Cuba faces a severe oil crisis exacerbated by U.S. sanctions and a suspension of oil shipments from Mexico, prompting the revival of Fidel Castro's emergency plan known as Opción Cero.
Cuba is currently experiencing a dire energy crisis intensified by the recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the suspension of oil shipments from Mexico, its main supplier. With oil reserves depleted, the Cuban government has been forced to revive an old emergency plan called Opción Cero, originally designed by Fidel Castro 35 years ago. This plan comes in response to the dramatic decrease in available fuel due to U.S. sanctions and a commitment made by Venezuela to the U.S. to halt oil shipments to Cuba. Furthermore, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on countries supplying oil to in Cuba, which has further limited Cuba's access to essential fuels.
As a consequence of this energy crisis, many aspects of Cuban life are being severely impacted, including the closure of beaches and hotels, which are vital to the island's economy. Reports indicate that 64% of the island is suffering from record blackouts due to a lack of oil, significantly affecting the day-to-day lives of citizens. The Opción Cero plan is essentially a maximum emergency strategy, aiming to create a system of managed power shortages in order to cope with the crisis. The revival of this plan highlights the critical situation that Cuba is facing as external pressures, particularly from U.S. sanctions, continue to strain its economy and energy supplies.
