The wide avenues of Havana are empty at night. The theaters are closed. Bars and cafes lowered the curtain. It is difficult to find street lights or Cubans making money entertaining tourists.
Under the weight of an oil embargo imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s second administration and the island’s most serious economic crisis in decades, the city’s once-bustling nightlife has quieted down.
Today, gasoline sales are limited to 20 liters per vehicle and owners can wait months to get a turn at the pump. Buses stop running at 6 p.m. and international airlines, including Air France, Air Canada and Iberia, have stopped flying to Havana because they cannot refuel there.
The deepening crisis has led to persistent blackouts, cuts to the state food rationing system and severe shortages of water and medicine that have transformed daily life into an ordeal for many on the island of 10 million people.
“I feel empty inside when I see my empty streets,” said Yusleydi Blanco, a 41-year-old accountant. “I can’t be happy when my country is sad.”
AP
