A scene of desperation unfolded over the weekend at the bus terminal in Sancti Spíritus, where dozens of passengers were stranded due to the suspension of service to the eastern provinces, amid the fuel shortages plaguing the country.
A victim recorded a video from the station itself and sent it to CiberCuba.
In the images, he reported that there are people who have been waiting for one or even two days without being able to leave. "With the new measures and without fuel, we are stranded here," he explained.
Most of the travelers were trying to get to Santiago de Cuba. "Everyone here is waiting for the bus to Santiago, which was canceled this morning. There’s no departure at seven in the morning," he reported.
The testimony described a dire situation: people without supplies, including children, some from the countryside—mentioning residents of La Sierpe—who had been in the area since the previous afternoon.
The woman recalled that the fuel crisis does not have a clear resolution date and that no one is offering real alternatives for those who need to return to their provinces.
"I am making this video for someone who can help us see how we can resolve this. Because if this fuel situation, where there is none throughout the country, is going to last an entire year, we cannot be here living in a terminal for a whole year," he said.
The video revealed more than just a delay: it shows how the collapse of interprovincial transport is leaving people abandoned to their fate.
At the Sancti Spíritus terminal, the only active departure was to Havana, while passengers headed east felt that "we don't count," according to the complainant herself.
A country without fuel and without answers
What happened in Sancti Spíritus is not an isolated incident.
In Las Tunas, the company Ómnibus Nacionales announced the suspension of all interprovincial departures starting from last Friday, February 6, due to the worsening fuel crisis.
The measure affects trips to Camagüey, Holguín, and Santiago de Cuba, both in the morning and afternoon schedules. Only one daily express service to Havana at 9:00 pm remains, and the alternate route to Matanzas has been suspended.
The delegate of the Ministry of Transport in the province indicated that new restrictions could be forthcoming, even in railway services, which are also limited due to a lack of diesel.
This scenario reflects the deep deterioration of the transportation system, which has been paralyzed by the state's inability to ensure a minimum supply of fuel.
In Havana, the crisis has led to a complete halt of public transportation in the urban area. Videos and complaints show hundreds of people waiting at bus stops with no buses arriving.
The official page Transportación Habana TH acknowledged that "there are no services on any of the available routes" and that there is no fuel to ensure operations at any terminal. Even the microbuses are operating at a minimum level and without guarantees.
This is compounded by what happened to UCI students trying to return from Havana to the east: the train that was supposed to transport them was broken down, with no set departure time.
Public transportation would only reach the provincial capitals, leaving those living in municipalities without means to complete their journey. With private transportation costs "through the roof," many are left stranded with no alternatives.
The situation is not the result of a one-time accident, but rather a structural collapse caused by years of mismanagement, lack of maintenance, and inability to ensure basic resources.
While the authorities speak of "contingency plans," in reality, thousands of Cubans spend nights in terminals, without food, without information, and without solutions.
What was experienced in Sancti Spíritus is a concrete image of a country where the government fails to guarantee the most basic: that people can move freely within their own territory.
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