has led to widespread power outages, with rolling blackouts disrupting essential services and further constraining economic activity. We remain deeply concerned about worsening conditions on the island and the toll these pressures are taking on Cubans across the country, particularly those in vulnerable situations.
For more than five decades, Canada has been delivering international co-operation in Cuba. Last fiscal year, Canada provided $8.3 million in development assistance, positioning Canada among Cuba's leading western donors. Canada also has a history of providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to Cuba following acute crises. As recently as October 2025, Canada provided more than $3 million in immediate humanitarian assistance following hurricane Melissa.
Currently, humanitarian partners are developing plans to scale up assistance in response to the current crisis, and we are in active and regular contact with them to determine how we can best assist Cuba's most vulnerable. As Minister Leblanc stated last week and Minister Anand confirmed yesterday and today, as I understand it, the federal government is ready to support humanitarian assistance efforts in Cuba, and we are preparing a plan to do so.
The current crisis is in part due to Cuba's heavy dependence on imported fuel. In recent years, Cuba has faced persistent challenges in securing reliable oil and fuel supplies because of long-standing trade and economic restrictions. As we know, these pressures intensified following recent measures by the United States, including the January 29 executive order, which threatens to impose tariffs on countries that provide oil to Cuba. The U.S. government has publicly stated that it is seeking to reach an agreement with the Government of Cuba that would lead to profound and far-reaching reforms, including expanding the privatization of the Cuban economy and driving meaningful political change.
While Cuba's current economic crisis is the result of a combination of factors, including long-standing internal inefficiencies stemming from Cuba's rigid, centralized economic model, the U.S. embargo continues to have a significant impact on Cuba's economy.
Canada has maintained ongoing diplomatic relations with Cuba for 80 years. We pursue an open dialogue with the Cuban government. In our discussions, we regularly raise concerns about the lack of political freedoms and the detention of political prisoners. During this difficult period of uncertainty, Canada remains committed to constructively engaging with Cuba and to directly supporting the Cuban people, especially the most vulnerable people.
We'll be happy to answer any questions from committee members.