Cuba’s Energy Minister has delivered a grim warning: the country’s severe power crisis is set to intensify now that the last batch of donated Russian oil has been completely used up.In a televised address, Vicente de la O Levy admitted the situation is “very tense” and getting hotter as summer demand rises.
He bluntly stated, “We have absolutely no diesel,” leaving the island’s power grid in dire straits.Cubans are already enduring blackouts lasting most of the day in Havana, some areas now go without electricity for 20 to 22 hours daily.
Many are waking up in the middle of the night when power briefly returns just to cook, do laundry, or charge their phones. Small nighttime protests have broken out, with people banging pots and pans in frustration.
The minister noted that while solar panels donated by China are helping somewhat, cloudy weather and the lack of storage batteries mean they offer little relief during peak evening hours.
The crisis stems from a tightened US oil blockade following actions against Venezuela and Washington’s view that the Cuban government poses a national security threat. Apart from that one Russian shipment in March, no other oil has arrived for over four months.
In response, the US has offered $100 million in humanitarian aid, but it’s tied to “meaningful reforms” to Cuba’s political system. Cuban officials say they are ready to hear the details of the proposal, but President Miguel Díaz-Canel insists the quickest solution would be for the US to ease or lift the economic blockade.For ordinary Cubans, the coming weeks and months look increasingly difficult as the island struggles through the heat with almost no fuel to keep the lights on.
