Fuel shortage in Cuba: Will there be no cement either?

The fuel crisis in Cuba has led to the shutdown of multiple workplaces across the country. Recently, Camaguey, in the center of the island, announced that more than one hundred entities had shifted to "teleworking" due to savings measures and the lack of fuel.

According to a report from the state newspaper Granma, the "large consumer" companies of electricity adjusted their production schedules to avoid the moments of greatest energy demand, and all activities that are not essential to provide basic services were suspended, among these is investment in the Cement Plant July 26, located in Nuevitas, Camagüey.

They explained that priority is given to meeting the main demands of the population, such as water supply, emergency medical service, funeral vehicles, flour delivery and bread making, milk transfer and the operation of some public transport routes and tourism, the latter sector because it contributes the largest amount of foreign currency to the country.

Fuel shortage persists in Cuba

The crisis continues unabated, and as long as economic activity is paralyzed, the situation is unlikely to improve. The very fact of halting investment in the cement factory will later result in the island's housing construction plans being thwarted, or in cement shortages and skyrocketing prices within a few weeks.

And just as strict measures are being taken in Camagüey, this is happening across the country. Air conditioners, refrigerators, and cold storage units in warehouses are being turned off, and electric ovens in bakeries are being shut down.

"However, this isn't always possible, because sometimes there are problems with the supply of flour to make the bread that is distributed to the population," explained an official from the Agramonte government.

The official added that reasonable limits have been set for activities that cannot be stopped, such as agriculture, harvest preparation, and food processing, but the fuel supply situation is critical.