According to data from the state Electrical Union (UNE) collected by the EFE news agency, prolonged power outages are expected throughout Cuban territory this Tuesday, February 10. At the same time, fuel reserves for airplanes are running out: Canadian airlines are suspending flights to the island, while the Spanish Air Europa will begin to make additional stops to refuel its aircraft. The crisis worsens due to the strict oil blockade imposed by the United States.

First modification: 02/10/2026 - 17:12 Last modification: 02/10/2026 - 20:32

Power outages, business closures, empty streets and flight suspensions.

As the hours go by, the situation in Cuba due to fuel shortages becomes more critical, in the midst of a siege by the United States to block oil supplies to the island.

For this Tuesday, February 10, a record blackout is expected with prolonged outages throughout the country and that, simultaneously, will hit more than 64% of the national territory, according to data from the state-owned Unión Eléctrica (UNE), collected by the EFE news agency.

For the afternoon and evening, the period of greatest demand, the UNE, attached to the Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines, foresees a generation capacity of 1,134 megawatts (MW) and a maximum demand of 3,100 MW.

Therefore, the deficit will be 1,966 MW. Likewise, the estimated impact, disconnections to avoid uncontrolled blackouts, will reach 1,996 MW.

Although Cuba was already experiencing a deep energy crisis, the island appears to be on the verge of collapse after the president of the United States blocked oil supplies to the island from Venezuela, until then its greatest ally and supplier, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3.

Initially, Mexico tried to come to the rescue and make up for the energy shortage, but the Trump Administration quickly warned of tariff sanctions for any country that supplies the crucial resource to the island. The Government of Claudia Sheinbaum has backed away from this support, although it announced the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Even the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for whom Trump has shown affinity, accused Washington of “suffocating” the Latin American nation with these measures.

The accusation is not exaggerated. Various economic activities on the island – which has already suffered from the US financial blockade for decades – are being hit, such as commerce and tourism, the main source of income for Cubans.

No foreign fuel or oil tanker has arrived in Cuba for weeks, indicated experts in maritime transport monitoring consulted by the AFP news agency.

Read alsoThe crisis in Cuba worsens: Russia accuses the US of "suffocating" the island; Mexico announces more humanitarian aid

Canadian airlines suspend flights to Cuba; the Spanish Air Europa will make an additional stop

The Cuban Government had already warned international airlines that jet fuel would not be available on the island from midnight Monday to Tuesday, February 10. According to Havana, the fuel supply will be frozen for at least a month.

Given this scenario, Canadian airlines suspended their flights to the island. Air Canada, the country's largest, said in a statement that aviation fuel is not expected to be commercially available at airports starting this Tuesday, as governments issue advisories warning that the supply will likely be unreliable.

The deficit will extend from February 10 to March 11, according to a notice to pilots published Sunday night.

Montreal-based Air Canada announced that in the coming days it will send empty flights to pick up and repatriate some 3,000 customers in Cuba. He assured that he will fly with additional fuel for the return trip and will make stops to refuel if necessary.

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Smaller rivals WestJet and Air Transat also canceled flights due to fuel shortages.

WestJet reported on its website that it began a gradual reduction of its operations in Cuba starting Monday, February 9, including some flights to help customers return to Canada.

Air Transat reported that it suspended all travel to the Cuban territory until the end of April and that it is organizing repatriation flights to bring its clients back to Canada.

On the island, travelers and their families express concern about the recent announcements.

"Today is one thing and tomorrow is another (...) This will harm all those who travel," said Cuban Benigno González, who was at the José Martí International Airport in Havana to drop off his daughter and take a flight to Mexico.

For its part, the Spanish company Air Europa announced that it will make a stop to refuel at the Santo Domingo Airport, Dominican Republic, as part of its Madrid-Havana-Madrid route starting this Tuesday.

Air France and Iberia also announced additional stops in other Caribbean countries to refuel their planes.

US companies American Airlines, Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) and Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), which fly to Cuba from nearby Florida, reported that they continue to operate flights to the Caribbean country and are currently not experiencing any impact on their operations.

The airlines indicated that the planes traveling to Cuba carry enough fuel for their next transfers.

Cuba has already faced similar crises, prompting many airlines to refuel in neighboring countries, such as Panama, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and the United States.

Despite the critical fuel situation, various companies have contingency plans to address it. A Copa Airlines flight to Panama left Havana on time on Monday and several American Airlines (AAL.O) flights were scheduled for that same day, airport officials confirmed to the Reuters news agency.

Read alsoCuba adopts emergency measures in the face of the energy crisis, including the four-day work week

Knocked out tourist

The country, with 9.6 million inhabitants and under a United States trade embargo since 1962, has been mired in a serious economic crisis for years. And now, as a direct effect of the effects of flights, there is tourism, the main income sector for Cubans.

The Government announced the closure of some hotels with low occupancy and the relocation of tourists.

"Hotels are already closing in Varadero," Cuba's main resort, about 150 km east of Havana, "but also in other provinces," said a worker in the sector who asked that her name not be used.

Universities now operate remotely or in blended mode.

"What the measures generate in me is insecurity about what is going to happen with my university semester," said Maura Linsay Pérez, 18, a student at the University of Havana.

Likewise, private taxi users pointed out that rates have skyrocketed overnight.

To save energy, the Díaz-Canel Government ordered on Friday, February 6, the restriction of fuel sales, the reduction of trips between provinces by buses and trains, and the temporary closure of some state companies. It also provided for teleworking and the reduction of the work week to four days (Monday to Thursday).

Some citizens emphasize that the measures are insufficient to overcome the crisis, as retired Clara Rumbau, 65, who had to walk more than 10 kilometers to complete a personal procedure, told AFP.

Others, like Rosa Ramos, highlight that "they are measures of resistance, so that the country does not collapse, but at the same time they generate a lot of uncertainty."

The situation is such that President Miguel Díaz-Canel issued a speech last Thursday, February 5, in which he recognized the impact of the US measures.

Read alsoCuba in the dark: blackouts, shortages and the routine of resisting

With Reuters, EFE and AFP

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