"Very tense": Blackouts & protests in Cuba, minister says country is out of fuel

Cuba faced worsening blackouts Thursday (May 14) as the island’s communist government admitted its fuel reserves had run out, triggering protests around Havana.

As reported by Agence France-Presse, large parts of eastern Cuba lost power again in the latest wave of nationwide outages, while residents in Havana neighbourhoods demonstrated against the prolonged electricity cuts.

Speaking on state television, Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said supplies of Russian oil had completely “run out,” calling the country’s energy situation “very tense.”

He added that rising temperatures and the ongoing U.S. embargo were making it even harder for Cuba to obtain fuel imports.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio renewed an offer of $100 million in humanitarian aid, provided the assistance would be distributed through the Catholic Church rather than the Cuban government.

Cuba’s foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, said Havana was willing to hear more details about the proposal, reports say.

Residents across Havana expressed anger over outages that have stretched beyond 19 hours a day in some areas, reports say.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Wednesday (May 13) blamed the crisis on what he called a U.S.-imposed “genocidal energy blockade,” arguing that sanctions and threats against countries supplying fuel to Cuba had severely restricted imports.

Cuba’s aging electrical infrastructure has added to the crisis. Much of the island’s power comes from eight thermoelectric plants, many more than four decades old and prone to breakdowns.

READ MORE: “There continues to be steady demand”: Why some tour operators are still promoting Cuba

Since 2024, Cubans have experienced seven nationwide blackouts, while fuel prices and shortages have continued to worsen.

The situation deteriorated further after new U.S. measures earlier this year targeted fuel shipments to the island.

Since then, only a single Russian tanker has reportedly reached Cuba, leaving the country struggling with chronic shortages, economic stagnation, and growing public unrest.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has claimed victories against Venezuela’s leftist leadership while struggling to gain traction in the conflict with Iran, recently suggested that Cuba could become Washington’s next focus.

Service suspended

Meanwhile, Canadian airlines have suspended service to the destination. .

Transat A.T. Inc recently extended its Cuba flight suspension until October.

The WestJet Group – inclusive of Sunwing Vacations Group, which includes Sunwing Vacations, WestJet Vacations and Vacances WestJet Quebec – has also cancelled its Cuba program until that same month.

Air Canada, meanwhile, has pushed back the return of its Cuba service until November 1, 2026, citing ongoing operational issues including power outages and hotel closures on the island.

At the same time, Flair Airlines has been given a green light by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) to operate Cuba flights.

No official launch dates or flight schedules have been released by Flair just yet.

The Government of Canada is currently warning citizens against all non-essential travel to Cuba, pointing to deepening shortages of fuel, electricity, food, water, and medicine.

Still, some tour operators, such as Enjoy Travel Group and Hola Sun Holidays, have continued to promote the island nation.

Hola Sun’s main connections to Cuba currently include flights via the United States (American Airlines, Southwest, and Delta Air Lines), Mexico City and Cancun (Aeroméxico, Viva Aerobus, and Magnicharter) and Panama (Copa Airlines).

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.