Cuba is facing a severe energy crisis, leading to emergency measures including fuel rationing, reduced public transportation and a shift to remote perform and schooling. The situation has been exacerbated by restrictions imposed by the United States, impacting the island’s access to vital fuel resources.
Airlines have been warned that Cuba can no longer guarantee refueling services, as the country struggles with dwindling supplies. Several international carriers, including Air Canada, have already suspended flights to the island, arranging flights to repatriate passengers. Other airlines, such as Air France, Iberia, and Air Europa, are planning to make refueling stops elsewhere in the Caribbean.
The current crisis is impacting daily life for Cubans, with reduced traffic in Havana and growing concerns over ongoing power outages and widespread shortages. Taxi fares have reportedly increased sharply overnight.
International leaders are expressing concern over the situation. Brazilian President Lula Da Silva stated, “Our country stands in solidarity with the Cuban people. We, as a party, must find a way to help.”
Da Silva also asserted that Cuba has been “a victim of a massacre fueled by U.S. Speculation” for over 60 years.
Pope León XIV recently voiced “great concern” regarding tensions between the U.S. And Cuba. The United Nations is also monitoring the situation and working with the Cuban government to provide support, including food, water, sanitation, and medical care. “We are concerned about the growing scarcity of fuel and its impact on the population,” said spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez has expressed optimism regarding the electricity supply challenges. The government has implemented measures to conserve energy, including restricting fuel sales, reducing interprovincial bus and train travel, temporarily closing some state-owned businesses, and implementing a four-day workweek.
The crisis is expected to significantly impact Cuba’s tourism sector, already struggling with the country’s six-year economic downturn, further reducing the inflow of foreign currency.
Cuban authorities have informed airlines that fuel supplies will be frozen for one month, beginning February 9, 2026. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez stated that Washington’s objective “is, as always, to bend the political will of the Cubans.”
“The scenario is tough and will require great sacrifice,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Vice Prime Minister Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga said the emergency measures aim to support food and electricity production, as well as “protecting the fundamental activities that generate foreign exchange,” particularly the tobacco sector.
Mexico, which previously supplied Cuba with crude oil, is negotiating with Washington to resume deliveries without facing repercussions from its main trading partner. On Sunday, Mexico sent two ships carrying over 800 tons of humanitarian aid. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that it is “particularly unfair” for the United States to threaten tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba.
Moscow has also accused Washington of applying “strangling measures.” “The situation in Cuba is truly critical,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said. “We are studying possible solutions with our Cuban friends.”
Cuba, with a population of 9.6 million, has been under a U.S. Trade embargo since 1962 and has been grappling with a severe economic crisis for years. The island has also recently stopped receiving oil from Venezuela following a reported military incursion. The government of Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on countries supplying oil to Havana.
According to experts tracking maritime transport, no fuel or foreign tankers have arrived in Cuba in recent weeks.
