HAVANA/HOUSTON: Frustrated citizens waited for hours, and in some cases days, as lines for fuel to fill their tanks snaked for blocks on Wednesday in the Caribbean island nation’s capital Havana. The reason behind the crisis remains unclear.
Taxi drivers, public transportation, and tourists have all suffered in the past few months as the shortages have steadily grown, raising tensions in the most populous city of Cuba.
Private taxi driver Alexander Perez said that I have been 3 days waiting in line for gasoline, and we still do not know whether the fuel truck will arrive today. Across the country, the situation is critical and the lines are extremely long, and the authorities do not give any explanation.
The reason behind the shortfall, among the worst in months, remains unclear.
A state-run newspaper Granma’s report on Sunday addressed the issue; however, it is now not available on the paper´s website.
An unofficial copy of that Granma report, republished in a number of independent media outlets and seen by Reuters, acknowledges the supply issue and elaborates on a new program that temporarily prioritizes public transportation.
The Cuban government is yet to reply to a query regarding the shortages.
Fuel supplies from Venezuela
Venezuela has increased its oil supply to Cuba since early this year, according to documents from state enterprise PDVSA and shipping data. In January, it sent as much as 40,000 barrels per day (bpd). That increased to 52,000 bpd in February shipments and 76,000 bpd in March.
As per a satellite image obtained by TankerTrackers.com, the latest supply included the supertanker Nolan, which arrived around mid-March with 1.53 million barrels of Venezuelan crude and fuel oil onboard.
However, Venezuela’s supply in recent months has barely included clean, refined products, especially diesel, and gasoline, according to the information available.
A professor and energy policy expert at the University of Texas at Austin, Jorge Piñon, said those fuels are the most preferred by drivers on the Cuban island.
The expert stated that it does not appear that there has been a decline in imports. The problem seems to be related to insufficient production in domestic refineries.
