The Cuba fuel crisis entered a new phase on February 16 as the product tanker Nicos I.V. docked in Matanzas Bay, western Cuba. The 183-meter vessel, flying the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, was reported partially laden, although the exact type and volume of fuel remain unclear. According to MarineTraffic and VesselFinder, the tanker arrived at 11:22 (UTC-5) and is currently berthed near the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant. If confirmed, this would mark the first known fuel delivery to the island since early January, amid a tightening US oil embargo.
A strategic energy hub under pressure
Matanzas Bay hosts one of Cuba’s most strategic energy logistics complexes, including the country’s largest supertanker base. The site is still recovering from the August 2022 industrial fire that killed 17 people and damaged four major storage tanks. Cuba produces only about one-third of the 110,000 barrels per day it requires. Since January, Washington has halted Venezuelan oil flows and warned of tariffs against countries supplying fuel to the island. Another tanker, Ocean Mariner, recently turned away after approaching Cuban waters in the Windward Passage.
Nationwide shortages and growing disruption
Fuel shortages are now affecting every sector. Blackouts have intensified in Havana, flights have been suspended due to limited jet fuel, and tourism has sharply declined. Schools have moved to remote learning, hospitals have reduced services, and fuel rationing has expanded nationwide. President Miguel Díaz-Canel has urged citizens to “resist creatively” as emergency measures deepen. Some estimates suggest fuel stocks may fall below 20 days, raising concerns of wider humanitarian consequences across the Caribbean island.
For a broader humanitarian perspective on how the crisis is affecting daily life in Havana, see recent international reporting on the situation.
