Cuba runs out of fuel: a mine closes, over 2,000 megawatts are missing and Havana asks Pemex for help

Cuba is running out of fuel, and the economy is feeling it. This week it emerged that the Castellanos mine, in Pinar del Río, is closing because of a lack of energy and fuel.

The mine that goes dark

Castellanos could produce 100,000 tons of zinc and 50,000 tons of lead a year, two metals Cuba sells abroad. The company Trafigura, which was involved in the business, pulled out.

On top of that, a high-voltage power line failed and left part of Pinar del Río without electricity.

Cuba's electricity deficit exceeds 2,000 megawatts: that is the energy missing to cover what the country consumes.

Pemex stopped sending oil

In 2025, Mexican oil company Pemex sent Cuba about 15,000 barrels a day of crude and another 2,200 of fuel products, worth around 500 million dollars a year.

But since the second quarter of 2026, shipments have been at zero. Pemex stopped out of fear of US sanctions and tariffs.

Now Cuba's ambassador to Mexico, Eugenio Martínez, has confirmed that Havana is negotiating to bring the ships back.

And Russia isn't coming either

Cuba hasn't received Russian oil since March 2026, when the tanker Anatoly Kolodkin delivered 100,000 tons of crude.

What comes next

The Meteorology Institute warns of an unstable winter, with more cold fronts. And more than 116,000 homes are still damaged from Hurricane Melissa.

Without fuel, long blackouts will remain part of daily life.

To see another effect of the crisis, read [why the dollar reached 850 pesos](dolar-cuba-850.html).