Cuba’s fuel crisis deepens
Cuba is facing its worst energy crunch in years — Havana refused a U.S. Embassy diesel request, is arranging a first Russian oil shipment of the year, and tankers are diverting fuel cargoes to Trinidad as aid convoys organize to deliver essentials. The disruptions are already forcing water and power rationing and reshaping short‑term regional fuel flows. (npr.org, reuters.com)
The U.S. Embassy in Havana formally asked to import diesel for generators and Cuban authorities denied that request, prompting U.S. officials to consider reducing embassy staffing because of fuel shortages. (abcnews.com) The U.S. Treasury’s OFAC issued General License 134 on March 12, 2026 and then tightened it to expressly exclude Cuba from transactions involving Russian-origin crude, a change the Treasury announced in mid‑March. (clearytradewatch.com) A Russian‑linked tanker identified in tracking data as the Anatoly Kolodkin is reported to be carrying roughly 730,000 barrels of crude toward Cuba, a shipment Bloomberg says would be the island’s first major delivery in months. (bloomberg.com) Another vessel, the Hong Kong‑flagged Sea Horse, updated its destination to Trinidad and Tobago after loading a diesel cargo earlier this year via a ship‑to‑ship transfer in the Mediterranean, according to LSEG tracking and Reuters reporting. (usnews.com) Analysts quoted by news outlets estimate a recent Russian crude consignment could yield about 180,000 barrels of diesel — roughly nine to ten days’ worth of Cuba’s reported daily needs — but that crude must be refined before usable fuels can reach the island. (euronews.com) The island’s grid collapse in mid‑March left millions without electricity and strained water‑pumping systems, producing long lines for potable water in Havana and prompting government rationing protocols for essential services. (bloomberg.com) At the same time, international humanitarian groups and the Nuestra América convoy have mobilized shipments of food, medical supplies and solar equipment bound for Havana, scheduling convergences by sea and air in late March to relieve immediate shortages. (upi.com)
