Russian president Vladimir Putin has stepped in to assist Cuba, sending thousands of crude oil barrels as the communist-run country experiences widespread blackouts.
Some 715,000 barrels of crude oil are due into the Cuban port of Matanzas tomorrow (March 29), marking Russia’s first oil shipment to the country in over a year.
Cuba is facing blackouts and food shortages that have sparked angry street protests and mass migration. “What we need is for the fuel, wheat and fertiliser Russia has been offering to get here as quickly as possible,” Cuban economist Omar Everleny Perez told Bloomberg.
READ MORE: Cubans say country is 'like a jungle' as people fight over chicken thigh rations
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“There’s obviously a lot of political goodwill between Russia and Cuba, but in practice we’re not seeing the benefits on the street yet,” he added.
Trapped in one of its worst economic slumps since the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba’s government has blamed its woes on the US trade embargo imposed after the 1959 revolution. The country recently appealed to the UN for powdered milk to help feed children, a first for the fiercely independent Cuba where the role of the vanguard Communist Party is enshrined in the constitution.
Jorge Piñon, a researcher at the University of Texas Energy Institute, expects the Russian aid to temporarily cover demand “for about 35 days.” The boat left the Baltic coast on March 9 and its cargo will begin supplying Havana’s refineries by the end of the week.
Brazil, the Caribbean Community and other regional allies have all appealed to the US government to ease sanctions that were imposed after 1959. However, this is a “hard sell”, with former President Trump recently signalling he’d look to change leadership in Cuba if re-elected.
“I want to express my admiration and support for all of the brave people of Cuba, who are standing up against the vile communist regime,” Trump said in a video posted to his social media platform ‘Truth Social’. “It’s not easy and we appreciate it and it’s gonna be changed.”
“Under Cuba’s brutal and corrupt dictators, the Cuban people are suffering terrible food shortages, energy blackouts, poverty, political repression, and religious persecution,” he added.
The widespread human suffering in Cuba has been compounded by long-time backer Venezuela reducing fuel deliveries to around 35,000 barrels per day, down from 80,000 in 2020.
Meanwhile, Cuba’s ally Mexico is facing domestic pressure to begin charging for the 25,000 barrels it donates daily.
By contrast, Moscow and Havana trade has been booming, since an agreement was signed last year to bolster Russia’s participation in Cuba’s economy.
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