News February 23 2026

Cuba running on empty

3 min read

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  • Tania López Larroque, Cuba’s ambassador to Jamaica. Tania López Larroque, Cuba’s ambassador to Jamaica.
  • Felix Jose Morfi stands by his solar-powered water heater system he set up on his home’s roof in Regla, Havana province, Cuba, on January 29. Felix Jose Morfi stands by his solar-powered water heater system he set up on his home’s roof in Regla, Havana province, Cuba, on January 29.
  • Carolina Silva Matos, a cancer patient, rests in a hospital bed at the National Institute of Oncology and Radiology in Havana, Cuba, on Friday. Carolina Silva Matos, a cancer patient, rests in a hospital bed at the National Institute of Oncology and Radiology in Havana, Cuba, on Friday.
  • A man riding his bicycle at sunset in Havana last Wednesday. A man riding his bicycle at sunset in Havana last Wednesday.
  • Retiree Jorge Reyes pushes his motorcycle to refuel it, as it’s his turn in line at a gas station in Havana, Cuba, last Monday. Retiree Jorge Reyes pushes his motorcycle to refuel it, as it’s his turn in line at a gas station in Havana, Cuba, last Monday.

Cuba has been forced to shorten its workweek and scale back public services as a worsening fuel crisis, triggered by new United States (US) trade measures, places mounting pressure on the island’s economy. The Cuban government recently reduced the workweek by one day in an effort to conserve scarce fuel needed for transportation and essential services, seeking to avoid wider economic disruption.

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