Cubans brace for more hardship as US pressure on Venezuela chokes off oil

People attend a rally opposing U.S. military action against Venezuela, on the day several similar rallies are held in different cities, in Havana, Cuba, December 6, 2025. REUTERS/Norlys Perez

MATANZAS, Cuba, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Cubans braced ‌for a deepening economic crisis after the United States seized two more Venezuela-linked oil ‌tankers on Wednesday, a move that threatens to sever a critical energy lifeline for ‌the Communist-run island just days after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

In the port of Matanzas where oil tankers dock, shuttered gas stations and long fuel lines reflected mounting supply shortages. The latest U.S. action is stoking fears that already-frequent, ‍hours-long power cuts will worsen.