The ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel announced on Thursday that Cuba is preparing for "more difficult times" amid the worsening of the economic, energy, and social crisis that the country is experiencing.
During an appearance broadcasted on the Presidency of Cuba's YouTube channel, Díaz-Canel spoke before what was presented as national and foreign press. However, among the so-called international media were Cuban journalists aligned with the regime who collaborate with the Russian network RT, the Chinese agency Xinhua in Spanish, and Prensa Latina.
"I am not an idealist. I know we are going to face difficult times. We have done it before, but now we will overcome it together with creative resilience, effort, and talent," commented Díaz-Canel.
In his remarks, the leader acknowledged a situation of “acute fuel shortage” and stated that the Government has already established “guidelines to address it.”
According to him, Cuba must "rely on its own energy sources," and he expressed pride in the fact that the new plan includes the measures created by Fidel Castro for energy contingencies over two decades ago.
"Remember that the blockade on Venezuela began in December 2025. Since that date, no fuel has been received in this country," Díaz-Canel stated.
He did not provide specific details on how they will achieve their goals in the short term. In this regard, he asked the people for "more trust in the government." "We are working to minimize the impact on the population," he said.
"To prevent us from being suffocated, there is a strategy, a program, and new measures will be implemented. Some are restrictive, but there are things we will need to stop or postpone," he noted, and he urged Cubans to "save much more."
Díaz-Canel acknowledged that last year was "bad" for the national economy, but he assured that the Government made "a significant investment in solar parks," which is promoted as one of the main official strategies to alleviate the energy crisis, despite the ongoing blackouts.
The ruling official also mentioned the deterioration of relations with the United States and again blamed Washington for the internal situation.
"The U.S. coercive measures mean that we have to work very hard," he stated, while urging leftist countries to mobilize in support of Cuba in its political confrontation with the U.S. government.
While the official discourse insists on external factors, Cubans continue to face shortages, prolonged blackouts, and a marked deterioration in their quality of life.
"The option of surrender is not on the table. We have much to defend," said the leader. In his view, Cubans should see this period of fuel shortage as "an opportunity for the country to become more sustainable."
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