Cuba Fuel Shortage Amid US Sanctions

Cuba is facing a critical energy crisis and severe fuel shortage, leading aviation officials to warn airlines that there isn't enough fuel for refueling on the island. This situation is a direct result of intensified political pressure and sanctions from the United States under the Donald Trump administration, which has effectively severed Cuba's access to its primary petroleum sources in Venezuela and Mexico. The US also signed an executive order threatening tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba. The rationing measures are significantly challenging long-haul flights, with Canada already suspending flights to Cuba. The crisis has broader economic impacts, including reduced bank hours, suspended cultural events, a halt in public bus services in Havana, and a restructuring of the national baseball season. Fuel distribution companies have also started selling gas only in US dollars and limiting sales to 20 liters per user. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has acknowledged the crisis, which many Cubans compare to the severe economic depression of the 1990s.