The crisis hits land: without kerosene and without culture
The latest US sanctions are already showing their teeth on the island. The crude oil rationalization program announced by the Cuban government is not just a piece of paper. It is felt on the skin every day.
Air transport fell first. The civil aviation authorities reported something unprecedented: there is no fuel for aircraft at any airport in the country. Zero. Nothing.
A commercial pilot, who I spoke to last night, confirmed this. He told me something that sums up the seriousness:
“Supply is often intermittent, but a complete absence of kerosene is rare. This could force airlines to refuel in other countries.”
That is, an internal flight might need to make an international stopover just to refuel. Absurd, expensive, unfeasible.
But the domino effect doesn’t stop there.
Cultural events suspended. Reduced banking hours. Cultural and economic life is contracting inch by inch. It’s not just a cover story; It’s the line for bread that gets longer, the concert canceled, the date postponed.
From Madrid I see these cycles repeating themselves. Every geopolitical tension ends up hitting those who have the least first. Families, workers, those who dream of a flight to visit a family member.
The question I ask myself, and that I ask my teenage son when we talk about this, is: how much can the social fabric hold up when the basics fail? The answer is never in official speeches. It is here, in these silenced streets.
