Cuba has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil, according to an announcement made Wednesday [1].
The total depletion of these critical energy resources threatens the island's basic infrastructure and has already triggered severe power outages in the capital city of Havana [2].
Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O said there is "absolutely no diesel or fuel oil left" [3]. He said that "Cuba has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil," attributing the crisis to a sustained U.S. blockade that has choked off the country's ability to import fuel [3].
The shortage has led to widespread disruptions across the island. In Havana, the lack of fuel for power plants has resulted in significant blackouts, leaving portions of the city in darkness [2]. The government said the U.S. sanctions regime is the primary driver of the current energy collapse [3].
This announcement comes as the island struggles to maintain essential services. Without diesel, the transport of food and medical supplies is hampered, and the electrical grid remains unstable. The minister's statement on May 13 [1] underscores the severity of the crisis, as the government admits to having zero reserves of these specific fuel types [3].
State officials have pointed to the blockade as a systemic barrier that prevents the acquisition of necessary energy imports. The lack of fuel oil, typically used for heavy power generation, and diesel, essential for transport and backup generators, creates a cascading failure across multiple sectors of the Cuban economy [3].
“"Cuba has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil"”
The total exhaustion of fuel reserves represents a critical failure of Cuba's energy security. By attributing the crisis to the U.S. blockade, the Cuban government is framing the domestic instability and blackouts as a direct result of external geopolitical pressure. This situation likely increases the risk of further civil unrest in Havana and highlights the extreme vulnerability of the island's centralized energy grid to import disruptions.
