Cuba’s government says the country has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil, pushing the island’s already fragile electricity system deeper into crisis as widespread blackouts continue affecting millions of residents.
Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said the national grid is operating in a “critical” state with no fuel reserves remaining, forcing the country to rely heavily on limited domestic crude oil, natural gas, and renewable energy sources.
The worsening shortages have intensified public frustration, triggering protests across Havana while exposing the growing strain on Cuba’s aging power infrastructure amid tightening U.S. fuel restrictions and rising global oil prices.
Key Overview
- Cuba says it has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil
- The national power grid is operating in a “critical” state
- Rolling blackouts in some areas last up to 22 hours
- Protests erupted across Havana over electricity shortages
- Cuba blames U.S. fuel restrictions and sanctions for the crisis
- The country is relying on domestic crude oil, gas, and renewables
- Solar power expansion is being limited by grid instability and lack of storage
- Rising global oil prices are complicating fuel import negotiations
Cuba Says Fuel Reserves Have Been Exhausted
Cuba’s government says the country has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil, deepening one of the island’s worst electricity crises in decades as widespread blackouts continue disrupting daily life and placing mounting pressure on the country’s already fragile energy system.
The worsening shortages are pushing Cuba into an increasingly severe energy emergency at a time when the country is already struggling with economic hardship, declining fuel imports, aging infrastructure, and growing public frustration over deteriorating living conditions.
Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy confirmed Wednesday that the country’s fuel reserves had effectively been exhausted, leaving the national electricity grid operating under increasingly unstable and critical conditions.
“We have absolutely no fuel oil, and absolutely no diesel,” de la O Levy said during remarks broadcast on state-run media. “We have no reserves.”
The minister added that Cuba’s electricity system had entered a “critical” state as rolling blackouts intensified across multiple provinces and urban centers throughout the island.
According to officials, the national grid is now operating almost entirely on Cuba’s limited domestic crude oil production, natural gas, and renewable energy generation after imported fuel supplies were depleted.
Cuba reportedly produces around 40,000 barrels of oil per day but consumes well over twice that amount, making the country heavily dependent on imported fuel to sustain electricity generation, transportation networks, industrial operations, and other essential public services.
The situation has exposed the structural vulnerability of Cuba’s energy system, where domestic production capacity remains insufficient to meet national demand while access to imported fuel has become increasingly constrained by sanctions, financial limitations, and geopolitical tensions.
Officials said a Russian oil shipment earlier this year temporarily eased pressure on the grid, but those supplies have since been exhausted, leaving authorities scrambling to stabilize the country’s electricity system with very limited resources.
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Blackouts Intensify Across the Island
The fuel shortages have dramatically worsened electricity outages across Cuba, particularly in Havana and the country’s eastern provinces, where millions of residents are now enduring some of the longest blackouts seen in decades.
Officials said some districts have been left without electricity for between 20 and 22 hours per day as authorities struggle to stabilize the national grid with extremely limited fuel supplies.
The blackouts are severely disrupting nearly every aspect of daily life, including transportation systems, food refrigeration, communications, healthcare services, water access, internet connectivity, and broader economic activity across the island.
For many Cuban households, the outages are creating increasingly difficult living conditions during periods of intense heat and limited access to essential goods.
Businesses and public services are also facing growing operational challenges as unreliable electricity supply makes it difficult to maintain normal economic activity.
Public frustration has intensified sharply as blackouts become longer, more frequent, and increasingly unpredictable.
Late Wednesday, protests erupted across several neighborhoods in Havana as residents poured into the streets demanding electricity and improved living conditions amid worsening shortages.
Crowds were seen banging pots and pans, blocking roads, chanting “Turn on the lights!” and setting fire to piles of rubbish in protest against the deepening energy crisis.
The demonstrations reflected growing public anger over prolonged outages, deteriorating infrastructure, and the broader economic difficulties facing the island.
Although the protests largely subsided after electricity was temporarily restored overnight, the unrest highlighted rising social tensions as energy shortages continue affecting millions of people.
The protests also marked one of the largest nights of demonstrations in Havana since the current phase of the energy crisis intensified earlier this year, underscoring how closely the electricity shortages are now linked to wider public dissatisfaction.
U.S. Fuel Restrictions Add Pressure
Cuban officials have blamed the worsening crisis heavily on U.S. sanctions and restrictions targeting fuel shipments to the island, arguing that the measures have severely limited Cuba’s ability to secure the imports needed to maintain electricity generation and public services.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused the United States of carrying out what he described as an “energy blockade” designed to destabilize the country and intensify economic hardship for the Cuban population.
“This dramatic worsening has a single cause: the genocidal energy blockade to which the United States subjects our country,” Díaz-Canel wrote on social media.
The situation intensified after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January 2026 threatening tariffs against countries exporting fuel or petroleum products to Cuba.
Since then, Venezuela and Mexico — historically among Cuba’s largest external oil suppliers — have reportedly stopped sending fuel shipments to the island, dramatically worsening supply shortages.
Cuban officials say the restrictions have discouraged international suppliers, shipping companies, and financial institutions from doing business with Havana due to fears of sanctions, tariffs, or broader economic penalties.
Only one major Russian oil shipment has reportedly arrived since the beginning of the year, temporarily easing shortages before the supplies were eventually depleted.
The United Nations recently criticized the U.S. fuel blockade, arguing that the restrictions have negatively affected Cuban citizens’ access to food, healthcare, education, sanitation, and other essential services.
The dispute has further intensified geopolitical tensions surrounding Cuba’s long-running economic isolation and its dependence on external fuel suppliers.
Renewable Energy Expansion Faces New Challenges
Despite the worsening fuel shortages, Cuba has continued investing in renewable energy infrastructure as part of broader efforts to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and improve long-term energy resilience.
Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said Cuba has installed approximately 1,300 megawatts of solar power capacity over the past two years, reflecting efforts to diversify the country’s energy mix amid mounting supply challenges.
However, officials acknowledged that much of the country’s renewable energy potential is currently being undermined by severe grid instability, aging transmission infrastructure, and the lack of sufficient battery storage systems capable of maintaining electricity supply during nighttime hours or periods of weak renewable generation.
Without large-scale energy storage infrastructure, solar power generation becomes far less effective once daylight hours end, limiting the ability of renewable energy to compensate fully for the collapse in imported fuel supplies.
The situation highlights broader challenges facing many developing economies attempting to transition toward cleaner energy systems while still relying heavily on imported fossil fuels for grid stability and baseload electricity generation.
Analysts note that renewable generation alone cannot quickly replace conventional thermal power systems in countries where electricity infrastructure remains heavily dependent on fuel imports and older power plants.
At the same time, Cuba’s aging electricity network continues creating additional operational difficulties, reducing efficiency, increasing transmission losses, and making the system more vulnerable during supply disruptions.
Experts say substantial investment in storage systems, transmission modernization, and grid reliability would likely be necessary before renewable energy can play a larger stabilizing role within Cuba’s electricity system.
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Rising Oil Prices Complicate Import Efforts
Global energy market volatility is also making Cuba’s fuel situation increasingly difficult as international oil prices and transportation costs continue rising amid broader geopolitical tensions.
Officials said conflict involving Iran and uncertainty surrounding global oil supply routes have pushed fuel import costs significantly higher, complicating Cuba’s already difficult efforts to secure additional energy supplies.
The risks surrounding the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most strategically important oil shipping routes — have added further pressure to fuel markets and international shipping costs.
For import-dependent economies such as Cuba, even relatively small increases in transportation and energy costs can create major financial and logistical challenges.
Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said Cuba remains open to purchasing fuel from any supplier willing to sell to the island despite the ongoing sanctions and restrictions.
However, geopolitical pressure, banking restrictions, and concerns over potential U.S. penalties continue limiting the number of companies willing to engage in fuel trade with Cuba.
The situation demonstrates how vulnerable smaller economies can become when global energy markets tighten and geopolitical tensions disrupt access to essential imports.
Analysts warn that prolonged supply disruptions could continue worsening electricity reliability and broader economic conditions if Cuba cannot secure additional fuel shipments in the near term.
Outlook
Cuba’s worsening fuel shortage and electricity crisis underscore the growing strain facing the island’s energy system as imported fuel supplies collapse under tightening sanctions, rising global oil prices, and long-standing infrastructure challenges.
With diesel and fuel oil reserves now exhausted, the country is increasingly relying on limited domestic energy production, natural gas supplies, and renewable generation to maintain basic electricity services across the island.
At the same time, prolonged blackouts and growing public protests are highlighting the broader economic, political, and social pressures created by the crisis.
While Cuba continues pursuing fuel import negotiations and renewable energy expansion, significant structural challenges remain around grid reliability, energy storage capacity, aging infrastructure, and long-term energy security.
The crisis also reflects the increasingly complex intersection between energy policy, geopolitics, economic stability, and public welfare as countries dependent on imported fuel face rising exposure to sanctions, market volatility, and global supply disruptions.
For Cuba, stabilizing the electricity system may depend not only on securing additional fuel imports, but also on broader modernization of the country’s aging power infrastructure, transmission systems, and renewable energy storage capabilities.
The situation may also intensify pressure on the government to accelerate energy diversification efforts while navigating mounting economic hardship and growing public frustration over worsening living conditions.
As the crisis continues unfolding, Cuba’s energy challenges are likely to remain closely tied to broader geopolitical developments, international fuel markets, and the country’s ability to secure reliable long-term energy supplies.
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Sources: Anadolu Ajansı, THE HILL, MSN, The Middle East Observer, World Energy News, The Guardian
