# Cuba says diesel stocks are exhausted as blackouts deepen in Havana
Cuba says its diesel and fuel oil reserves have run completely dry, with energy officials describing the island’s power system as being on life support and blackouts in Havana stretching beyond 20 hours a day.
The UPI report quotes Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy saying there is “absolutely no diesel” left and that fuel stocks for electricity generation are nearly exhausted. He said a Russian shipment of 730,000 barrels delivered in March had already run out, leaving the national grid dependent on domestic crude, natural gas and renewables.
The crisis has immediate consequences for daily life. De la O Levy said Havana’s blackouts now exceed 20 to 22 hours per day, with summer demand making the situation even harder. That kind of outage pattern turns an energy shortage into a full social emergency because households, hospitals, transport and commerce all depend on limited and unpredictable power.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel blamed the worsening shortages on what he called a criminal siege and said the country faced a 2,000-megawatt electricity shortfall overnight. The report also records his accusation that the United States was imposing a genocidal energy blockade on Cuba. Washington, for its part, said it was restating an offer of humanitarian assistance, including $100 million in direct aid distributed through independent organisations.
The packet presents both sides of that dispute but leaves no doubt about the physical crisis on the island: Cuba says it has run out of diesel and is struggling to keep the grid functioning. It also says the problem has worsened since January, when a U.S. embargo was tightened and oil supplies from Venezuela were cut off.
The report adds that the State Department sanctioned several Cuban entities and a senior executive at GAESA on May 7, arguing that resources were being diverted away from the public interest. Havana rejected the aid offer as a fable and questioned the political intent behind it.
For ordinary Cubans, the political fight matters less than the daily reality of power cuts, heat and uncertainty. Blackouts that last most of the day disrupt everything from food storage to work to sleep. The article says the summer heat is making the demand spike even more punishing.
The report also says Cuba’s energy system is now relying on home-produced crude, natural gas and renewable energy, which suggests the country has little room to absorb further shocks. In that environment, fuel scarcity is no longer a narrow supply issue; it has become a governing crisis.
The biggest immediate unknown is how long the island can keep the grid from slipping further. What is known is that the fuel shortage is deep, the blackouts are severe and the dispute with Washington is only getting sharper.
