The Cuban comedian Otto Ortiz posted a reel on his Instagram account @malascompaniasmc in which he humorously highlights the frustrating fuel situation in Havana with his characteristic satirical style.
Otto recounts that he signed up for both lines or "waiting lists" to buy gasoline in Havana. One is in national currency and he holds position 1,620. The other is in dollars and he holds position 15,551.
The comedian calculated optimistically. "If each gas station handles about 50 shifts a day, according to the list at the Acapulco gas station, I should be approximately up in a month. It's just a month, but it's there."
The cunning aspect is that the sale of gasoline in Cuban pesos has been halted since January. The only real opportunity to buy fuel is at service stations that sell in dollars, and there you will have to wait... "A few months."
A colleague dampens Otto's optimism for a moment. "If you say you have the 15,551, just wait. Oh Pipo, it's your turn to buy fuel in 10 months. What do you think?"
The scene accurately summarizes the energy crisis that Cuba is experiencing. On February 7, 2026, the regime completely suspended the sale of gasoline in Cuban pesos (CUP) and also canceled the sale of diesel in dollars for the civilian population, leaving only B90 and B94 gasoline available in USD, with a limit of 20 liters per transaction.
To manage the demand, the government implemented the state application 'Ticket', developed by XETID, which accumulates waiting lists of between 7,000 and 15,000 requests per gas station, while each station services only between 50 and 90 vehicles a day.
In the black market, a liter of gasoline costs 5,000 Cuban pesos, or between 6 and 8 dollars at the unofficial exchange rate.
It's not the first time that Otto Ortiz addresses the issue. In December 2024, he had already recounted his 'odyssey' to obtain fuel and made a remark that continues to resonate: "There are ministers still to be removed".
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