Cuba's Energy Minister Confirms Diesel and Fuel Oil Shortage Amid US Blockade

True. Cuba's energy minister said the nation has zero diesel and fuel oil reserves, confirming the shortage amid the US‑led blockade.

Claim The headline asserts that Cuba has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil because of the US blockade.

Evidence World Energy News, Mathrubhumi and US News all quoted Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy stating there is no fuel oil and no diesel, and that reserves are zero.

The minister added that the only fuel available is gas from domestic wells, whose production has grown slightly.

The same outlets reported that Havana neighborhoods face electricity cuts of 20 to 22 hours per day as a direct result of the fuel shortage.

Mathrubhumi also noted that Venezuela and Mexico have largely cut off oil shipments after the US threatened tariffs on countries supplying Cuba, though this point lacks independent corroboration.

Independent sources have not yet provided government data or company filings to confirm the reduction in Venezuelan and Mexican exports.

Verdict The claim that Cuba has exhausted its diesel and fuel oil supplies is true, based on the minister’s direct statements across three independent news sources.

Analysis The minister’s remarks align with reports of a critical state in the national grid, which has forced hospitals, schools and government offices to curb operations.

Extended blackouts have led to scattered protests in Havana, according to Reuters, and have disrupted tourism, a key economic sector for the island.

While the US blockade is cited as the primary cause of the import squeeze, the reduction in supplies from Venezuela and Mexico remains unverifiable without additional data from government records or company filings.

The US has repeatedly offered $100 million in humanitarian aid, conditioned on meaningful reforms to Cuba’s communist system, an offer that Cuba has said it rejected but the US says remains on the table.

What to watch next Monitor any shifts in US sanctions policy, potential new fuel import agreements, and updates on the duration and geographic spread of blackouts across Cuba.