Several-Hours-Long Blackouts in Cuba After U.S. Pressure Cuts Oil Imports

Cuba is facing one of its worst energy crises, with the government forced to ration fuel and impose daily blackouts across the island of 11 million people.

Al Jazeera reports that power cuts lasting several hours a day have become routine, pushing families to cook with wood or coal and leaving businesses struggling to operate.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel has announced emergency measures to stretch limited fuel supplies. These include shorter workweeks for state employees, fewer buses running between provinces, closed or reduced tourist services, shorter school days, and fewer in-person university classes. Cuban officials say the crisis is being driven by U.S. pressure that has sharply reduced oil supplies, forcing authorities to ration both fuel and electricity.

Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Pérez‑Oliva Fraga told citizens on state television that the steps were needed “to preserve the country’s essential functions and basic services while managing limited fuel resources.”

For decades, Cuba has relied on imported oil from allies such as Venezuela, Mexico, and Russia. But after US forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last month, shipments from Caracas stopped. President Donald Trump then signed an executive order penalizing any country that supplies oil to Cuba, further discouraging trade.

Until recently, Mexico was Cuba’s largest supplier, providing nearly half of its oil imports. U.S. pressure has since slowed those deliveries. According to shipping data firm Kpler, Cuba had only 15 to 20 days of fuel left by the end of January.

Trump has called Cuba a “failed nation” and suggested its government is ready to fall. His administration has tightened sanctions and indicated it wants a change of government in Cuba.

Meanwhile, Cuba’s Foreign Ministry has called instead for dialogue and “peaceful coexistence” with the United States.