Cuba was left without fuel for airplanes due to the US oil blockade. What the media is writing
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- Cuba was left without fuel for airplanes due to the US oil blockade. What the media is writing
Cuban authorities have reported a lack of aviation fuel over the next month, which is why international airlines are canceling their flights to the island. The crisis arose after the threat of US President Donald Trump to impose duties on countries that supply oil to Cuba. Thus, the country stopped receiving fuel from Venezuela and Mexico. How the world's media react to the energy crisis is in the Izvestia digest.
NBC News: Cuba cannot refuel planes due to US pressure
Cuban aviation authorities have warned airlines of a shortage of fuel for refueling aircraft on the island. This is another step in the framework of energy rationing measures taken by the administration of US President Donald Trump to stop fuel supplies. The Cuban Government has issued notices to airlines and pilots warning that aviation fuel will be unavailable at nine airports on the island, including Havana's Jose Marti International Airport, from February 10 to March 11.
NBC News
US President Donald Trump's political pressure on Latin American countries has effectively blocked Cuba's access to its main oil sources in Venezuela and Mexico. At the end of January, Trump signed an executive order that imposes duties on any goods from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, which could further undermine the position of the island, which is suffering from a deepening energy crisis.
Although rationing flights may not disrupt short—haul regional routes, it poses a serious challenge for long-haul routes from countries such as Russia and Canada, which are the most important pillars of Cuba's tourism economy. One of the pilots said that although problems with refueling had happened before, an official announcement of this magnitude was extraordinary. The last time such reductions occurred was more than a decade ago, when planes bound for Europe refueled in the Bahamas.
Bloomberg: Mexico confirms termination of oil supplies to Cuba
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the country had suspended oil supplies to Cuba due to the threat of tariffs from Trump. At the same time, she promised to continue sending humanitarian aid to the needy Caribbean island. Sheinbaum strongly rejected Trump's threat to impose sanctions against countries that supply oil to Cuba, calling it unfair and pointing out the negative humanitarian consequences.
Bloomberg
"You can't hurt people just because you disagree with the government,— the Mexican leader said. "That's not right. They don't have fuel for hospitals and schools. People are suffering." Sheinbaum confirmed that Mexico can mediate between the United States and Cuba to resolve their dispute, and said that even if it does not supply oil, its government will continue to send food and non-energy goods.
On Sunday, two ships of the Mexican Navy left for Cuba with a cargo of more than 800 tons of humanitarian aid. One vessel carries more than 500 tons of basic foodstuffs such as beans and rice, as well as personal hygiene products. The other vessel is loaded with almost 300 tons of powdered milk. The vessels have sailed from the port of Veracruz and are expected to arrive in four days.
The New York Times: Air Canada cancels flights due to shortage of aviation fuel in Cuba
Air Canada announced that it has suspended 16 flights per week to four Cuban cities since Monday. She said she would send empty planes from Montreal and Toronto to Cuba to return about 3,000 Canadians who are currently on the island. Canada is the main source of tourists to Cuba.
The New York Times
The shortage of aviation fuel has become the first serious blow to the Cuban economy since President Trump announced on January 29 that additional measures would be taken to cut off oil supplies to Cuba. Trump, falsely claiming that Cuba provides safe haven to terrorist groups, said he would impose duties on any country that supplies oil to Cuba. The move mainly affected Mexico, which was one of the few remaining sources of oil for the island.
For a long time, Cuba depended on Venezuela for most of its fuel needs. But after the U.S. attack on Venezuela on January 3, which overthrew President Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration took control of Venezuela's oil industry and cut off supplies to Cuba. The measure is widely seen as part of the Trump administration's efforts to worsen Cuba's economic downturn and prolonged power outages, as well as end the country's 66-year-old communist revolution.
Al Jazeera: how the US blockade is paralyzing life in Cuba
The US oil blockade is causing a serious energy crisis in Cuba. The government is forced to ration fuel and turn off electricity for many hours a day, paralyzing life in this island nation of 11 million people. Bus stops are empty, families are cooking with wood and coal, living in conditions of almost constant power outages.
Al Jazeera
President Miguel Diaz-Canel has imposed severe emergency restrictions — from reducing office hours to restrictions on fuel sales — amid the looming threat of regime change from the White House. The Caribbean region has been under tension since U.S. forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro last month and increased pressure to isolate Havana and stifle its economy. Venezuela, Cuba's closest ally in the region, supplied the country with much-needed fuel.
Cuban state-owned companies will switch to a four-day working week, which will lead to a reduction in transport links between provinces, the closure of major tourist sites, a shortening of the school day and a reduction in the requirements for full-time attendance at universities. The government says it will prioritize affordable fuels for essential services — healthcare, food production, and defense — and will encourage the development of the solar-powered renewable energy sector and the provision of related benefits.
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