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Cuba's iconic antique cars sit idle as US energy blockade deepens fuel crisis
Drivers are waiting months for rationed gasoline as blackouts deepen and imports cover only about 40% of Cuba's fuel needs, officials and economists say.
- Since January, Cuba's 'almendrones'—vintage American cars serving as shared taxis—have sat idle amid a worsening fuel crisis that officials blame on Trump administration policies and an energy blockade.
- The country produces only about 40% of the fuel it consumes and depends heavily on imports. Many Cubans are navigating daily blackouts that can last up to 20 hours, straining the island's infrastructure.
- Outside his home in Las Minas, auto-body mechanic Diriel Valdez is restoring a 1951 Chevrolet Deluxe but struggles to find fuel through a government reservation app. Valdez says, "A lot of them have their cars parked. They don't have much hope."
- As gasoline becomes harder to obtain, many drivers turn to Cuba's black market, where fuel prices reach up to $8 per liter. Small electric vehicles imported from China are becoming increasingly common, aided by solar-powered charging stations.
- Taxi driver Leonardo Daniel Gonz, who operates a 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster, continues to find rides via WhatsApp but notes many owners "don't have much hope" their cars will circulate as before. Tourism remains in poor shape.
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Associated Press News+12 Reposted by 12 other sources
Cuba's iconic antique cars sit idle as US energy blockade deepens fuel crisis
Many of Cuba's iconic gas guzzling antique cars sit idle, a symbol of the island's ongoing fuel crisis. Since January, the U.S. blockade has starved the island of fuel.
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources16
Leaning Left4Leaning Right3Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 29%
C 50%
R 21%
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