The denial could force the embassy to order nonessential staff to leave Cuba in May or “possibly earlier,” the embassy warned Wednesday in a cable to the State Department. The embassy sought permission to import two containers of fuel from the United States, according to this week’s cables. While the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Relations told U.S. diplomats the plan was “bold,” it did not initially indicate it would block the shipment. But when it arrived Tuesday at Port Mariel, the ministry told the embassy the request had been refused. The U.S. Embassy assessed last week that the energy gap in Cuba “hovers around 60 percent.

Source: Washington Post March 21, 2026 12:57 UTC