A tanker carrying diesel fuel, believed to have been bound for Cuba, has changed its destination to Puerto Cabello—one of Venezuela’s largest ports—after US authorities clarified that the island, governed by a communist administration, is not permitted to receive Russian fuel.
The vessel Sea Horse, which appears to be transporting around 200,000 barrels of Russian gasoil, had earlier listed Trinidad and Tobago as its new destination and, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, was heading in that direction as of Friday. Last month, the tanker abruptly halted its voyage in the central North Atlantic amid what amounts to a US-enforced blockade on fuel shipments to the island.
On Thursday, March 19, the US Treasury Department added Cuba to the list of countries prohibited from receiving Russian fuel. The updated general license was issued a week after Washington eased sanctions on Russian oil in an effort to relieve pressure on energy markets triggered by the war against Iran, launched nearly three weeks ago in coordination with Israel.
Another tanker—the Anatoly Kolodkin—continues to cross the Atlantic toward the Cuban port of Matanzas, according to shipping data. Its arrival will serve as a further test of the effectiveness of US containment policy.
Asked to confirm whether Russian oil was headed to Cuba on Friday, a Kremlin representative declined to comment on specific fuel shipments. Instead, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow is “maintaining permanent contact with the Cuban leadership” and is exploring options to provide assistance to Havana amid its current difficulties, Interfax reported.
Cuba’s president acknowledged last week that the island has not received oil for three months—amid intensifying economic pressure from Donald Trump, who is seeking to bring an end to 67 years of one-party rule.
In early January, the United States cut off supplies of Venezuelan oil to Havana by detaining the country’s leader in Caracas. Trump then threatened tariffs on any state providing energy support to Cuba, prompting Mexico to halt its shipments as well.
Conditions on the island had already been severe after years of stringent US sanctions. Now, as Washington simultaneously restricts access to both fuel and financing, Cuba’s economy is deteriorating rapidly, and its energy system is in full-scale crisis. This week, the country experienced a nationwide blackout—at least the sixth in roughly a year.