Cuba Enforces Emergency Work Week as US Oil Blockade Threatens Economic Collapse

2026-02-08 global

Havana, Saturday, 7 February 2026.
Facing “energy asphyxiation” from tightened US sanctions, Havana has enacted a mandatory four-day work week. With Venezuelan and Mexican supplies severed, experts warn the island is spiraling toward a 1991-style total economic collapse.

Emergency Decrees and Economic Contraction

In a drastic move to preserve dwindling fuel reserves, the Cuban government announced a sweeping emergency package on Friday, February 6, 2026, effectively placing the island’s economy on life support [2][4]. The centerpiece of these measures is the imposition of a mandatory four-day work week for state enterprises, reducing the operational schedule to Monday through Thursday [2][5]. These restrictions, approved by the Council of Ministers, are set to take effect on Monday, February 9, 2026 [6]. The decree also mandates widespread teleworking, reduces school hours, and implements a semi-attendance model for universities to minimize transportation and energy consumption [2][6]. Vice Prime Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga stated that these decisions are designed to ensure the “vitality” of fundamental services and protect the population without completely abandoning development, though the severity of the cuts suggests a pivot toward survival economics [2][5].

The Geopolitical Stranglehold

The catalyst for this sudden contraction is a rapidly tightening geopolitical noose that has severed Cuba’s primary energy lifelines. Following the deposition of Nicolás Maduro and the U.S. assumption of control over Venezuela’s oil sector on January 3, 2026, shipments from Cuba’s longtime ally have ceased [1][2]. Compounding this isolation, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a decree on January 30, 2026, threatening tariffs on any nation supplying crude to Havana [2]. Consequently, Mexico, which had been a supplier since 2023, halted its shipments in January 2026 [1][2]. With national demand hovering around 100,000 barrels per day and domestic heavy crude production covering only about 30% to 40% of consumption [1][5], the island faces an insurmountable deficit. While Russian Ambassador Viktor Koronelli indicated Moscow expects to continue supplies, the logistical and political barriers enforced by the new U.S. blockade have left Havana with “limited options” [1].

Grid Instability and Infrastructure Failure

The fuel shortage has precipitated a catastrophic failure of the island’s electrical infrastructure. On January 31, 2026, the National Electric System (SEN) suffered a historical collapse, leaving 63% of the country simultaneously without power [8]. This instability continued into early February; on February 4, a trip in a 220 kV high-voltage line caused another massive blackout affecting 3.4 million residents across four eastern provinces, including Santiago de Cuba [8]. The grid’s fragility is exacerbated by the deterioration of thermoelectric plants, with seven of the 16 operational units currently offline due to breakdowns or maintenance [8]. Although the government managed to increase solar energy production from 3% to 10% in 2025 through the installation of 49 photovoltaic parks [2][5], renewables remain insufficient to bridge the gap left by the absence of fossil fuels.

Echoes of the ‘Special Period’

The current crisis has forced the administration of President Miguel Díaz-Canel to invoke strategies reminiscent of the “Special Period” of the 1990s, a time of extreme austerity following the Soviet Union’s collapse [5][6]. Officials are now openly discussing the “Zero Option,” a scenario of total fuel scarcity [4]. The impact on public mobility is already quantifiable; Minister of Transport Eduardo Rodríguez announced that national passenger trains will now run every eight days instead of every four, representing a 100% increase in wait times for inter-provincial travel [4]. Social tension is rising in tandem with the economic distress. In January 2026 alone, the Cuban Observatory of Conflict recorded 953 protest actions, 395 of which were direct challenges to the state [4]. As the new blockade tightens, the government’s ability to maintain order while providing basic services faces its most severe test in decades.

Sources

Energy Crisis US Sanctions