A large fire has broken out at the Nico López refinery in Havana, one of Cuba’s main oil processing facilities. The refinery is considered a critical energy hub for the island and was recently used to unload an oil shipment that arrived from Mexico.
The incident comes as Cuba faces a severe fuel shortage. The country remains under long-standing US sanctions, which include heavy restrictions on energy and financial transactions. As a result, oil imports have sharply declined, strategic reserves are reportedly near depletion, and widespread power outages have become frequent across the island. Reports indicate that air traffic has been disrupted amid the broader energy crisis.
The cause of the blaze has not yet been officially confirmed, and it remains unclear how severely the facility has been damaged or how long repairs may take. If the refinery is significantly impaired, the country’s already fragile fuel supply chain could face further strain in the coming days and weeks.
