Cuba’s government says country has run out of diesel and oil | BBC News

Cuba is facing its most severe energy crisis in decades, characterized by total fuel depletion and power blackouts lasting up to 22 hours. This collapse of the electrical grid has triggered rare, large-scale protests in Havana, where residents have blocked roads and burned rubbish to express desperation over food shortages and the inability to preserve basic goods. Global Affairs reporter Mimi Swaby notes that while the Cuban government attributes the crisis to a tightening US blockade that has deterred traditional suppliers like Venezuela and Mexico, the situation remains critical as a single recent Russian oil delivery has already been exhausted. Although China and Mexico have provided some solar equipment, the high cost and weather dependency of solar power offer little immediate relief. The US has offered $100 million in humanitarian aid, conditioned on meaningful reforms to Cuba's communist system, leaving the population caught between an unyielding authoritarian regime and external economic pressure.