Almost three months have passed since the United States imposed a de facto oil blockade on Cuba, exacerbating energy shortages, and nearly every aspect of Cuban society is feeling the strain.
Trash piles up on the streets of the capital, hospitalizations and surgeries are restricted, people are boiling water over wood fires, and power outages are common.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel addressed the crisis in a nationally televised press conference on Friday, insisting authorities were searching for solutions, but acknowledging the challenges would not be easy.
Here’s how Cuba got to this point and where it’s headed next.
The United States has maintained an economic embargo against Cuba since the 1960s, costing Cuba “trillions of dollars” and impacting the country’s “overall human development,” according to a United Nations report.
The United States has recently ratcheted up pressure on the communist-ruled island, despite calls from many countries to lift penalties.
In early January, the United States cut off supplies to Venezuela, Cuba’s main oil supplier, after capturing Cuba’s president in a military raid and forcing the proxy government to halt shipping.
Weeks later, Cuba lost oil supplies from other supplier countries, including Mexico, after the United States threatened it with additional tariffs. It argued that Havana posed an “extraordinary threat” by “cooperating with hostile states and malign actors (and) accepting their military and intelligence capabilities,” a claim Cuba rejected.
We ran out of oil, electricity, and water.
Cuba is running out of oil to power vehicles and generate electricity, exacerbating the country’s long-running energy crisis.
Diaz-Canel said long power outages were already common in Cuba, but they worsened in the first months of this year. There is not enough fuel to operate power plants, leading to frequent service interruptions.
On Monday, the island suffered the latest nationwide power outage in recent years, and the first since the U.S. oil blockade.
The shortage is also affecting water supplies, said Antonio Rodríguez Rodríguez, director of the National Institute of Hydropower Resources (INRH). Officials said last week that the agency was exploring measures to minimize disruption to logistics, such as installing solar panels to reduce dependence on the power grid.
The Cuban government said it is trying to alleviate oil shortages by increasing domestic production.
CNN has contacted both INRH and the Aguas de la Habana company for information on how they are dealing with the damage.
“Tens of thousands” of people are waiting for surgery
Beyond water and electricity, fuel shortages are straining other essential services such as education, transportation, and health care.
Diaz-Canel said “tens of thousands” of people are waiting for surgeries that cannot be carried out due to a lack of electricity.
Piles of garbage have piled up on some Havana roads in recent weeks as garbage trucks lack fuel for collection. Similarly, public transport has been cut back, with long lines at stations and overcrowded buses.
CNN has contacted the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Health for more information.
Human Rights Watch warns that power shortages are affecting virtually every aspect of daily life.
“The humanitarian situation in Cuba was already extremely fragile, but the power crisis has stretched many essential services to their limits,” Juanita Goebertus, HRW’s Americas director, said in a statement to CNN. “People don’t have reliable access to drinking water, hospitals can’t operate safely, basic necessities are increasingly difficult to obtain, and garbage piles up on the streets.”
The crisis has already sparked public protests, which are unusual in Cuba.
On March 7, some residents of Havana took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction by banging pots and pans and lighting bonfires.
A few days later, a group of students staged a peaceful protest on the steps of the University of Havana. They told reporters that they decided to demonstrate peacefully because they were unable to continue their studies due to conditions including lack of electricity and internet access.
Separate protests broke out in the city of Moron early Saturday, with demonstrators partially destroying the local Communist Party headquarters. Authorities reported that five people were arrested in what were described as demonstrations related to issues of energy supply and food access on the island.
Diaz-Canel said he understands people are uncomfortable with the current situation, but said there is “no impunity” for those who commit acts of violence.
The United Nations announced last Tuesday that it was in talks with the United States to facilitate oil shipments to Cuba for humanitarian reasons.
In early February, the United Nations warned that Washington’s oil blockade could cause the country to “collapse.”
President Díaz-Canel acknowledged for the first time on Friday that his government was holding talks to resolve differences with the United States.
Although the announcement attracted worldwide attention, it is unlikely that any immediate action will be taken to alleviate the crisis that the Cuban people are experiencing.
The US shows no signs of slowing down its pressure campaign. In fact, it seems to be increasing.
Apart from the oil blockade, the United States also appears to be isolating Cuba diplomatically.
In recent months, several countries in Latin America have announced plans to end or scale back high-profile medical cooperation programs with Cuban doctors, following pressure from the United States.
Costa Rica announced Wednesday it would close its embassy in Cuba and told the country its diplomats should also leave. Costa Rica echoed some of Washington’s rhetoric, accusing the Cuban government of repression and violating the rights of its people.
Havana condemned the move and accused neighboring countries of joining the US “attack” on the island.
The United States has indicated it would ease pressure on Cuba if Havana strikes a deal, but its terms have not been made clear, although U.S. officials have given hints about what they are seeking.
President Trump: “I think we can do whatever we want” to Cuba
US President Donald Trump has been provoking Cuba’s communist leadership for months with threats of takeover. After suggesting on Monday that he could do whatever he wanted with Cuba, President Trump said on Tuesday: “We’re going to do something against Cuba right away.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio followed up with a frank assessment.
He said on Tuesday that Cuba needed “a new head.” “Their economy is not working… They are facing many problems, but the people in charge don’t know how to solve them. That’s why we need to appoint new people in charge.”
