Following the U.S. seizure of the Venezuelan-linked oil tanker Skipper earlier this month, new developments are exacerbating Cuba's energy woes. The incident has spotlighted Havana's fuel resale schemes and deterred other shipments, heightening fears of prolonged blackouts and shortages on the island.
The U.S. Coast Guard's seizure of the Skipper tanker on December 10-11, 2025, in the Caribbean Sea off Venezuela—carrying up to 2 million barrels of sanctioned crude, with a portion destined for Cuba—has reverberated across the region. As detailed in prior coverage, the vessel was part of a 'dark fleet' evading sanctions, prompting condemnation from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as 'piracy' and applause from U.S. officials targeting illicit oil networks.
For Cuba, heavily reliant on Venezuelan oil under opaque agreements, the Skipper incident has exposed a long-standing fuel resale network. While some crude powers the island's energy and transport, much is resold abroad for hard currency, yet this has not improved infrastructure like thermoelectric plants or public transit.
Complications have mounted at Venezuela's PDVSA. Post-seizure, buyers are demanding steeper discounts amid confiscation fears. Reuters reports the Benin-flagged Boltaris, carrying 300,000 barrels of Russian naphtha to Venezuela, turned back to Europe without unloading. Four other vessels have paused plans to load at Venezuelan ports, though Chevron exports continue under U.S. permits.
Cuba's structural vulnerabilities are laid bare: dependence on shadowed routes and sanction-shadowed ships translates to electricity shortages, industrial halts, and rising discontent. With the population bracing for worse, the Skipper saga underscores the fragility of Havana's energy lifeline.
