"HAVANA — Nearly 3 million Cubans experience water shortages every day because of a severe oil shortage that government officials blame on a U.S. energy blockade, authorities said late Wednesday during a roundtable discussion regarding the impact of the ongoing blockade.
The island’s water system is operating with only 37% of the required fuel as Cuba faces its worse energy crisis.
The water system is one of the sectors most affected because it is one of the country’s largest energy consumers, said Antonio Rodríguez, president of the state-run National Institute of Water Resources.
Details of the forum focused on the intermittent water supply affecting an overall population of nearly 10 million people were published Thursday by the official website Cubadebate.
Rodríguez said that not only does water pumping consume electricity, but all of the agency’s essential activities require fuel, from unclogging pipes and cleaning septic tanks to repairing leaks. Chemical supplies are also needed, and their import is currently paralyzed."
Andrea Rodríguez reports for the Associated Press May 28, 2026.
