Cuba has run out of diesel and oil, energy minister says

The minister says the situation in Cuba is "extremely tense", as a US-led blockade of oil to the country causes widespread power cuts. Cuba has run out of diesel and oil, energy minister says Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. A man cooks with firewood during a blackout in Havana A man cooks with firewood during a blackout in Havana on May 13, 2026. Cuba has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil, the country's Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy has said. In an interview with state-run media, de la O Levy said there were limited amounts of gas available, but that Cuba's energy system was in a "critical" state as a US-led blockade of oil to the country squeezed supply. Scattered protests against power cuts broke out in the capital Havana on Wednesday, the Reuters news agency reported. The US this week reiterated its offer of sending $100m (£74m) in aid to the country in exchange for "meaningful reforms to Cuba's communist system". "The sum of the different types of fuel: crude oil, fuel oil, of which we have absolutely none; diesel, of which we have absolutely none - I am being repetitive - the only thing we have is gas from our wells, where production has grown," de la O Levy said. Under the US blockade, parts of Havana have been plunged into 20 to 22-hour blackout periods, he continued. He also acknowledged that the situation in the country had been "extremely tense". Hospitals have been unable to function normally, while schools and government offices have been forced to close. Tourism, an economic engine for Cuba, has also been impacted. Cuba normally relies on Venezuela and Mexico to supply oil to its refinery system. However, the two countries have largely cut off supplies since US President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on countries that send fuel to Cuba. Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Havana had rejected a US offer of humanitarian aid worth $100m (£74m), a claim Cuba denied. The US State Department repeated its offer on Wednesday, saying the humanitarian assistance would be distributed in coordination with the Catholic Church and "reliable" humanitarian organisations. It continued: "The decision rests with the Cuban regime to accept our offer of assistance or deny critical living-saving aid and ultimately be accountable to the Cuban people for standing in the way of critical assistance." Washington's blockade on the country ramped up in early May when the US targeted senior Cuban officials in a wave of sanctions accusing them of committing "human rights abuses". Washington's blockade on the country ramped up in early May when the US targeted senior Cuban officials in a wave of sanctions accusing them of committing Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez called the sanctions "illegal and abusive". People march with Cuban flags in Havana on May Day. Cuba condemns new US sanctions as 'illegal' and 'abusive' The Anatoly Kolodkin oil tanker, a black and white large vessel, is seen in the ocean from the port of Matanzas Russian oil tanker docks in Cuba ending near-total blockade Indira Martínez, who has long black curly hair, smiles at the camera. She is sitting on a patio, the paint on the wall is peeling and a metal oil drum can be seen in the background. She is wearing a lime-green top and a thin chain around her neck. Cuba's mothers-to-be prepare to give birth in a country plunged into darkness China welcomed US President Donald Trump with cheering children and a troop parade on Thursday, before a nearly two-hour long meeting with Xi-Jinping. The commerce secretary spoke of three interactions with Jeffrey Epstein, including a visit to the financier's home and his island in the Caribbean. The court has ordered a new trial over the June 2021 killings of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. The new measures come on top of a US blockade of oil to Cuba that has caused widespread blackouts and fuel shortages. Gary Cushnie, from East Yorkshire, believes he contracted the disease at a hotel in Havana, Cuba. US President Trump has made clear his desire to change Cuba's leadership and has placed the country under an oil embargo. A Russian oil tanker has docked in Cuba, providing temporary relief after months of shortages. The tanker has reached Cuban waters just hours after Donald Trump said he had "no problem" with it.