The United Nations said Friday it was deeply alarmed by the crisis unfolding in Cuba.
Fire at refinery in Havana as Cuba battles fuel shortages
By AFP
February 13, 2026
A fire at the Nico Lopes oil refinery in Havana - Copyright AFP YAMIL LAGE
A fire broke out Friday at a refinery in Cuba’s capital, threatening to compound the island nation’s struggles as it faces what amounts to a US oil blockade.
AFP observed a massive column of smoke rising from the Nico Lopez refinery in Havana Bay, though it was not known if the blaze was near the plant’s oil storage tanks.
Two Mexican navy ships arrived at the same harbor Thursday with more than 800 tons of much-needed humanitarian aid.
Cuba, already contending with a years-long economic crisis, has risked being plunged into darkness since US President Donald Trump vowed to starve the communist nation of oil.
The Caribbean country of 9.6 million inhabitants lost its main oil supply line when Trump last month ordered the ouster of Nicolas Maduro, the long-term leader of Cuban ally Venezuela.
Trump said no more Venezuelan oil would go to Cuba, and also threatened tariffs for any other country stepping in with crude supplies.
The island, under a US trade embargo since 1962, has for years been mired in a severe economic crisis marked by extended power cuts and shortages of fuel, medicine and food.
No foreign fuel or oil tanker has arrived in Cuba in weeks, experts in maritime transport tracking have told AFP.
Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Miami-born son of Cuban immigrants, have made no secret of their desire to bring about regime change in Havana.
The Republican leader has said Cuba is “ready to fall.”
Emergency measures kicked in this week to conserve Cuba’s fast-dwindling fuel stocks. The government shuttered universities, reduced school hours and the work week, and slashed public transport as it limited fuel sales.
Staffing at hospitals was also cut back.
The United Nations said Friday it was deeply alarmed by the crisis unfolding in Cuba.
Two Mexican navy ships arrive with humanitarian aid for Cuba
By AFP
February 12, 2026
The Mexican Navy ship ARM Papaloapan arriving in Havana Bay with humanitarian aid - Copyright AFP/File Mauro PIMENTEL
Two Mexican navy ships with more than 800 tons of humanitarian aid arrived in Cuba Thursday, as the island nation struggles under what amounts to a US blockade of oil deliveries.
President Donald Trump has vowed to starve Cuba of oil after the US military ousting of Nicolas Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, which had been the communist nation’s main supplier of the commodity.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has protested against the humanitarian impact of Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on any country sending crude to Cuba, and promised to provide aid.
The ships Papaloapan and Isla Holbox, sent by Sheinbaum’s government, entered Havana Harbor on Thursday, an AFP team observed.
They are carrying fresh and powdered milk, meat, beans, rice and personal hygiene items, the Mexican foreign ministry says.
Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Miami-born son of Cuban immigrants, have made no secret of their desire to bring about regime change in Havana.
By AFP
February 12, 2026
The Mexican Navy ship ARM Papaloapan arriving in Havana Bay with humanitarian aid - Copyright AFP/File Mauro PIMENTEL
Two Mexican navy ships with more than 800 tons of humanitarian aid arrived in Cuba Thursday, as the island nation struggles under what amounts to a US blockade of oil deliveries.
President Donald Trump has vowed to starve Cuba of oil after the US military ousting of Nicolas Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, which had been the communist nation’s main supplier of the commodity.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has protested against the humanitarian impact of Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on any country sending crude to Cuba, and promised to provide aid.
The ships Papaloapan and Isla Holbox, sent by Sheinbaum’s government, entered Havana Harbor on Thursday, an AFP team observed.
They are carrying fresh and powdered milk, meat, beans, rice and personal hygiene items, the Mexican foreign ministry says.
Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Miami-born son of Cuban immigrants, have made no secret of their desire to bring about regime change in Havana.
The Republican leader has said Cuba is “ready to fall.”
The island of 9.6 million inhabitants, under a US trade embargo since 1962, has for years been mired in a severe economic crisis marked by extended power cuts and shortages of fuel, medicine and food.
It has now also been cut off from critical oil supplies from Venezuela — whose leader was toppled in a deadly US military strike last month — and from Mexico under the threat of US tariffs.
The resulting shortages have threatened to plunge Cuba into complete darkness, with power plants struggling to keep the lights on.
No foreign fuel or oil tanker has arrived in Cuba in weeks, experts in maritime transport tracking have told AFP.
Emergency measures kicked in on the island this week to conserve its fast-dwindling fuel stocks. The government shuttered universities, reduced school hours and the work week, and slashed public transport as it limited fuel sales.
On Monday, Sheinbaum said Trump’s “unfair” measures would “strangle” an already teetering economy.
Her country has been mulling how to send oil to Cuba without incurring punishing tariffs.
“We will continue supporting them (Cuba) and taking all necessary diplomatic actions to restore oil shipments,” Sheinbaum said Monday.
The island of 9.6 million inhabitants, under a US trade embargo since 1962, has for years been mired in a severe economic crisis marked by extended power cuts and shortages of fuel, medicine and food.
It has now also been cut off from critical oil supplies from Venezuela — whose leader was toppled in a deadly US military strike last month — and from Mexico under the threat of US tariffs.
The resulting shortages have threatened to plunge Cuba into complete darkness, with power plants struggling to keep the lights on.
No foreign fuel or oil tanker has arrived in Cuba in weeks, experts in maritime transport tracking have told AFP.
Emergency measures kicked in on the island this week to conserve its fast-dwindling fuel stocks. The government shuttered universities, reduced school hours and the work week, and slashed public transport as it limited fuel sales.
On Monday, Sheinbaum said Trump’s “unfair” measures would “strangle” an already teetering economy.
Her country has been mulling how to send oil to Cuba without incurring punishing tariffs.
“We will continue supporting them (Cuba) and taking all necessary diplomatic actions to restore oil shipments,” Sheinbaum said Monday.
Tourists empty out of Cuba as US fuel blockade bites
By AFP
February 12, 2026
Cuba's tourism industry falters as country struggles amid US fuel blockade - Copyright AFP Paige Taylor White
Rigoberto DIAZ
With rolling power cuts, hotel closures, and flight routes suspended for lack of fuel, tourists are gradually emptying out of Cuba, deepening a severe crisis on the cash-strapped island.
Several nations have advised against travel to Cuba since the US tightened a decades-old embargo by choking vital oil imports.
“I found only one taxi,” said French tourist Frederic Monnet, who cut short a trip to a picturesque valley in western Cuba to head back to Havana.
“There might be no taxis afterward,” he told AFP.
A petroleum shortage has led to regular hours-long power cuts, long queues at petrol stations, and has forced many airlines to announce that they will cancel regular services.
About 30 hotels and resorts across the island are being temporarily closed due to low occupancy and fuel rationing, according to an internal Tourism Ministry document obtained by AFP.
Since January, a flotilla of US warships have stopped Venezuelan tankers from delivering oil to Cuban ports.
Washington has also threatened Mexico and other exporter with punitive tariffs if they continue deliveries.
Several Canadian and Russian airlines are sending empty flights to Cuba to retrieve thousands of otherwise stranded passengers, and others are introducing refuelling stops in the route home.
American tourist Liam Burnell contacted his airline to make sure he could get a flight back.
“There was a danger that I might not be able to return, because the airport says it doesn’t have enough fuel for the planes,” he said.
– ‘Critical, critical’ –
An absence of tourists is more than an inconvenience for the Cuban government.
Tourism is traditionally Cuba’s second major source of foreign currency, behind revenue from doctors sent abroad.
The revenue is vital to pay for food, fuel, and other imports.
And the 300,000 Cubans who make a living off the tourist industry are already feeling the pinch.
A hop-on, hop-off bus touring Havana’s sites on Thursday was virtually empty.
Horses idled in the shade of colonial buildings, waiting for carriages to fill with visitors.
“The situation is critical, critical, critical,” said 34-year-old Juan Arteaga, who drives one of the island’s many classic 1950s cars so beloved by tourists.
“There are few cars (on the street) because there is little fuel left. Whoever had a reserve is keeping it,” he said.
“When my gasoline runs out, I go home. What else can I do?” he said.
The island of 9.6 million inhabitants has faced hard times since the US trade embargo took hold in 1962, and in recent years the severe economic crisis has also been marked by shortages of food and medicine.
On Thursday, two Mexican navy ships arrived in Cuba with more than 800 tons of much-needed humanitarian aid — fresh and powdered milk, meat, cookies, beans, rice and personal hygiene items, according to the Mexican foreign ministry.
Musician Victor Estevez said because tourism has been “a lifeline for all Cubans…if that is affected, then we are really going to be in trouble.”
“The well-being of my family depends on me.”
The tourism sector had already been severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, experiencing a 70 percent decline in revenue between 2019 and 2025.
Tourism expert Jose Luis Perello said the island now faces the prospect of “a disastrous year.”
By AFP
February 12, 2026
Cuba's tourism industry falters as country struggles amid US fuel blockade - Copyright AFP Paige Taylor White
Rigoberto DIAZ
With rolling power cuts, hotel closures, and flight routes suspended for lack of fuel, tourists are gradually emptying out of Cuba, deepening a severe crisis on the cash-strapped island.
Several nations have advised against travel to Cuba since the US tightened a decades-old embargo by choking vital oil imports.
“I found only one taxi,” said French tourist Frederic Monnet, who cut short a trip to a picturesque valley in western Cuba to head back to Havana.
“There might be no taxis afterward,” he told AFP.
A petroleum shortage has led to regular hours-long power cuts, long queues at petrol stations, and has forced many airlines to announce that they will cancel regular services.
About 30 hotels and resorts across the island are being temporarily closed due to low occupancy and fuel rationing, according to an internal Tourism Ministry document obtained by AFP.
Since January, a flotilla of US warships have stopped Venezuelan tankers from delivering oil to Cuban ports.
Washington has also threatened Mexico and other exporter with punitive tariffs if they continue deliveries.
Several Canadian and Russian airlines are sending empty flights to Cuba to retrieve thousands of otherwise stranded passengers, and others are introducing refuelling stops in the route home.
American tourist Liam Burnell contacted his airline to make sure he could get a flight back.
“There was a danger that I might not be able to return, because the airport says it doesn’t have enough fuel for the planes,” he said.
– ‘Critical, critical’ –
An absence of tourists is more than an inconvenience for the Cuban government.
Tourism is traditionally Cuba’s second major source of foreign currency, behind revenue from doctors sent abroad.
The revenue is vital to pay for food, fuel, and other imports.
And the 300,000 Cubans who make a living off the tourist industry are already feeling the pinch.
A hop-on, hop-off bus touring Havana’s sites on Thursday was virtually empty.
Horses idled in the shade of colonial buildings, waiting for carriages to fill with visitors.
“The situation is critical, critical, critical,” said 34-year-old Juan Arteaga, who drives one of the island’s many classic 1950s cars so beloved by tourists.
“There are few cars (on the street) because there is little fuel left. Whoever had a reserve is keeping it,” he said.
“When my gasoline runs out, I go home. What else can I do?” he said.
The island of 9.6 million inhabitants has faced hard times since the US trade embargo took hold in 1962, and in recent years the severe economic crisis has also been marked by shortages of food and medicine.
On Thursday, two Mexican navy ships arrived in Cuba with more than 800 tons of much-needed humanitarian aid — fresh and powdered milk, meat, cookies, beans, rice and personal hygiene items, according to the Mexican foreign ministry.
Musician Victor Estevez said because tourism has been “a lifeline for all Cubans…if that is affected, then we are really going to be in trouble.”
“The well-being of my family depends on me.”
The tourism sector had already been severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, experiencing a 70 percent decline in revenue between 2019 and 2025.
Tourism expert Jose Luis Perello said the island now faces the prospect of “a disastrous year.”
By AFP
February 10, 2026
Cuban vendor Elio Galvan sells charcoal to families who have begun cooking over open fires amid ever longer blackouts caused by fuel shortages - Copyright AFP Jim WATSON
Lisandra COTS
The US oil siege, which has worsened an already severe energy crisis, has created two classes of Cubans: those who use generators or solar panels to power their ovens, and those who have resorted to cooking over open fires.
On the side of a highway on the outskirts of Havana, vendors sell bags of charcoal and makeshift braziers, some fashioned from old washing machine drums.
“Everyone knows what’s coming. We don’t have fuel in the country; we have to find alternatives,” Niurbis Lamothe, a 53-year-old state employee, told AFP after buying a homemade stove.
“The shoe just got tighter than it already was,” commented another shopper who declined to give her name as she sized up a a bag of charcoal costing 2,600 pesos (US$5.25), roughly half the average monthly salary.
The woman, who has a young child, explained that her salary could not stretch to solar panels or a lithium battery to keep the lights on during power cuts of up to 12 hours a day.
“This is the most affordable way” to cook, she said as she loaded a sack of charcoal onto her electric motorcycle — the vehicle of choice for many Cubans given severe fuel shortages, which they charge when they have power.
Yurisnel Agosto, the 36-year-old charcoal merchant, confirmed that he “has never sold so much” of the fossil fuel.
Before, his customers were primarily pizzerias or grilled-meat restaurants, who cook over coals; now they are families.
“People come and buy three sacks to be prepared for when there’s no electricity,” said Agosto, his hands blackened from filling, stacking, and arranging the sacks on the side of the road.
For most Cubans, even charcoal is a luxury, and wood the staple fuel source.
– ‘Desperate’ –
Cuba, which has been under a US trade embargo for over 60 years, was already struggling through its worst crisis in decades when President Donald Trump took steps to cut off its entire oil supply.
The government has announced drastic measures to ration whatever fuel is left, including preventing airlines refueling on the island.
For some Cubans the crisis has triggered memories of the rationing of the “Special Period,” the severe economic crisis that followed the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, at the time Cuba’s main oil supplier.
Thirty-five years later the writing was on the wall when US special forces overthrew Nicolas Maduro, the socialist president of Cuba’s closest ally, Venezuela.
Washington immediately halted Venezuela’s oil shipments to US arch-foe Cuba and threatened tariff hikes on any other countries supplying the island with crude.
For wealthier Cubans, solar panels are the salvation.
The number of solar panel installation companies has multiplied since 2024, when the Cuban government relaxed restrictions on importing the mostly Chinese-made devices.
“People are desperate to find a solution,” Reinier Hernandez, one business owner, told AFP.
Since mid-January, he has barely slept as he fields a flurry of orders, prepares quotes, and organizes the work schedule of his 20-or-so employees.
“Sometimes I get home at one in the morning,” Orley Estrada, one of his installers, confided.
In the Guanabacoa neighborhood, in eastern Havana, workers are busy installing 12 solar panels on the roof of a nursing home run by the Catholic Church that doubles as a soup kitchen.
The Dominican nuns who run the kitchen prepare food for about 80 elderly or destitute people — growing numbers of Cubans are forced to rummage through garbage bins for food — each day.
Sister Gertrudis Abreu fundraised to amass the $7,000 needed for the panels.
“Without electricity, we had no other option,” she explained to AFP.
But with the smallest solar package from Hernandez’s company costing $2,000, most Cubans have yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
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