Cuba Faces Critical Energy Crisis Amid US Blockade and Power Blackouts

Cuba's economy minister said the country's energy system is in a critical state with limited gas supplies amid a US-led blockade squeezing oil deliveries.

In an interview with state-run media, Joaquín de la O Levy stated that stocks of crude oil and fuel oil are completely depleted, as are diesel supplies. Gas from domestic wells is the only fuel available, and production there has increased.

Parts of Havana have faced 20- to 22-hour blackouts under the blockade, de la O Levy said. Hospitals cannot operate normally, schools and government offices have closed, and tourism has suffered.

Scattered protests against power cuts erupted in the Cuban capital on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Cuba usually depends on Venezuela and Mexico for oil to its refineries. Those supplies have largely stopped since US President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on countries shipping fuel to Cuba.

The US this week renewed an offer of $100 million (£74 million) in aid for meaningful reforms to Cuba's communist system. Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Havana rejected the humanitarian aid, a claim Cuba denies.

The US State Department on Wednesday said the assistance would go through the Catholic Church and reliable humanitarian organizations. "The decision rests with the Cuban regime to accept our offer of assistance or deny critical life-saving aid and ultimately be accountable to the Cuban people for standing in the way of critical assistance," it said.