Cuban officials said Wednesday that the island has completely run out of fuel needed to keep much of it running, blaming a monthslong U.S. sanctions campaign that has sharply restricted fuel imports and pushed the country deeper into an already severe energy crisis. Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said that the country has “absolutely nothing” left in diesel fuel and oil reserves, leaving Cuba’s fragile power grid reliant on limited domestic crude production, natural gas, and renewable energy sources that have struggled to meet demand. Authorities and media outlets said blackouts in some parts of Havana and across the island have stretched as long as 20 to 22 hours a day.
The announcement marks a dramatic escalation in Cuba’s worsening economic and humanitarian crisis, which has intensified since President Donald Trump’s administration moved earlier this year to tighten sanctions and pressure foreign governments and companies against shipping oil to the island. The measure effectively cut off traditional suppliers, including Venezuela and Mexico.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel detailed the state of the island’s energy system, explaining there is a deficit of more than 2,000 megawatts during the peak energy demand periods. Diaz-Canel blamed Trump for the country’s situation.
