Cuba is bracing for the repercussions after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut off Venezuelan oil supply to the island, escalating an already dire energy situation highlighted by outages and shortages.
The likelihood of a prolonged suspension in delivery has sparked fears of a siege-like situation in a country largely reliant on imported gasoline.
Venezuela, historically Cuba’s biggest oil supplier, has not supplied petroleum or fuel to the island in nearly a month, according to shipping records and internal memos from state-owned PDVSA.
Cargoes began to fall off even before the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January, as an embargo hindered circulation.
The last known shipment bound for refining in Cuba left PDVSA’s Jose port in mid-December.
The tanker sailed with its transponder turned off, transporting around 600,000 barrels of Venezuelan petroleum, according to the data.
In 2025, Venezuela supplied Cuba with approximately 26,500 barrels per day, accounting for roughly one-third of the island’s daily demands. Mexico followed with approximately 5,000 barrels per day.
The abrupt absence of Venezuelan oil has raised questions about how Cuba would maintain electrical generation and transportation in the next few months.
Political pressure rises
Trump has indicated that he expects US actions toward Venezuela to intensify pressure on Cuba.
In recent days, he has sharpened his rhetoric, urging the communist-led island to reach an agreement “before it is too late.”
At the same time, questions are growing over how long President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s government can cope with sharply reduced oil supplies, a concern that weighs heavily on a population already facing shortages of food, medicine, and fuel.
“It’s very stressful because we don’t know what decision the Cuban government will make or what actions the United States government will take,” said Victor Romero, a 75-year-old former Havana state worker.
Diaz-Canel has responded angrily, dismissing US threats and indicating that his administration will not back down.
“Nobody tells us what to do,” he stated Sunday. “Cuba is… prepared to defend the homeland until the last drop of blood.”
Life at the margins
Much of rural Cuba already appears markedly underdeveloped, with horse-drawn carriages and bicycles commonly used for transportation in communities and even in some cities.
Internet access is inconsistent, and electricity outages often last longer than periods of supply.
Deyanira Gonzalez, a 57-year-old homemaker living in the countryside near Havana, told Reuters that she prepares her morning coffee and her children’s lunches using charcoal.
She said electricity service is sporadic, while liquefied gas is either unavailable or too expensive for most households.
“What will happen now? If Donald Trump does not allow fuel into Cuba, we will be in the dark while our children suffer,” she was quoted as saying in the report.
The capital has not yet felt the full impact of declining Venezuelan oil shipments.
Data on daily power generation shortfalls show that blackouts eased slightly in early January, largely due to lower electricity demand after a peak in December.
Gasoline and diesel remain rationed in local currency but are still available at fuel stations.
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