Cuba runs out of diesel fuel and fuel oil due to US oil blockade

Cuba's energy and mines minister announced on Wednesday that the island has run out of diesel, fuel oil and other fuels. The capital Havana is experiencing its worst rolling power blackouts in decades due to a U.S. blockade which has deprived the island of fuel.

"We have no fuel at all (oil) and no diesel," Energy minister Vicente de la O told state-run media. He added that the grid national was in "critical" condition. "We have zero reserves."

The?minister stated that blackouts had increased in the capital Havana this week and the last, with some neighborhoods without lights for up to 22 hours per day. This has heightened tensions, as the city is already suffering from food, fuel, and medicine shortages.

He said that the national grid was entirely powered by domestic crude oil, gas, and renewable energy.

De la O stated that Cuba installed 1,300 megawatts in solar power over the last two years. However, much of this capacity is lost due to grid instability and fuel shortages. This reduces efficiency and output.

Cuba's top official for energy said that the country continued to negotiate fuel imports despite the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. However, he said that rising oil prices around the world as well as transportation costs were complicating the effort.

The Minister said that Cuba is open to any company who wants to sell fuel to us.

Since Trump's executive order of January 2026, which threatened to impose tariffs on countries shipping fuel to Cuba, neither Mexico nor Venezuela have shipped fuel to the island.

Since December, only one large tanker - the Russian flagged Anatoly Koodkin - has transported crude oil to Cuba, providing temporary relief?to the island.

As the U.S. fuel blockade against Cuba enters its 4th month, the power outages in Havana and elsewhere are causing public services to be crippled?across this Caribbean island with a population of nearly 10 million.

Last week, the United Nations declared Trump's blockade of fuel illegal, saying that it had undermined "the Cuban people's rights to development, food, education and health, as well as water and sanitation." (Reporting and editing by Jacqueline Wong, Sonali Paul and Dave Sherwood)

(source: Reuters)