Cuba has definitively run dry of fuel. The Cuban Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, announced this Wednesday afternoon that they do not have a single drop left of diesel or fuel oil—fuels vital for powering the country’s battered electrical grid, which is plagued by constant and increasingly prolonged blackouts. “We have absolutely no fuel oil, and absolutely no diesel. We no longer have any reserves,” the minister detailed in televised remarks.
“Cuba is open to anyone willing to sell us fuel,” he added, without mentioning the severe energy blockade imposed by the United States—a measure that is tightening its grip while simultaneously maintaining an open channel for negotiation with the Castro regime, which is seeking some room to maneuver as the population survives on the brink. Last night, citizen protests over the blackouts took place in Havana.
Since late January, the White House has maintained an oil embargo against the island, threatening sanctions and tariffs against anyone supplying energy to it. Having lost its primary suppliers—Venezuela and Mexico—due to this blockade, the Castro regime is currently enduring its worst supply crisis; in addition to blackouts that have at times plunged the entire island into darkness, this crisis is triggering severe disruptions in basic services such as hospitals and public transportation.
“The situation is very tense; things are heating up,” added the minister, who also announced that they have now completely consumed the last shipment received from abroad. In late March, a Russian oil tanker arrived at Cuban ports carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil. Two-thirds of Cuba’s energy demand was previously met through fuel imports, primarily from Venezuela and Mexico. Eighty percent of the country’s energy mix relies on 16 thermoelectric generation units, along with various fuel oil and diesel-powered generators scattered across the country.
The Cuban energy grid now remains—as the minister noted—dependent solely on scarce domestic crude oil, natural gas, and renewable energy sources. Cuba possesses an installed solar energy capacity of 1,300 megawatts, thanks to panels installed by Chinese companies over the past two years. However, much of that energy is lost because it cannot be stored in electric batteries due to the instability of the country’s precarious power grid. “In Havana, blackouts now exceed 20 to 22 hours [per day],” said de la O Levy.
China—a decades-long ally of Havana—has been one of the main pillars of the foreign aid received by the Castro regime. Trump is, in fact, currently in Beijing. On Tuesday, prior to his trip, he once again sent a message that appears to be interpreted as a commitment to the diplomatic path. “Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!” he posted on social media. Just this Wednesday, the State Department issued a statement offering the island $100 million in aid to implement “significant reforms to Cuba’s communist system.”
At the same time, the Republican further tightened sanctions this May 1st, imposing penalties on almost any non-U.S. individual or entity maintaining commercial ties with the island—particularly in the energy, defense, security, and finance sectors. It is the “carrot and stick” strategy—one Trump employs whenever possible—which, in recent weeks, has been accompanied by rumors of an impending intervention on the island.
In addition to some heated rhetoric, CNN reported a significant increase in flights by U.S. spy planes and drones. Since February 4, the U.S. Air Force and Navy have completed at least 25 such flights, most of them concentrated around Cuba’s two major cities: Havana and Santiago. This type of activity also intensified around Venezuela in the weeks leading up to the operation on January 3.
