Cuba has declared emergency measures including a four-day workweek and fuel sale restrictions to address a severe energy crisis exacerbated by U.S. policies.
The Cuban government has implemented emergency measures in response to an escalating energy crisis, including a reduction of the workweek to four days for state enterprises and restrictions on fuel sales. The country has been facing serious energy shortages since mid-2024, with daily blackouts lasting over 20 hours affecting all localities. The situation has been further aggravated by stringent U.S. sanctions targeting oil supplies, which have crippled Cuba's energy infrastructure.
The crisis reached a critical point on January 31, when Cuba recorded its worst blackout since it began regularly reporting energy statistics in 2022, with up to 63% of the country losing power simultaneously. This unprecedented level of outage highlights the gravity of the crisis and the challenges the government faces in providing basic services to its citizens. The tensions with the U.S. government, especially under the Trump administration, have exacerbated these issues by placing heavy constraints on the supply of necessary resources.
The measures taken by the Cuban government aim to manage the current situation by optimizing energy use and minimizing the impact on its population. However, the long-term sustainability of these strategies remains uncertain as the underlying structural problems in the energy sector continue to persist. The crisis not only poses immediate challenges to daily life in Cuba but also has broader implications for the country’s economy and its relationship with international powers.
