Cuba running on empty

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.

The move follows a January 29 executive order signed by United States President Donald Trump, which restricts Cuba’s oil supply by imposing trade pressure on countries that provide fuel to the Caribbean nation.

According to Cuban Ambassador to Jamaica Tania López Larroque, the measure has significantly strained daily life but has not broken the country’s resolve.

Speaking with The Gleaner last Thursday, López Larroque described the situation as “particularly hard” for the Cuban people, noting that the authorities have undertaken extensive public communication to help citizens adjust.

“So, the current situation is particularly hard for our people. There is a lot of information from our government on how arrangements need to be done, some adjustments internally in activities like schools or office work,” she said.

Under the new arrangements, most employees now work from home where possible, while workers in essential industries continue reporting for duty on reduced schedules. Government ministries remain operational, with working hours shortened, from Monday to Thursday, to prioritise productive and economic sectors.

“Despite all the reduction of the fuel supplies, Cuba is still running,” the ambassador said.

RESILIENCE AMID STRAIN

Despite political uncertainty and economic hardship, López Larroque insisted that Cubans are not sitting with their hands raised in surrender.

“We are active. This is not a society that is waiting for something to happen and to die. Definitely not. We are determined. Our resolution is to keep fighting. We are resilient,” she said.

She added that Cubans have endured decades of economic pressure, and view the latest measures as part of a long-standing effort by the US to destabilise the country.

“For more than 60 years, we have been surviving and struggling through all these measures that clearly and openly have been stated by the United States that the intention is to disrupt the revolution,” she said.

SCHOOLS ADJUST

The fuel shortage has forced major adjustments within the education system. School programmes are now aligned with daylight hours, while distance-learning initiatives – similar to those used during the COVID-19 pandemic – have also been affected.

Individual institutions have been allowed flexibility, as conditions vary across regions and education levels. Elementary and secondary schools continue operating Mondays to Fridays, with efforts made to place students in institutions closest to their homes to reduce transportation demands.

The ambassador said transportation challenges have made it difficult for teachers to commute, while electricity shortages have limited the use of digital tools.

Teaching methods, she explained, have largely reverted to traditional approaches.

“Most of our teachers do the task with books, notebooks, and the blackboard. They manage to keep education alive,” she said.

Universities face greater challenges because students often travel longer distances to campuses. As a result, many institutions have adjusted their schedules and teaching formats.

FOREIGN STUDENTS A PRIORITY

López Larroque stressed that foreign students studying in Cuba, including Jamaicans, remain a priority for the government.

“They are facing the same difficulties as Cubans,” she said, adding that the authorities continue to closely monitor their welfare.

“There has been no announcement or decision on stopping any programmes, any scholarship programmes.”

Some Jamaican students have expressed concern about their academic futures, fearing difficulties receiving transcripts if studies are interrupted.

Last week, University of the West Indies campus registrar Dr Donovan Stanberry said the institution has sufficient space to accommodate Jamaican students studying in Cuba should relocation become necessary.

Students from across the Caribbean continue to attend Cuban institutions under a scholarship programme that has existed for more than 50 years and has benefited hundreds of Jamaicans.

According to the ambassador, approximately 8,000 students were studying in Cuba in 2024 – including 2,000 scholarship recipients and 6,000 private undergraduate and postgraduate students.

HEALTH SERVICES UNDER PRESSURE

The fuel crisis has also affected healthcare delivery, though the authorities are prioritising emergencies, such as cancer treatment for children and other life-threatening conditions.

López Larroque said Cuba has increasingly relied on solar energy and natural gas as part of an ongoing effort to modernise its electrical system.

“Cuba has been running a process to revert the electrical system to natural [gas]. We’ve been working on that for a period now, and 2024 and 2025 were crucial years,” she said.

Despite these efforts, widespread power outages have been reported across the country, as Cuba’s ageing electrical infrastructure struggles with shortages of fuel and maintenance parts.

erica.virtue@gleanerjm.com