The US oil blockade on Cuba, added to the island's deficient energy system, will leave 54% of the population immersed in intermittent blackouts on the evening of Sunday, February 15, according to forecasts from the Electrical Union (UNE). Meanwhile, the Pentagon reported the interception of another ship in the Indian Ocean accused of violating the crude oil embargo in the Caribbean.
First modification: 02/15/2026 - 21:12 Last modification: 02/16/2026 - 02:53
On Sunday, February 15, 54% of the Cuban territory will suffer one more day of blackouts during the hour of highest energy consumption, according to the daily forecast of the state company Unión Eléctrica (UNE), which estimates a maximum demand of 3,130 megawatts (MW) during the evening, compared to a generation capacity of 1,457 MW.
Cuba, with a deficient energy system after decades of use without adequate maintenance, is going through an energy crisis without a foreseeable solution, after the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro by United States troops, on January 3.
After the arrest of the Chavista leader, US President Donald Trump not only cut off the supply of Venezuelan crude oil to the island, but also decreed the imposition of tariffs on countries that sell or provide oil to the Caribbean country.
Currently, eight of the 16 operational thermoelectric production units are out of service due to breakdowns or maintenance, including two of the three largest. This energy source provides 40% of the energy matrix in Cuba.
The island has decreed rationing in the sale of fuel, while teleworking and blended classes at universities are becoming popular. The intermittency in the electrical flow has forced the suspension of events such as the Havana Book Fair, international conferences and the Habano Festival.
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The US intercepts an oil tanker in the Indian Ocean
The United States War Department reported on Sunday the interception of an oil tanker in the Indian Ocean that, according to Washington, violated the blockade imposed on crude oil operations in the Caribbean related to Venezuela and Cuba.
"Overnight, US forces conducted an inspection, maritime interception and boarding of the Veronica III without incident in the Indopacom (Indo-Pacific Command) area of responsibility," the Pentagon revealed in a message in X that was accompanied by a video of the operation.
The images show a helicopter and a boat hovering around the oil tanker, moments before US soldiers board the ship and take over the control tower.
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Washington seeks to limit the sale of Venezuelan crude oil to channels authorized by Trump, with the aim of cutting off income to Russia, Iran or Cuba.
The Veronica III, identified as a Panamanian-flagged vessel by the tracking site Marine Traffic, would have assumed the name 'DS Vector' and manipulated its coordinates to fake a position off the coast of Nigeria, the 'New York Times' newspaper detailed.
The US has intercepted at least eight ships as part of Operation Southern Spear.
Cuba prepares for a war scenario
The growing tensions between Cuba and the United States, with the mirror of the fall of Nicolás Maduro in the background, have set off alarms in the Castro Government in the face of a hypothetical invasion by Donald Trump, which is why the Castro Administration has chosen to remaster an old strategy known as the "War of All the People."
This military contingency, devised more than 40 years ago by former President Fidel Castro in the face of a potential asymmetric confrontation with Washington, involves massive citizen mobilization and the installation of popular militias in the municipalities.
Children, women and older adults also have a role within the scheme, as members of the production and defense brigades, focused on support tasks from the rear.
To achieve this objective, the Cuban authorities have established since the beginning of 2026 a weekly day, generally on Saturdays, of military practices, called Defense Day, with territorial combative preparation exercises that are part of the "plans and measures" against possible US military aggression.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has personally followed the development of these exercises alongside military commanders, with visits to tank units and anti-aircraft defense systems, or speaking with university students during shooting practice.
The military exercises simulate ambush scenarios and instruct civilians in the installation of mines, handling of rifles, throwing grenades, protecting the population, military health and masking techniques, according to state press reports.
At the same time, the production and defense brigades have practiced the disarmament of rifles, the application of first aid, shooting with infantry and artillery weapons, the use of drones and means of communication, the preparation of food and the supply of water.
Castroism seeks support in Spain
The head of Spanish diplomacy, José Manuel Albares, will receive his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodríguez, this Monday afternoon in Madrid, sources from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to the EFE agency.
Rodríguez requested the meeting with Albares after a visit to China in which he sought support to overcome the energy blockade imposed by the United States. The diplomatic tour also included contacts with partners in Russia and Vietnam.
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Both ministers will also speak about the next Ibero-American Summit, scheduled between November 4 and 5 in the Spanish capital.
With EFE
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