Cuba has been experiencing fuel shortages for several months. To remedy the situation, the Cuban president might turn to the Russians for gas.
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In an exchange with the CEO of the Russian oil company Rosneft, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel wanted to thank Russia for its support in this crisis which is shaking the country.
“We want to thank you,” he told Russian entrepreneur Igor Sechin on Saturday in Havana.
The strong man of Cuba, known for his support for the Putin regime, took the opportunity to send some flowers to Vladimir Putin.
“Please send my regards to Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation, who understand the complex situation in Cuba, and who are working tirelessly to move us forward.”
In February, Russia had sent more than 25,000 tons of wheat to the island due to a shortage of this cereal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “directly and personally oversees all issues and questions regarding cooperation between Russia and Cuba,” said Igor Sechin, according to the presidency.
The Cuban president, whose country is facing the worst economic crisis for thirty years, went to Russia at the end of November, during an international tour which also took him to Algeria, Turkey and China.
After the tour, Diaz-Canel said he had signed several oil supply agreements with Russia and Algeria.
Since May, Cuba has suffered from a chronic deficit in electricity production leading to regular load shedding in the country. Gasoline shortages are also frequent and there are daily queues to stock up on food.
At the end of December, Cuba announced that the two countries wanted to strengthen their “strategic partnership” in 2023, with “the common desire to deepen political dialogue and economic, commercial, financial and cooperation ties”.
Cuba has been subject to a US embargo since 1962. Moscow has been targeted by a battery of sanctions from the United States, Canada and the European Union intended to hit the Russian economy since the outbreak of war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
