Cuba's education crisis deepens as U.S. embargo cuts school transport

The United States’ oil embargo on Cuba has triggered an acute fuel shortage that has crippled school transportation across the island. In the western provinces, children such as 6‑year‑old Axisa and 7‑year‑old Aron Alfonso are being taken to school on a family horse because the aging Soviet‑era yellow school buses no longer run, and many teachers cannot reach their classrooms.

Cuban authorities have responded by halving the school day, moving the end of the academic year forward by two weeks, and canceling university entrance exams for graduating high‑school students. UNESCO’s regional director warned that “education in Cuba is at risk” as prolonged power outages and food shortages further erode learning conditions. The crisis follows years of economic decline, a mass exodus of teachers, and damage from past hurricanes, but the recent embargo‑induced gasoline scarcity is the immediate trigger for the current disruption.

The situation highlights the broader social impact of U.S. sanctions on everyday Cuban citizens, especially children whose future prospects are jeopardized by missed schooling and limited educational resources.