Cubans persist despite adversity.
Cuba Navigates Decades of US Pressure, Fuel Shortages, and Government Repression
Cuba has run out of fuel. On May 13, 2026, Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy confirmed that the country had exhausted all diesel and fuel oil reserves, Reuters reported. The island now relies entirely on gas from its own wells and limited solar power — covering only about 40% of what it needs each day.
The crisis follows a U.S. "Maximum Pressure" campaign that severed Cuba's main oil supply after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was ousted in January 2026. Power blackouts now run 18 to 22 hours a day in some areas. Satellite data shows a 38.5% drop in Cuba's nighttime light compared to a year ago, according to ACLED.
How Cuba Lost Its Oil Lifeline in Days
For 25 years, Cuba received heavily subsidized oil from Venezuela in exchange for Cuban doctors. That deal ended fast. On January 3, 2026, U.S. forces ousted Maduro in what Washington called "Operation Southern Spear." The last major fuel delivery entered Havana harbor on January 9, according to the Lowy Institute. Schools and non-essential industries shut down within days.
President Trump then signed Executive Order 14380 on January 29, threatening tariffs on any country that sent oil to Cuba — targeting Mexico and Brazil specifically. A Russian tanker delivered 700,000 barrels in March, but that only covered roughly 10 days of national demand, El PaÃs reported. Cuba needs around 100,000 barrels per day to function normally.
Hospitals Triage Patients, Farms Use Oxen Again
The human cost is severe. Over 96,000 surgeries are pending nationwide, including 11,000 for children. Hospitals have suspended non-emergency care because generators have no fuel and sterilized water is scarce, the UN News reported. Francisco Pichón, the UN's top official in Cuba, warned that "the most serious toll is measured not in inconvenience but in health."
In rural areas, farmers have gone back to using oxen instead of tractors. In cities, people rely on solar power banks and electric tricycles to get around. The number of people depending on water trucks doubled from 500,000 in late 2025 to 1 million by March 2026, The Guardian reported. Small businesses are closing as refrigeration and logistics collapse.
Government Holds On Through Repression and Managed Power
Despite the pressure, Cuba's government remains in control. When protests erupted in Morón in March — where demonstrators stormed and burned a Communist Party office — authorities arrested at least 85 people, Human Rights Watch reported. Critical social media posts can now lead to criminal charges under "propaganda against constitutional order" laws.
The state also uses power strategically. Sociologists describe a tactic of "managed outages" — selectively turning electricity back on in specific neighborhoods to calm unrest before it spreads, CTV News reported. President DÃaz-Canel has vowed "impregnable resistance" while quietly holding talks with Washington. Cuba has also released over 2,000 prisoners and invited diaspora investment, signaling rare concessions.
Washington and Havana Frame the Same Crisis Very Differently
The U.S. frames its campaign as liberation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in March: "The reason you survive 22 hours without power is not the blockade, it's decades of mismanagement." Trump added that Cuba "can be a friendly takeover or a not-so-friendly takeover," El PaÃs reported. On June 4, the U.S. sanctioned DÃaz-Canel directly and indicted 94-year-old Raúl Castro, Associated Press reported.
Cuba calls it "unlawful economic warfare." UN experts have labeled the strategy "energy starvation," arguing it violates international law by targeting the basic survival needs of a civilian population, OHCHR stated. CSIS analysts warn that if the U.S. "breaks" Cuba, it will own the resulting humanitarian and migration crisis — a wave that could exceed the 2021–2024 exodus that saw 10% of Cuba's population leave the island.
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