Cuba suspends airline refueling as US blockade deepens energy crisis

HAVANA — Cuban aviation officials have warned airlines that there isn’t enough fuel for airplanes to refuel on the island, part of a critical energy rationing as the Trump administration cuts the island off from its fuel resources, a commercial pilot confirmed on Monday. A notice was sent to companies and airline personnel on Sunday, said the pilot, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the matter. He noted that while refueling issues have occurred before, an official announcement of this scale is extraordinary even for an island accustomed to perpetual crisis. Political pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump on Latin America has effectively severed Cuba’s access to its primary petroleum sources in Venezuela and Mexico. In late January, Trump signed an executive order that would impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that could further cripple an island plagued by a deepening energy crisis. While the rationing may not disrupt shorter regional flights, it presents a significant challenge for lon

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