• Airline refuels halted, citizens cook with coal

Sopuruchi Onwuka, with agency reports

Cuba is facing a deepening energy crisis that has disrupted aviation, strained public services and intensified economic hardship, as tightened US oil sanctions sharply curtail the island’s access to fuel from its main external suppliers.

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The latest shock came when Cuban aviation authorities warned that jet fuel would be unavailable at nine airports across the country, including Havana’s José Martí International Airport. The announcement forced several international airlines to suspend or restructure flights, with some carriers planning refuelling stops in Mexico or the Dominican Republic before continuing to Cuba. Industry observers say that while fuel shortages are not new to the island, a nationwide suspension of jet fuel supplies is extraordinary and signals the severity of the current constraints.

At the centre of the crisis is a renewed US strategy aimed at cutting off oil flows from Venezuela to Cuba. For years, Havana relied heavily on subsidised Venezuelan crude under bilateral cooperation agreements. That lifeline has weakened as Washington intensified sanctions on Caracas, targeting state oil company operations, shipping networks and vessels accused of circumventing restrictions. Recent enforcement actions, including the tracking and boarding of sanctioned tankers, have further tightened the squeeze.

In late January, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing tariffs on goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move widely interpreted as an escalation designed to deter third-party suppliers. US officials have publicly declared that Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba would be halted, framing the policy as part of broader pressure campaigns against both governments. The strategy reflects Washington’s long-standing view that energy leverage remains one of its most powerful geopolitical tools in the Western Hemisphere.

The immediate consequence for Cuba has been a sharp reduction in imported fuel volumes at a time when domestic production is insufficient to meet demand. The energy shortage has spilled beyond aviation into nearly every sector of daily life. Public bus services in Havana have slowed dramatically, major cultural events have been suspended, banks have reduced operating hours, and fuel distributors have imposed limits on gasoline sales. In some cases, sales are being conducted exclusively in US dollars, underscoring the country’s acute foreign exchange shortage.

For ordinary Cubans, the crisis translates into prolonged power outages, fuel queues and growing shortages of essential goods. Many residents have drawn comparisons to the “Special Period” of the 1990s, when the collapse of Soviet support plunged the island into severe economic contraction. While today’s circumstances differ, the structural vulnerability is similar: heavy dependence on external energy partners in a geopolitically contested environment.

The aviation disruption is particularly damaging because tourism remains one of Cuba’s most important sources of foreign currency. Before recent downturns, the sector generated billions in annual revenue and supported large segments of the workforce. Flight suspensions and operational uncertainty threaten to reduce arrivals further, compounding financial strain and limiting the government’s ability to import fuel and essential goods.

The crisis also reflects a broader geopolitical recalibration in Latin America. Washington’s tougher posture toward Caracas and Havana signals a return to more assertive economic containment policies, especially as global energy markets remain sensitive to supply shifts. By targeting oil flows and threatening secondary economic consequences, the United States is effectively leveraging energy interdependence as a means of political pressure. However, such measures inevitably ripple outward, affecting civilian infrastructure and regional commerce.

For Cuba, options are constrained. Diversifying oil imports is complicated by financial limitations, shipping restrictions and the risk that alternative suppliers could face US penalties. Regional partners may weigh the economic benefits of engagement against potential exposure to sanctions. Meanwhile, global investors and energy traders remain cautious, given the legal and financial complexities associated with sanctioned markets.

The unfolding energy emergency highlights the intersection of geopolitics and energy security in the Caribbean basin. In small, import-dependent economies, shifts in diplomatic posture and sanctions regimes can rapidly translate into domestic shortages and systemic disruption. Whether the current restrictions will force political concessions or deepen economic isolation remains uncertain. What is clear is that energy has once again become a central instrument in the contest over influence in the Americas, with Cuba bearing the immediate economic cost.