In a dramatic escalation of its energy woes, Cuba has notified global airlines of a one-month jet fuel blackout at its airports, pinning the blame squarely on US sanctions blocking Venezuelan oil. Effective Monday midnight, the halt affects hundreds of flights, compelling carriers to seek fuel abroad and inflating operational headaches.
Spanish news agency EFE details how Washington’s post-military intervention in Venezuela severed Cuba’s key oil lifeline. Long-distance jets must now detour to spots like Mexico’s Cancun or the Bahamas’ Nassau, while Air France eyes Caribbean alternatives. Regional services aren’t spared either, amplifying disruptions to Cuba’s air traffic.
Around 400 scheduled weekly flights hang in the balance, pressuring the island’s global connectivity. Amid this, Cuba grapples with power crises risking countrywide blackouts. Emergency protocols now include shortened workweeks, transport cuts, fuel curbs, and tourism limits to conserve resources.
Aviation officials bluntly informed foreign airlines: fuel supplies are off the table. This unfolds against a backdrop of US gestures, like a recent $6 million aid package, even as Havana cries foul over an ‘energy siege.’ President Miguel Díaz-Canel, in a fiery press conference, invoked Trump-era threats of tariffs on Cuba’s oil suppliers, labeling it psychological warfare.
As airlines recalibrate routes and costs soar, the move highlights Cuba’s precarious energy dependence. With blackouts on the horizon and international services strained, the nation braces for broader economic ripples from this aerial standoff.