Amid crippling sanctions, Cuba deploys oxen, wood-fired ovens to overcome fuel crisis

Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez speaks during a news conference in Havana, Cuba September 20, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba is deploying oxen to replace tractors, using wood instead of gas at many state bakeries and advising citizens to save electricity by making the most of daylight as it grapples with an acute fuel shortage amid U.S. sanctions.

The government says it is prioritising what little fuel it has this month to sustain critical services such as hospitals and sectors such as tourism, which generate much-needed hard currency. In other areas, it is seeking alternatives or scaling down.