Protests Flare Across Havana As Cuba Runs Entirely Out Of Fuel
Key Points:
- Protests erupted across Havana as the city faces its worst rolling blackouts in decades, caused by a U.S. fuel blockade that has severely limited Cuba's energy supplies.
- Hundreds of residents gathered in multiple neighborhoods, blocking roads and demanding electricity, marking the largest protests in Havana since the energy crisis began.
- Cuba's Energy Minister Vicente de la O confirmed the nation has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil, leading to power outages lasting up to 22 hours daily in many districts.
- Efforts to import fuel are ongoing but complicated by rising global oil prices and geopolitical tensions, with traditional suppliers Mexico and Venezuela halting deliveries due to U.S. sanctions.
- The United Nations condemned the U.S. fuel blockade as unlawful, stating it violates the Cuban people's rights to development, food, education, health, and sanitation.