Cuba’s Fuel Crisis Deepens as Blackouts Hit Hard

Cuba is facing its toughest energy crisis in years. The country has no diesel or fuel oil left, its top energy official confirmed. The shortages have made power cuts in Havana worse than ever. Many areas now go without electricity for nearly a whole day at a time. The government says it’s running the power grid on whatever crude oil and natural gas it can produce locally. Solar energy projects have been set up, but weak infrastructure wastes much of that potential. Even with renewable energy growing fast, fuel shortages still cripple the system.Officials admit they’re struggling to import more oil. Global fuel prices keep rising, especially because of conflicts in the Middle East. Two major oil suppliers, Mexico and Venezuela, stopped sending fuel after new U. S. trade restrictions were introduced. Only one Russian tanker brought oil to Cuba recently, offering only temporary help. Blackouts aren’t just about lights going out. They disrupt hospitals, schools, and water supplies. The United Nations recently called the fuel blockade illegal, saying it harms people’s basic needs.