Tuesday 17 / February / 2026
Havana: Daily life appears to have ground to a halt in Cuba, as the Trump administration exerts pressure on the Caribbean country by accelerating efforts to cut off oil supplies to the island.
In one of the most visible impacts of the looming energy crisis, trash has begun piling up on street corners because rubbish trucks aren't able to operate on the communist-run island.
Only 44 of Havana's 106 garbage trucks were operational this month, state-run news outlet Cubadebate reported on Monday, leading to a slowdown in rubbish collection.
Hordes of flies hovered over rotten food and assorted waste of cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, and rags piled up. Some residents sifted through the rubbish to find reusable items while motorists dodged piles on the streets.
"It's all over the city," said Jose Ramon Cruz, a local resident. "It's been more than 10 days since a garbage truck came."
Cubans in other cities, too, highlighted the issue on social media, pointing out the risks to public health.
Why is Cuba facing a fuel shortage?
Cuba, home to about 11 million people, has been facing an acute shortage of fuel since early January after Venezuela — the island's top fuel supplier until last year — stopped sending shipments.
Mexico, too, said it was halting fuel shipments to Cuba, after Washington threatened suppliers with higher trade tariffs.
The US has had an embargo on Cuba since 1960, which was briefly eased under the Obama administration. Trump restored the ban since taking office.
The Cuban government has also announced new measures to protect essential services.
Trump says Cuba should strike deal with US
"Cuba is right now, a failed nation," Trump told reporters aboard the Air Force One on Monday, calling on Havana to make a deal with the US.
"We're talking to Cuba right now, and Marco Rubio talking to Cuba right now, and they should absolutely make a deal, because it’s really a humanitarian threat," he added.
Trump stopped short of endorsing a takeover similar to the one in Venezuela, but said if considering the measure, "it wouldn’t be a very tough operation, as you could figure. But I don’t think that’ll be necessary."
Cubans impacted amid political tensions
The Cuban government last week made it mandatory for drivers to use an app to book refueling appointments to avoid lines outside gas stations.
Even then, drivers are facing a month-long wait for fuel.
At the stations, gas prices were averaging about $1.3 per litre. This could go up to $6 per liter on the black market.
To put this in context, government workers in Cuba earn less than $20 a month when their earnings in Cuban pesos are converted to US dollars using market rates.
