Over the past few weeks, Cuba’s regime has stepped up its propaganda campaign, blaming the U.S. government for the structural collapse the country is facing. However, new figures released by Washington show an increase in fuel exports from the United States to the island.
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Although the federal government publishes this data with about a two-month delay, the figures for March 2026 show that sales of petroleum products rose sharply compared with February.
According to official figures, in March the United States authorized fuel shipments valued at $8.7 million through licenses intended for Cuba’s private sector. Even so, the regime continues to struggle to secure enough fuel and generate electricity, a situation that has left the energy crisis affecting millions of Cubans unchanged.
In Bayamo, in eastern Cuba, Maydenis says daily life remains defined by blackouts and scarcity. “There are families who have to go to the river, cut firewood, or look for plastics in the trash—anything so they can cook,” she recounts.
“When you buy a pound of ground meat and want to split it into two or three meals so it lasts, you have nowhere to store it because you spend 16 or 20 hours without power and it goes bad,” she says.
Meanwhile, images began circulating on social media of protests reported in Havana on the night of May 24, where groups of people blocked streets and set trash on fire amid growing anger fueled by the blackouts.
“There are families I’ve visited who eat once a day because there isn’t enough to put two plates on the table,” Maydenis adds.
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At the same time, Cuba’s regime continues to blame the U.S. embargo for the economic and energy crisis. Since Nicolás Maduro’s fall, it has also pointed to Washington’s oil sanctions as part of the problem.
However, in addition to fuel exports, that same month, the United States sold Cuba meat, grains, and beverages totaling more than $32 million.
Despite facing an unprecedented fuel and liquidity crisis, the communist government continues to prioritize large-scale political rallies that require mobilizing thousands of people.
On May 23, it launched a campaign of “open forums” in defense of Raúl Castro that, according to authorities, will run until the Cuban dictator’s 95th birthday.
This story was translated from Spanish with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool. An NBC 6 editor reviewed the translation.
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