Supply shortage in Cuba: “If the fuel runs out completely, people will actually die”

February 16, 2026byadmin

Hardly any electricity, empty shelves, little traffic: The USA is cutting off Cuba’s oil. Cuba expert Bert Hoffmann explains how a collapse of the country could be averted.

February 16, 2026, 5:14 p.m

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Article summary

Cuba is suffering from massive power outages and supply shortages due to the US oil embargo. The population struggles daily for food, water and electricity, while the regime responds with austerity measures. The tourism industry is collapsing and exports such as sugar and tobacco are declining sharply. The USA is deliberately using maximum pressure to force concessions, but the humanitarian crisis threatens to escalate. A phased deal could offer a solution to save the population from disaster.

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In Cuba the lights often stay off at the moment. There is no electricity for up to 15 hours a day. No water comes out of the tap and the pumps stop without electricity. Anyone who wants to go to work waits in vain for the bus. Anyone who wants to shop usually finds themselves in front of empty shelves.

Since the US government cut off Cuba’s oil supply to put pressure on the regime, the island nation has been in a supply crisis. US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “There will be no more oil and money flowing to Cuba. I strongly advise an agreement before it is too late.” After the attack on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro at the beginning of the year, Trump announced that Cuba would also soon fall.