The Government of Mexico is analyzing the possibility of sending fuel to Cuba to help overcome its recent massive blackout. President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed this Wednesday that the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) is providing technical assistance to the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel after the island lost power due to the outage of its main thermoelectric plant Antonio Guiteras.
"Sheinbaum mentioned that the possibility of sending fuel as humanitarian aid to the Cuban people is being considered, reaffirming Mexico's stance against the blockade on Cuba and in favor of providing support whenever necessary," the president highlighted.
The energy crisis in Cuba is attributed to the shortage of imported fuel for powering the engines and power plants, as well as the ongoing breakdowns in the obsolete thermoelectric plants. Despite Cuba consuming 8 million tons of fuel per year, it only produces 3 million, which exacerbates the situation.
The CFE and the Foreign Ministry have established contact to coordinate the support that the Cuban people may require. Sheinbaum was asked whether Mexico would send a new shipment of oil barrels to help Cuba, to which she responded that she is evaluating the situation.
Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico have been allies in providing energy to Cuba, which currently has Soviet-built thermoelectric plants, constructed more than forty years ago and affected by a lack of investment.
During the administration of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico had already assisted Cuba with fuel during blackout crises. According to data from the Energy Institute of the University of Texas, between 2023 and the early months of 2024, Mexico sent 7.4 million barrels of crude oil to Cuba.
The shipment was made from the port of Pajaritos in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, to Cuba, and vessels departing from other Mexican ports were also detected. In 2023, 5 million 465 thousand barrels of oil worth around 391 million dollars were sent, followed by 1 million 970 thousand barrels valued at 146 million dollars in the early months of 2024.
