Cuban Hotels Turn to Black Market for Fuel and Supplies as U.S. Sanctions Bite

Havana’s tourism sector is feeling the squeeze. With U.S. sanctions tightening, Cuban hotels are increasingly forced to buy fuel and other essentials on the black market, according to Alexander Karpetsky, head of the Cuban tour operator Cuba Libre PRO.

“It’s gotten to the point where hotels are purchasing certain products and even fuel on the black market because they simply can’t get them through official channels,” Karpetsky told RIA Novosti. He described the island’s underground economy as “thriving” under the current pressure.

The latest round of restrictions came in late January, when U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing tariffs on imports from countries that supply oil to Cuba. The order also declared a national emergency, citing what the White House called a Cuban threat to U.S. national security—a claim Havana dismisses as pretext.

Cuba’s government has accused Washington of using the energy blockade to strangle its economy and make life unbearable for its people. For now, the black market has become a lifeline for the tourism industry, but it’s a costly and unreliable one. Hotels that once catered to sun-seeking travelers now scramble for the fuel needed to keep lights on and kitchens running.