Cuba has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil, according to Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy, as the US blockade continues to strangle the island's fuel supply. The minister said the national grid is in a 'critical' state with no reserves, operating solely on domestic crude oil, natural gas, and renewable energy after fuel from a Russian tanker delivered in April was exhausted.
Protests erupted across Havana late Wednesday, with residents shouting 'turn on the lights', banging pots and pans, and setting rubbish alight to express frustration over rolling blackouts lasting up to 22 hours. Rodolfo Alonso, a Havana resident, told Reuters: 'We started banging pots to see if they would give us just three hours of electricity. That's all we want.' By Thursday morning, the protests had dissipated, but much of eastern Cuba remained without power.
De la O Levy said Cuba is open to anyone willing to sell fuel, but few countries are willing to supply it. Neither Mexico nor Venezuela has sent fuel since US President Donald Trump's January 2026 executive order threatening tariffs on any country shipping fuel to Cuba. Only one large oil tanker, the Russian-flagged Anatoly Kolodkin, has delivered crude since December, which the US allowed for humanitarian reasons.
The UN last week called Trump's fuel blockade unlawful, stating it obstructs the Cuban people's right to development and undermines rights to food, education, health, and water. Critics say the blockade has deepened a humanitarian crisis, forcing schools and universities to close, disrupting healthcare, and damaging tourism. Reports indicate Trump has grown frustrated with negotiations, and US military surveillance flights near Cuba have increased amid plans for possible intervention.
