Cuba rejects ‘shameless’ US request for diesel amid Trump oil blockade
The US embassy in Havana is seeking fuel for its generators even as the rest of the island is plagued by shortages and power outages
Cuba has refused to allow the US embassy in Havana to import diesel to power its generators during the island’s ongoing energy crisis, according to a media report.
The Cuban foreign ministry denied the request, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing a protest note in which Havana described the embassy’s claim to such privileges as “shameless” and unavailable to the Cuban people.
The move comes as the Caribbean island grapples with severe fuel shortages and widespread power outages. The roughly 10 million people in the socialist-run country have long been affected by economic mismanagement, corruption and a decades-old US trade embargo.
The prolonged economic crisis has pushed Cuba to the brink of collapse. Its infrastructure is deteriorating and the power grid is outdated, prompting those who can afford it to rely on generators to cope with recurring blackouts.
The entire island was struck by a power outage on Saturday, the energy ministry said, in the second nationwide blackout in less than a week.
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Trump vows to ‘take’ Cuba as island reels from total power cut linked to oil embargo
Buildings began to lose power in Havana before nightfall, just five days after the previous outage plunged the country into darkness.