Cuba issues stark warning to airlines of fuel shortages triggered by Trump sanctions
The move follows intensified political pressure from Trump across Latin America
Cuban aviation officials have issued a stark warning to airlines, indicating a severe lack of fuel for refueling aircraft on the island. This critical energy rationing is a direct consequence of the Donald Trump administration's efforts to cut off Cuba from its primary fuel resources, a commercial pilot confirmed on Monday.
A notice was reportedly dispatched to aviation companies and personnel on Sunday, according to the pilot, who spoke anonymously due to not being authorized to comment publicly. While refueling difficulties have occurred previously, the pilot noted that an official announcement of this magnitude is extraordinary, even for a nation accustomed to persistent challenges.
The move follows intensified political pressure from President Donald Trump across Latin America, which has effectively severed Cuba’s access to its main petroleum suppliers in Venezuela and Mexico.
Late last month, Trump signed an executive order threatening tariffs on goods from any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba, a measure poised to further exacerbate the deepening energy crisis plaguing the island.
While the rationing may not disrupt shorter regional flights, it presents a significant challenge for long-haul routes from countries like Russia and Canada — a critical pillar of Cuba’s tourism economy.
On Monday, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to the island.
The last time such cuts occurred — more than a decade ago — aircraft bound for Europe refueled in Nassau, Bahamas, the pilot recalled. Now, regional airlines could avoid problems by bringing extra fuel, while others could refuel in Cancun, Mexico, or in the Dominican Republic.
It remains unclear how long the notice will remain in effect and Cuban officials have made no public comments on the matter.
The fuel shortage deals another blow to a country that relies heavily on tourism, an industry that once generated $3 billion in annual revenue and served as a vital economic lifeline.
Cuban officials also announced Monday that bank hours have been reduced and cultural events suspended. In Havana, the public bus system has effectively ground to a halt, leaving residents stranded as endemic power outages and grueling fuel lines reach a breaking point.
The energy emergency has forced the suspension of major events like the Havana International Book Fair this weekend and a restructuring of the national baseball season for greater efficiency. Some banks have cut operating hours and fuel distribution companies said they would no longer sell gas in Cuban pesos — and that sales will be made in dollars and limited to 20 liters per user.
The latest measures add to others announced Friday, including cuts to bus transportation and limited train departures.
On Thursday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel delivered a two-hour televised address, acknowledging the impact and warning that measures would be taken in the coming days.
U.S. sanctions against Cuba have been in place for more than six decades and have long crippled Cuba's economy. But they grew to new extremes after a U.S. military operation deposed former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and Trump began to take an even more confrontational tone toward Latin America.
For many Cubans, the crisis has translated into power outages lasting up to 10 hours, fuel shortages for vehicles, and a lack of food or medicine that many compare with the severe economic depression in the 1990s known as the Special Period that followed cuts in Soviet aid.
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