Widespread protests have erupted across Havana after Cuban energy minister Vicente de la O Levy confirmed the country had run out of diesel and fuel oil amid an ongoing United States blockade that has resulted in residents struggling with blackouts lasting up to 22 hours, reported The Guardian.
Demonstrators took to the streets, chanting “turn on the lights,” banging pots and pans, and burning piles of garbage in frustration over the worsening energy crisis.
“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 … the only thing we have is gas from our wells, where production has grown,” BBC reported the minister as saying.
Levy described the national situation as “extremely tense.” The country's crisis has worsened because a US blockade stopped major oil supplies since January, leaving the government without enough fuel to run its old power system.
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Cuba's attempts to improve its power supply are being hurt by weak infrastructure and rising global costs. The Energy and Mines Minister said though the country added 1,300 megawatts of solar power in the last two years, ongoing fuel shortages are making the power grid unstable and reducing efficiency, The Guardian reported.
A major problem is the lack of large battery storage systems. The minister said while the solar panels are working, Cuba does not have enough batteries to supply electricity at night. The crisis has also worsened due to the US blockade and rising oil and transport costs linked to the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
“Cuba is open to anyone who wants to sell us fuel,” De la O Levy stated.
US President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Havana, vowing Cuba will receive "no more oil or money" after halting Venezuelan shipments and threatening global tariffs. Amid negotiations over the island's future, Trump stated he expects the "honour of taking Cuba," following the January seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
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