- Cuba announced it has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil, with Energy Minister De la O Levy stating there are “absolutely no” reserves, leaving the grid covering only about 33% of national demand and causing blackouts of up to 22 hours.
- The crisis stems from a near-total halt of fuel imports since January 2025, when the Trump administration intensified pressure; only one Russian tanker has delivered fuel since then and no Mexican or Venezuelan tankers are scheduled to arrive.
- Havana residents have begun banging pots, lighting fires and demonstrating in the streets—rare public protests in Cuba—reflecting deepening desperation after decades of sanctions, tourism collapse and fuel shortages disrupting hospitals, food distribution and transport.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba ignored a $100 million humanitarian aid offer; Cuba demands “no political strings,” while the U.S. insists the regime must step down or be ousted before the economy can improve.
- The crisis is the latest chapter in a 65-year U.S. embargo (begun 1960) now worsened by Cuba’s own aging, neglected power plants and reliance on imports; the island produces only 40% of its oil needs, leaving it dependent on foreign help to achieve any energy independence.
Cuba has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil needed to keep its power plants running, the government announced Wednesday, triggering sporadic protests in the capital as the communist-run island plunges into darkness and its worst energy crisis in decades.
Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy declared the nation has “absolutely no” reserves, leaving a fragile grid covering only about one-third of national demand, as President Miguel Díaz-Canel blamed the crisis on what he called a “genocidal energy blockade” by President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Absolutely nothing” left for power grid
The energy collapse stems from a near-total cutoff of fuel imports since January, when the Trump administration intensified pressure on Cuba’s government. De la O Levy told a press conference late Wednesday that the island’s power system had again been left without fuel reserves.
“There’s absolutely nothing,” he said. Cuba’s electrical union reported it could only meet about 33% of national power demand, leaving many neighborhoods without electricity for up to 22 hours.
The sole fuel delivery since January was a single Russian tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude that docked in late March, temporarily reducing blackout frequency. De la O Levy said that supply ran out in early April. Another Russian-flagged ship, the Universal, has been idling off Bermuda for over three weeks carrying diesel for Cuba, according to data from Vortexa Ltd., with no indication it will proceed.
Port documents reviewed by Bloomberg show no tankers carrying Mexican or Venezuelan oil are slated to arrive in the coming week. Cuba’s long reliance on Venezuelan crude—traded for Cuban doctors and intelligence personnel—was severed in January when U.S. forces captured hardline leader Nicolás Maduro. Mexico delivered one cargo on Jan. 9 but halted shipments under Trump’s pressure, which included threats of tariffs on any nation supplying the island.
Protests erupt amid crackdown on dissent
Social media reports showed protests breaking out Wednesday night in and around Havana, with residents banging pots and pans and, in some cases, lighting fires on darkened streets for hours. Such public demonstrations are outlawed in Cuba and are historically rare, as they are often aggressively prosecuted. However, they have increased this year as conditions deteriorate.
In March, demonstrators threw stones at a local Communist Party office in central Cuba and set it ablaze. The current unrest reflects growing desperation in a nation of 10 million people that already endured decades of U.S. sanctions, severe rationing and the collapse of its tourism industry—a vital hard currency earner—as airlines grounded planes due to fuel shortages.
Hospitals have canceled surgeries, food distribution and rubbish collection services have been disrupted and many drivers have left their vehicles idle for months. On Tuesday, the government ended price caps on the little gasoline available, after allowing the private sector to import some fuel in February. Gasoline that fetched about $1.30 a liter at official prices often sells for over $8 on the black market.
U.S. offers humanitarian aid
Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba had ignored a U.S. offer of $100 million in humanitarian aid to avert a crisis just 90 miles from Florida’s shores. The State Department reiterated the pledge Wednesday, blaming “failures of Cuba’s corrupt regime” for the island’s woes. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez acknowledged Thursday that a formal offer had been received, saying Cuba remains willing to accept “foreign aid made in good faith,” even from a nation “that is submitting the Cuban people to collective punishment through economic warfare.”
“We hope it’s free of political strings and attempts to capitalize on the needs and pain of a nation that’s under siege,” Rodríguez wrote on X. The U.S. has said Cuba’s economic failings stem from mismanagement and corruption and that the 67-year-old regime must step down—or be ousted—before the economy can improve. Trump has said he could “take” Cuba or mount a “friendly takeover,” pressing for economic liberalization, political reform and compensation for property seized after Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution.
A 65-year energy blockade
The current crisis is the latest chapter in a U.S. embargo that began in 1960, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower imposed a partial trade ban after Castro nationalized U.S.-owned oil refineries and other assets. As explained by BrightU.AI‘s Enoch, the embargo was tightened in 1962 under President John F. Kennedy and has been codified into law through the Helms-Burton Act of 1996. Despite enduring sanctions for over six decades, Cuba’s leadership has remained resilient, though ordinary citizens have borne the brunt of economic hardship.
The island produces only about 40% of the oil it needs to supply national demand, relying heavily on imports. China has donated solar panels, providing some relief and domestic fuel production and solar energy keep limited lights on. De la O Levy acknowledged that the antiquated power plants regularly break down, compounding the crisis. Talks between U.S. and Cuban officials continue, but few concessions have been made.
A siege with no end in sight
As Cuba limps from blackout to blackout with no fuel reserves and no tankers in sight, the island’s energy independence remains an impossible goal without outside help. The protests, while sporadic, signal deepening frustration among a population that has survived decades of sanctions but now faces a level of deprivation not seen in nearly 30 years. The systematic U.S. blockade, coupled with internal mismanagement and failing infrastructure, has created a humanitarian catastrophe where the most vulnerable suffer most. The question remains whether this will force a change in U.S. policy or propel a mass exodus from the island.
Watch the video below where Cuban President Diaz-Canel announced that a Russian fuel ship arrived after four months without supplies.
This video is from Cynthia’s Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
Sources include:
RigZone.com
FT.com
BrightU.ai
Brighteon.com
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