The US has prevented oil shipments to Cuba in recent weeks, plunging the country into deeper and more frequent blackouts. Cuba's president said that any talks must be held without interference in its internal affairs.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said he was open to dialogue in an address broadcast on state television and radioImage: CUBA TV/AFP
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Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel said he is prepared to hold talks with the US on Thursday after weeks threats from the Trump administration.
US President Donald Trump previously warned that "Cuba will be failing pretty soon" after US forces kidnapped the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and claimed control over the country's vast oil reserves — cutting Cuba off from its main supplier of energy in the process.
Cuba's economy faces a future without Venezuela's oil
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"Cuba is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States, a dialogue on any topic... but without pressure or preconditions," Diaz-Canel said in address broadcast on state TV and radio.
He added that any talks must take place "from a position of equals, with respect for our sovereignty, our independence, and our self-determination" and without "interference in our internal affairs."
Cuba goes dark amid US pressure
Six decades of a US-imposed trade embargo combined with chronic mismanagement have left Cuba's electricity grid in shambles.
But the recent lack of oil has caused even longer and more frequent blackouts across the island.
Blackouts have become a feature of daily life in Cuba [FILE: 19 October, 2024]Image: Adalberto Roque/AFP
On Wednesday, the four southern provinces of Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin and Santiago de Cuba were plunged into darkness. Power was not restored until Thursday morning.
"Since it goes out all the time, I didn't even realize it was a widespread outage," one resident of Cuba's second-largest city, Santiago, told the AFP news agency.
In his address on Thursday, Diaz-Canel pledged to build more solar farms, expand oil storage facilities and develop the island's own crude oil and gas potential, without providing details.
All of these solutions would require international cooperation.
Cuba in crisis amid fuel shortages, ongoing blackouts
Power outages, empty gas stations and runaway inflation: As the US vows to force regime change in Cuba and blocks oil supplies to the island, families are improvising as best they can to weather the crisis.
Image: Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
Record freezing temperatures
Fuel shortages and blackouts have hit the island especially hard given an unusual cold snap in the region. On Tuesday, Cuba reported freezing temperatures for the first time in its recorded history, according to the Institute of Meteorology. Cuba has been under an embargo for decades, leading to ongoing shortages. Now, the US is moving to block all oil from reaching the island.
Image: Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images
Out of gas
Much of daily life in Cuba has ground to a halt as the US restricts the island's fuel supply. Lines at gas stations are getting longer, and seemingly endless blackouts have been affecting water, communication and traffic. Cuba has confirmed "communications" with the US, but a formal dialogue has yet to be established. Mexico, meanwhile, has announced it will send humanitarian aid to the island.
Image: Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo/picture alliance
Daily life in a blackout
Many are bracing for survival as the US threatens to impose tariffs on any country seeking to sell oil to Cuba. Here, Alberto Villar uses a lamp and a gas stove to prepare his dinner during yet another blackout in Havana. Over the course of a decades-long economic embargo, many Cubans have learned to make do with modest means.
Image: Norlys Perez/REUTERS
Charcoal saves the day
On the outskirts of Havana, Igmel Tamayo sells oranges and charcoal. Since the US moved to block Venezuelan oil and money from reaching Cuba, fuel shortages and power outages have worsened. Charcoal, while expensive, has been a useful stopgap in the ongoing energy crisis.
Image: Norlys Perez/REUTERS
Dinner over a wood fire
In the remote Poey neighborhood of Havana, a father cooks sausages outdoors after yet another blackout leaves the family without electricity in the house.
Image: Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
Repair, don't replace
Pedro Romero is a car mechanic in Havana, but his job is becoming more and more difficult, as gas and spare parts are in increasingly short supply. People will even carry washing machines across town to have them repaired. Sustainability is key to weathering the crisis: fix more, waste less.
Image: Norlys Perez/REUTERS
Improvisation and creativity
Yaimara Ofarill is getting ready for work at a bakery in Havana. Rising at the crack of dawn is not easy, especially when there's no power to turn on the lights. Luckily, she has a flashlight on her phone, which lets her see just enough to put on some makeup in front of the mirror. Things might not be easy, but creativity and improvisation have always been part of Cuban life.
Image: Norlys Perez/REUTERS
Scarcity determines every meal
Lines in front of the bakeries are long, and anyone wanting bread must be patient. With fuel shortages come soaring prices for food and transport. Everything is in short supply. People buy whatever they can, while inflation eats into their savings. The mounting US stranglehold on the island has sent Cuba into its worst economic crisis in decades.
Image: Norlys Perez/REUTERS
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Diaz-Canel also said the government would roll out a contingency plan to further ration energy.
"[The US blockade] affects public transportation, hospitals, schools, the economy and tourism," he said. "How do we till our soil? How do we move around? How do we keep our kids in classes without fuel?"
"We are going to take measures that, while not permanent, will require effort. What else are we to do? Are we going to give up? There is so much to defend."
