Cuba refuses to let US Embassy in Havana import diesel for its generators
A woman rides an electric scooter past a factory displaying an image depicting the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, bearing the words “Socialism or Death”, in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Cuban government has refused a request by the U.S. Embassy in Havana to allow it to import diesel for its generators while the Trump administration continues to impose a fuel blockade on the island, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said Friday.
The government turned down the request as the U.S. State Department has been weighing a reduction in staffing at the embassy in the Cuban capital of Havana because of the lack of diesel. Such a move would likely lead to a U.S. demand for a similar reduction in staffing at the Cuban Embassy in Washington, say the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.
The White House, State Department and Cuban Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment…
Cuba has struggled with dwindling oil since the U.S. removed Venezuela’s leader, halting critical petroleum shipments from the nation that had been a steadfast ally to Havana. President Donald Trump then threatened tariffs on any country selling or supplying Cuba with oil.
The island is relying on its own natural gas, solar power and its own oil to run thermoelectric plants, but that hasn’t been enough to meet demand.
Many of the nation’s 11 million residents struggle to keep food from spoiling.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cuba-refuses-let-us-embassy-005619034.html
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