Cuban authorities yesterday (Friday) brought a massive fire under control at a refinery in Cuba’s capital, Havana Bay, threatening a new crisis threatening the island, which is already suffering from severe fuel shortages. The Ministry of Energy and Mines announced that a fire in one of the refinery’s warehouses has been extinguished. The team is currently conducting an investigation to determine the cause.
Residents witnessed thick black smoke billowing from the refinery, causing fear and panic that the fire could spread to vital oil tanks supplying the capital.
The fire comes at a critical time after Cuba stopped accepting oil from Venezuela following the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro in January. This has exacerbated the energy crisis and prompted authorities to take emergency measures to provide fuel to the island’s 9.6 million residents.
In Havana Bay, two oil tankers anchored near a refinery after two Mexican navy ships carrying more than 800 tons of humanitarian aid arrived on Thursday. In light of the crisis, US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on countries that send oil to Cuba, increasing economic and humanitarian pressure on Cuba.
Latin experts have warned that failure to extinguish the fires and halt oil production could paralyze daily and industrial life in Havana. So far, Cuban authorities have not announced the cause of the fire, but confirmed that emergency teams were working to cool nearby fuel tanks to avoid an explosion or further spread of the fire. Official data did not mention any human casualties and indicated that competent authorities were still assessing property damage and the cause of the fire.
The scenes at the refinery raised concerns among residents and confirmed that Cuba is on the brink of a stifling energy crisis, with far-reaching economic and political consequences.
