Cuba Doubles Fuel Prices as Stations Remain Shut Amid Blockade

On May 15, 2026 Cuba nearly doubled gasoline and diesel pump prices, yet Havana filling stations stayed closed due to exhausted supplies. The move follows the May 14 declaration by Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy that the island has “absolutely no” diesel or fuel oil left, triggering 20–22 hour blackouts and protests. Supplies collapsed after Venezuela and Mexico halted deliveries in January under U.S. pressure, leaving only a 700,000-barrel Russian cargo in March. Domestic generation now relies on limited natural gas and 1,300 MW of solar, while Washington’s $100 million aid offer remains conditional on reforms. The acute Caribbean fuel shortage is tightening regional markets and adding upward pressure to WLDOIL.