2 min readNew DelhiMay 15, 2026 10:08 AM IST
Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said Cuba has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil, Reuters reported. Speaking on state-run media, Levy stated, “We have absolutely no fuel oil, and absolutely no diesel. We have no reserves.”
In the same interview, the minister said only limited amounts of gas were available and warned that Cuba’s energy system was in a critical state, as a US-led blockade on oil supplies continued to squeeze the country’s resources.
Reuters also reported that protests were taking place in Havana and several other Cuban cities, with protesters saying the fuel shortage was preventing them from resting.
The minister said blackouts have increased this week, with many parts of Havana going without electricity for 20 to 22 hours a day. The situation has heightened tensions in a city already worn down by severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine.
The minister stated that “Cuba is open to anyone that wants to sell us fuel.”
According to the BBC report, the hospitals are not functioning properly and government schools and government offices were also forced to close, including the tourism facilities, which were impacted equally.
The BBC also stated that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had rejected a US offer of humanitarian aid worth $100m (£74m), although Cuba denied.
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Further, on Wednesday, the US state department repeated this offer, stating that the aid will be distributed in coordination with the Catholic Church and “reliable” charitable organisations.
Washington’s blockade on the country intensified in early May when the US imposed a fresh wave of sanctions targeting senior Cuban officials, accusing them of committing human rights abuses.
( Written by Paramita Datta, who is an intern with The Indian Express)
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