HAVANA, Feb 5 (Reuters) – The Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Thursday that his government plans to launch a plan next week to address the fuel shortage, as the United States takes steps to block oil supplies to the Caribbean island nation.
Tensions rose last week after the U.S. announced it would apply tariffs on goods from countries that send oil to Cuba, pushing up the prices of food and transport, causing a severe fuel shortage and hours of blackouts, even in Havana.
The U.S. President, Donald Trump, said last month that Cuba would no longer receive oil from its biggest supplier, Venezuela.
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‘(The U.S. blockade) affects public transport, hospitals, schools, the economy and tourism,’ Diaz-Canel said at a broad, two-hour televised press conference.
‘How do we cultivate our land? How do we move around? How do we keep our children in classrooms without fuel?’
‘We will take measures that, although not permanent, will require effort. Some… are restrictive, requiring us to adjust consumption and promote the economy. There are things we have to stop or delay in order to keep functioning in essential areas.’
OUTAGE
A failure at a substation caused a total blackout on Wednesday night in five eastern provinces of Cuba, as the island’s government fights to keep the lights on amid increasingly scarce fuel supplies and failing infrastructure.
Diaz-Canel reiterated on Thursday previous statements by Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs agreeing to dialogue with the United States, but with conditions.
‘Cuba is willing to dialogue, but with the sole requirement that the U.S. government not attempt to interfere in Cuba’s internal affairs, nor undermine our sovereignty,’ said the Cuban president.
The head Cuban diplomat in the United States, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, told Reuters this week that Cuba had begun communicating with the U.S. government, but had not yet established formal bilateral dialogue.
Diaz-Canel did not provide details about these talks or the measures to be implemented next week, but outlined a broader plan to deal with the U.S. pressure.
According to him, the island should increase solar power generation and use renewable resources to ensure electricity for essential services, including hospitals, elder care centers and isolated regions.
Cuba produces about 1,000 megawatts, or 38% of its daytime generation, from solar panels, Diaz-Canel said. They were installed with China’s support over the past two years.
Diaz-Canel said that Cuba is working to increase crude oil extraction and storage capacity to boost its self-sufficiency.
He also argued that Cuba has the ‘right’ to receive fuel deliveries by sea.
‘We will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure that the country can receive fuel imports again,’ he said.
(Reporting by Dave Sherwood and Nelson Acosta)
