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First modification: 02/12/2026 - 03:22Last modification: 02/12/2026 - 03:59
Cuba faces a new tourist collapse in 2026, hit by a fuel crisis linked to pressure from Washington. At the same time, the United States reports the largest weekly increase in oil reserves in a year, with inventories at their highest since June.
Cuba sees a crisis return that hits a main source of its income: tourism. After closing 2025 with negative figures, this year begins with an even more complex outlook, due to a severe fuel shortage crisis amid growing tensions with the United States that have choked off its imports of this input.
Data from the National Office of Statistics and Information reveals that the country received 1.8 million international visitors last year, at least 18% less than in 2024, when more than 2.2 million tourists traveled to the island. The downward trend has continued year after year, but now the deterioration appears to be accelerating.
Workers in the sector in Varadero, one of the main tourist centers, describe the situation as critical. Alejandro Morejón, an employee in the sector, told the Reuters news agency that the current situation is a “tourist collapse” and assured that Cuba has lost competitiveness compared to destinations such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic due to the fuel shortage that affects everything from land transportation to hotel operations.
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The tap is turned off for the island
The energy crisis deepened after a measure adopted in January by the administration of President Donald Trump, which imposed a de facto oil blockade on the island, but not only by his country, but also threatening the allies of the communist country who decided to continue sending crude oil.
The last known delivery of fuel arrived from Mexico in early January, before that country suspended exports under US pressure. President Claudia Sheinbaum, however, said the decision was made independently.
The consequences are felt at airports. Cuban aeronautical authorities warned that the country is running out of fuel for planes.
Several international airlines have temporarily suspended their flights or have chosen to redirect aircraft to refuel at other airports in the Caribbean. Russia announced the evacuation of approximately 4,000 Russian tourists in a matter of days, with flights operating only outbound before suspending services.
Read alsoTrump threatens to leave Cuba without "oil or money" and suggests Rubio to preside over the island - France 24
Cuba lacks what the US has in abundance
While the island faces the lack of the so-called “black gold”, the United States reports a diametrically opposite scenario. The Energy Information Agency (EIA) reported this Wednesday, February 11, that commercial oil reserves recorded their largest increase in a year last week.
During the week ending February 6, crude oil inventories grew by 8.5 million barrels, well above market expectations, which anticipated a drop. Excluding strategic reserves, stocks reached 428.8 million barrels, the highest level since June 2025.
The increase responds in part to a drop in exports of 7.61%, which stood at 3.7 million barrels per day, and an increase in imports of 9.74%, to nearly 6.8 million barrels per day.
US strategic reserves remained stable at 415.2 million barrels. The contrast between the strengthening of United States energy inventories and the shortages faced by Cuba marks a new chapter in the complex relationship between both countries, with direct effects on the economy and regional mobility.
With information from Reuters and AFP.
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