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Cuba Has No Reserves of Diesel, Fuel Oil, Energy Minister Warns
(MENAFN) Cuba has exhausted its entire supply of diesel and fuel oil, the island nation's energy minister announced Wednesday, laying bare the full severity of a fuel crisis driven by tightening US sanctions and a near-total collapse of energy imports.
"We have no fuel oil, no diesel," Vicente de La O Levy was quoted as saying by local media — a stark admission that leaves one of the Western Hemisphere's most economically isolated nations with no buffer against worsening shortages.
A Structural Crisis Years in the Making
The declaration reflects a chronic imbalance at the heart of Cuba's energy economy. The island produces roughly 40,000 barrels of oil per day — less than half of what it needs. Actual consumption runs between 90,000 and 110,000 barrels daily, leaving a structural deficit of up to 70,000 barrels that has historically been filled by imports. Those imports have now virtually disappeared.
In a sign of how acute the situation has become, the Cuban government moved Tuesday to liberalize fuel prices entirely, dismantling the country's longstanding fixed-price energy regime — a politically sensitive step that reflects the government's dwindling options as US economic sanctions continue to bite.
Trump's Warning Looms Over Havana
The crisis deepens against a backdrop of escalating US pressure. A sweeping oil embargo, imposed on Jan. 30, has effectively severed Cuba's access to international energy markets, triggering island-wide power outages that have compounded the population's hardship.
US President Donald Trump has offered little diplomatic ambiguity about his intentions. He has repeatedly signaled that Cuba is "next" in Washington's crosshairs following the US military operation against Iran, and has predicted the Caribbean island will fail "soon."
"We have no fuel oil, no diesel," Vicente de La O Levy was quoted as saying by local media — a stark admission that leaves one of the Western Hemisphere's most economically isolated nations with no buffer against worsening shortages.
A Structural Crisis Years in the Making
The declaration reflects a chronic imbalance at the heart of Cuba's energy economy. The island produces roughly 40,000 barrels of oil per day — less than half of what it needs. Actual consumption runs between 90,000 and 110,000 barrels daily, leaving a structural deficit of up to 70,000 barrels that has historically been filled by imports. Those imports have now virtually disappeared.
In a sign of how acute the situation has become, the Cuban government moved Tuesday to liberalize fuel prices entirely, dismantling the country's longstanding fixed-price energy regime — a politically sensitive step that reflects the government's dwindling options as US economic sanctions continue to bite.
Trump's Warning Looms Over Havana
The crisis deepens against a backdrop of escalating US pressure. A sweeping oil embargo, imposed on Jan. 30, has effectively severed Cuba's access to international energy markets, triggering island-wide power outages that have compounded the population's hardship.
US President Donald Trump has offered little diplomatic ambiguity about his intentions. He has repeatedly signaled that Cuba is "next" in Washington's crosshairs following the US military operation against Iran, and has predicted the Caribbean island will fail "soon."
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