Trump halts Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba; experts warn of severe shortages

President Trump has stopped Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba, and experts warn the interruption could plunge the island into extended darkness because oil fuels its electric grid. Experts say Cuba needs about 100,000 barrels of oil a day to keep lights on and power buses, trains and factories, but it is receiving only a fraction of that.

Diesel, gasoline and jet fuel are in short supply; a government-run television and radio broadcaster in central Cuba said it had been off the air for several days after running out of diesel, and many people also lack running water because pumps require electricity. The island relied on a long-standing deal with Venezuela that once supplied about 100,000 barrels a day and more recently had fallen to roughly 35,000 barrels a day, according to experts quoted in the report.

Mexico had been sending about 22,000 barrels a day before that fell to about 7,000 toward the end of 2025, though one shipment of about 85,000 barrels arrived this month. Jorge R. Piñon, a former oil executive, said, 'If Cuba loses that, the impact is basically going to be catastrophic.' The report also says other suppliers such as Russia have not stepped in and that domestic oil production covers roughly 40 percent of Cuba's needs.

The Cuban government has harshly criticized the United States; Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said Cuba had the right to import oil without interference, and President Miguel Díaz-Canel has publicly blamed the U.S. embargo. A U.S.

Key Topics

World, Cuba, Venezuela, Donald Trump, Venezuelan Oil, Electric Grid