Cuba's energy minister Vicente de la O Levy stated the country has no reserves of diesel or fuel oil for its power plants. The situation has caused widespread blackouts and sporadic protests in Havana. President Miguel Díaz-Canel blamed the crisis on the U.S. energy blockade.
During a late Wednesday press conference, de la O Levy said: “Today we have no fuel reserves, no reserves at all. There is absolutely nothing left.” Cuba’s electrical union reported it can cover only about one-third of national demand.
Social media showed reports of protests in Havana and surrounding areas, where demonstrators banged pots and lit bonfires in dark streets. The government is using domestic production and solar power, but the electrical grid remains fragile.
Díaz-Canel posted on X that the sole cause is the “genocidal energy blockade” imposed by the United States. A Russian tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of oil was exhausted in early April, and another vessel remains adrift off Bermuda.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned a $100 million humanitarian aid offer. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez replied that Cuba is willing to accept help without political conditions.
