American Oil Siege: No Fuel, Power Outages, the State Falling Apart

To prevent chaos at gas stations, the Cuban government introduced a mandatory "Ticket" app last week to book a slot for refueling. However, drivers in Havana told Associated Press that the app offers appointments only weeks or even months in advance.

"I have got number seven thousand and something", said 65-year-old Jorge Reyes, who downloaded the app on Monday.

Reyes applied to refuel at a gas station in Havana that assigns only 50 appointments per day. "When will I be able to buy gasoline again?" he asked.

"I have to keep five liters in case someone gets sick"

The app allows users to register at only one gas station at a time. Because of this, drivers exchange information in WhatsApp groups about where lines are shorter and which stations have greater capacity, as some issue up to 90 appointments daily.

However, that offers little comfort to those who downloaded the app and discovered that as many as 10,000 people are already ahead of them.

The Cuban government has stopped selling gasoline at the subsidized price of about $0.25 per liter in local currency. Fuel is now sold only at the higher price of $1.30 per liter. The price of fuel on the black market has already reached $6 per liter.

State employees in Cuba earn less than $20 per month when converted from Cuban pesos at the market exchange rate. Once drivers finally get their turn, they can purchase no more than 20 liters of fuel.

"That won’t last me long. I must keep five liters in reserve in case someone at home gets sick and needs to go to the hospital", said Ariel Alonso, a local entrepreneur, after refueling at the El Riviera station.

Trump threatens tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba

The "Ticket" app is managed by the state-run software company XETID. Its commercial director, Samuel Tejada, stated for the portal Cuba Debate that more than 90,000 drivers have requested fuel appointments through the app.

The app has existed for three years and was previously used to book appointments with public notaries and at gas stations, accepting payment in local currency. Today, it is almost the only way to obtain fuel, aside from buying it on the black market.

An exception is made for vehicles in the tourism sector. They have special license plates and can refuel at 44 stations across the island, although long lines have formed there as well. Like everyone else, they can purchase no more than 20 liters.

Fuel shortages and power outages have intensified this month as Cuba struggles to import oil for its power plants and refineries.

At the end of January, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba, increasing pressure from Washington on the communist government in Havana to implement economic and political reforms.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said he is ready to negotiate with the United States "as equals" and without relinquishing sovereignty. He accused Washington of carrying out an "energy embargo". 

Book fair and annual cigar festival postponed

Venezuela, one of Cuba’s main oil suppliers, halted deliveries in January after U.S. authorities arrested then-President Nicolás Maduro and transferred him to New York, where he faces drug trafficking charges.

Mexico also suspended oil shipments to Cuba in January following Trump’s tariff threat.

Banks in Cuba have shortened working hours to conserve electricity, and earlier this month, the Cuban government announced it would not supply fuel to aircraft landing in Cuba. As a result, three Canadian airlines canceled flights. Other companies will continue flying but will refuel in the Dominican Republic.

Due to fuel and electricity savings measures, the book fair and the annual cigar festival have also been postponed.

A group of United Nations human rights experts last week condemned the U.S. "oil siege", stating that it "has no basis in collective security and constitutes a unilateral act incompatible with international law".