Americas — 2026-05-06

Cuba Faces Acute Oil Shortage as U.S. Blocks Venezuelan and Mexican Tanker Shipments

Cuba's economic crisis has intensified as the United States continues blocking oil tankers heading to the island, targeting Venezuelan and Mexican shipments including those from state-owned Pemex, according to The Nation and Wikipedia's running account of the crisis. Venezuela's oil supply to Cuba was severed after the January U.S. military intervention that ousted President Maduro; Mexico halted shipments under U.S. tariff threats in late January. A single Russian tanker carrying 100,000 tonnes of crude oil arrived on March 30, enough to cover Cuban diesel demand for roughly 12 days, but no further shipments had been confirmed as of early May. Cuba's national power grid collapsed on March 16, and the government has since halved public transport, closed factories and hotels, and imposed fuel rationing through a dollar-denominated online reservation system.

Analysis
Cuba's grid failure risk is structurally elevated: the March 16 nationwide collapse occurred under less severe supply constraints than the current blockade, and the February Havana refinery fire destroyed processing capacity that has not been rebuilt. A nationwide grid failure affecting more than half the population is likely within 60 days if the oil blockade continues. The October 2024 and March 2026 collapses both occurred at higher fuel reserves than Cuba currently holds. The key uncertainty is whether Russia delivers another emergency cargo, as the March 30 tanker demonstrates the channel exists but at a pace grossly insufficient to prevent rolling crises. Cuba's announced emergency measures, including halved public transport, closed factories, and fuel rationing for dollars, indicate the government is managing decline rather than preventing collapse. The energy shock extends from Iran through Venezuela to Cuba through distinct but connected policy channels, connecting to the U.S. gasoline price story.

2 sources

2026 Cuban crisis - Wikipedia
Cuba Hunkers Down as a US Oil Blockade Brings a Humanitarian Crisis - The Nation