Cuba battles fuel shortages, storm damage as government rolls out decentralization reforms

Cuba's eastern province of Granma, like much of the island, is coping with a deep fuel shortage that has triggered prolonged power outages. Residents face nightly blackouts, disrupted travel, higher costs for alternative energy, and growing difficulty obtaining food, medicine and construction materials. The scarcity has forced families to reorganize daily routines and rely on community networks for basic needs.

At the same time, recent severe storms have damaged dozens of homes, felled trees, snapped telephone lines and weakened infrastructure across the region. In response, the Cuban government announced a package of decentralization reforms aimed at shifting economic decision‑making to provincial and municipal authorities. The reforms have drawn mixed reactions, with opponents questioning whether they will meaningfully improve supply chains, fuel distribution or living conditions.