The U.S.’s fuel blockade is leaving Cuban families in destitution
Cuba is on the brink of disaster with another power outage that started on Feb. 13 and lasted two days. According to the Havana Times, this power outage has affected more than 56 per cent of the island. This has impacted hospitals, businesses, schools, and the day-to-day life of Cubans. The country is still experiencing occasional power outages, as it is running out of fuel for the power plants. Cuba has previously relied on Venezuela for oil, with Venezuela sending 35,000 barrels of oil a day, according to the Havana Times. Since the U.S. has seized President Nicolas Maduro, Cuba has ceased to receive any oil according to the CBC. Additionally, Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 29, stating Cuba would no longer receive oil from Venezuela.
The U.S. has additionally placed sanctions on other countries that sell Cuba fuel. Trump has set up a blockade around the island with the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard pursuing and boarding tankers suspected of bringing supplies to Cuba, and making sure ships suspected of bringing supplies can not make port in Havana, according to the CBC. Mark Entwistle, former Canadian ambassador to Cuba, said Trump is trying to “throttle the country’s economy to the point that the regime collapses,” in an interview with the CBC.
The fuel shortage has not just led to blackouts, but an increase in food and transportation costs, making it harder for people to get basic needs met. The Havana Times reported that only 44 of Havana’s 106 garbage trucks remained operational due to a lack of fuel, leading to garbage piling on the streets. Cuban economist Ricardo Torres says, “they are some weeks before running out completely.” The situation has fostered the attention of Canada and the United Nations (UN), as both are concerned with “the increasing risk of a humanitarian crisis,” said Global Affairs Canada’s Charlotte MacLeod, in a statement to CBC. The BBC said UN human rights experts describe Trump’s blockade on Cuba’s oil as an extreme form of “unilateral economic coercion.” Volker Türk, the UN human rights chief, said he was “extremely concerned” about the worsening crisis in Cuba. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand has also stated Canada is planning to assist Cuba, though it has not been determined how Canada will help at this moment.
Due to the fuel shortage, Cuban airports had limited fuel to fly commercial flights home, so Canadian airlines suspended flights to the island and had been ferrying tourists from it. MacLeod stated 27,900 Canadian tourists have been safely returned from Cuba onto Canadian airlines before the suspension, and that some flights will remain open, but they are in limited supply. The Canadian government still urges people to consider leaving while they can, before the situation gets any worse.