Blackheritageradio

From the blog

CUBA: Flights Cancelled As Nation Runs Out Of Jet Fuel Amid U.S. Oil Blockades

Cuba has told international airlines they won’t be able to refuel their planes, as supply dries up following President Trump’s military operation in Venezuela.

Oil deliveries to the island nation have been choked off by Washington, after it took control of Venezuelan exports following the abduction of dictator Nicolás Maduro and encouraged Mexico to withhold supply.

Stocks in the communist-run country are due to run out soon, according to the Cuban authorities.

Cuba is reliant on oil from Venezuela, its top supplier until recent disruptions -receiving barrels in exchange for sending security personnel and other assistance to Caracas.

Airlines from the U.S., Panama, and Mexico are expected to be the hardest hit by the shortage. The disruption is expected to strain the country’s already-frail tourism industry, which endured an 18-point decline in visitor numbers last year and is struggling to recover from Covid-19. 

Cuba has not received any oil since early January when it got a shipment from Mexico, and that swathes of the island’s business are subject to U.S. government trade restrictions.

On Friday, Cuba’s vice prime minister, Oscar Pérez Oliva-Fraga, said the government is planning to “compact” tourists into a smaller number of hotels as part of an austerity plan that includes severe restrictions on public transportation – especially between provinces – a four-day work schedule for state workers, reduced school hours and the suspension of non-emergency surgeries. The government also halted sales of gasoline in Cuban pesos and rationed sales in dollars, a move that will likely affect food deliveries by Miami-based online supermarkets and private businesses.

Airlines are beginning to scale back or suspend service to Cuba after the government warning ed on the unavailability of fuel at the country’s airports for at least one month.