The leader Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged this Thursday, at an official event held at the corner of 23 and 12 in Vedado, Havana, that Cuba absolutely lacks fuel for almost everything, in one of the starkest admissions he has made publicly about the collapse the country is experiencing.
The confession came during the commemorative speech for the 65th anniversary of the proclamation of the socialist nature of the Revolution and Militiaman Day, an event filled with slogans that sharply contrasted with the seriousness of what Díaz-Canel himself described.
"Cuban daily life is painful, from the vital rest interrupted first by the blackout and then by the return of power after long hours, which has shifted household work to the early mornings, to the paralysis of industries, transportation, vital services, and production, due to an absolute lack of fuel for almost everything," he/she stated.
Instead of taking any responsibility, the leader attributed the crisis to "a single executive order" that declared Cuba an "unusual and extraordinary threat," referring directly to the executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 29, which imposed secondary sanctions on countries and companies that exported fuel to the Island.
"The main cause of our problems is the genocidal blockade by the United States government against our people," he declared, also rejecting the characterization of Cuba as a "failed state" and preferring to call it a "surrounded state."
The crisis has specific roots that the regime overlooks: Venezuela stopped sending the 25,000 to 30,000 barrels daily that it historically provided since November 2025, and Mexico suspended shipments from Pemex earlier this year.
Cuba produces internally only 40,000 of the 110,000 daily barrels it needs, according to expert Jorge Piñón from the University of Texas, who had warned in December 2025 that 2026 would be the darkest year for the Island.
The effects on the population are devastating: the National Electric System (SEN) recorded three total blackout events in March, the longest lasting 29 hours and 29 minutes on the 16th of that month, with blackouts lasting over 24 hours that affect more than 60% of the territory.
More than 1,700 international flights have been canceled since February; nine airports reported fuel shortages; and 96.4% of small and medium-sized enterprises are at risk.
Cubans are waiting more than 15 hours in line to buy just 20 liters of gasoline, with prices in the informal market reaching 10 dollars per liter.
The only partial relief came on March 31, when the Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin docked in Matanzas with 730,000 barrels of crude, enough for barely seven to ten days of consumption.
Instead of presenting concrete solutions, Díaz-Canel called for "a national and international movement of solidarity" to spread "the truth about Cuba" and described the situation as "genocide due to the extreme levels of deprivation" to which, according to him, the Cuban people are subjected.
The speech occurred a day after Díaz-Canel chaired a debate with scientists on renewable energy, which generated a tidal wave of criticism on social media for the disconnection between the proposals and the reality of the blackouts.
The Cuban Observatory of Conflicts recorded 953 protests in January alone, a historical record, and in March the largest demonstrations against socialism since July 11 occurred, featuring pot-banging, garbage burning, and street blockades, resulting in at least 20 arrests and one gunshot wound.
"The moment is extremely challenging and calls on us once again, like on that April 16, 1961, to be ready to face serious threats, including military aggression," concluded Díaz-Canel, appealing to the revolutionary epic while millions of Cubans continue to be without power, fuel, and answers.
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