August M
Cuba’s government says the country has exhausted its supplies of diesel and fuel oil, deepening a nationwide energy crisis that has led to widespread blackouts, economic disruption and rare public protests.
The announcement comes as tensions escalate between Havana and Washington over US sanctions and fuel restrictions targeting the communist-run island.
Fuel reserves exhausted
According to the BBC, Cuban Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said the country now has “absolutely none” of either diesel or fuel oil remaining.
Speaking to state-run media, the minister described Cuba’s energy system as being in a “critical” condition and said only limited amounts of gas from domestic wells were still available.
“The sum of the different types of fuel: crude oil, fuel oil, of which we have absolutely none; diesel, of which we have absolutely none,” he said, according to the BBC.
Reuters and other outlets reported that parts of Havana are enduring blackouts lasting between 20 and 22 hours a day.
Protests in Havana
The worsening shortages have sparked growing public anger.
According to Reuters, hundreds of people protested in Havana on Wednesday night, blocking roads, burning rubbish and chanting anti-government slogans.
Residents in the San Miguel del Padrón district were heard shouting “turn on the lights!”, AFP reported.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel blamed the crisis on what he described as a “genocidal energy blockade” imposed by the United States.
“This dramatic worsening has a single cause,” he wrote on social media, according to the BBC.
US pressure grows
Cuba traditionally relied on fuel imports from Venezuela and Mexico, but supplies have sharply declined after the Trump administration threatened tariffs on countries shipping oil to the island.
The BBC reported that the US has renewed an offer of $100 million in humanitarian aid in exchange for “meaningful reforms” to Cuba’s political system.
Washington said the assistance would be distributed through humanitarian organisations and the Catholic Church, though Cuban officials previously rejected similar proposals.
The energy crisis has disrupted hospitals, schools, tourism and public transport across the island, with officials warning the situation remains “extremely tense.”
Sources: BBC, Reuters, AFP
