Miami, United States. -The Cuba-Petrolero Union (CUPET) defended Your measure of selling special gasoline exclusively in dollarswhich attributed to the restrictions imposed by the United States government under the administration of Donald Trump. The regulation, which began to be applied this week throughout the country, has generated discomfort among consumers, who have expressed their discontent in social networks.
Irenaldo Pérez Cardoso, deputy director of CUPET, explained in the National Television News (NTV) that the shortage of high octane gasoline on the island has been one of the reasons behind the measure. “Special gasoline is a product that is currently deficient,” he said.
According to Pérez Cardoso, the importation of this type of fuel faces difficulties due to the sanctions imposed by Washington. “The importation of special gasoline is truly a problem for this organization based on measures [de Estados Unidos] that they have been adopted and that they have intensified in the last period with the entrance of President Trump, ”he said.
The official said that, despite the difficulties, CUPET will guarantee the supply in the servicenters in dollars and that regular gasoline will begin. “Today we, with the volumes we have we will be guaranteeing the Servicenter Network in dollars and we will start consuming regular gasoline,” he said.
The state company reported that it will distribute about 900 tons of gasoline daily, both regular and motor. “CUPET has created all the conditions to distribute that gasoline throughout the country as always has been,” said Pérez Cardoso. However, drivers’ complaints about fuel shortage persist throughout the island.
For his part, Ernesto Martínez Hernández, first vice president of the Cimex Corporation, indicated that measures have been taken to adapt the use of state fuel cards to the new regulations. “In the case of the private sector, it is not affected with this measure since the card they use access all types of fuel,” he said.
The fuel supply crisis in Cuba is not new. In recent years, lack of oil has affected the electrical system, gasoline supply, liquefied gas and even Jet-A1 fuel used in aviation.
The measure has caused a flood of criticism on social networks, where users have questioned the decision to sell in dollars without offering a solution to the lack of fuel on the island.
Even the official journalist Ana Teresa Badía questioned the lack of official information about this measure. Through Your social networksBadía expressed his surprise and discontent in the absence of official explanations. “Without saying anything officially again? Is it true or false? I trust who publishes it, but it is hard to believe that, if true, the decision has been made without explaining it. And yes, you have to explain, ”the communicator wrote, emphasizing the need for transparency by the government.
The journalist Christian Rojas also joined the Badia wall and expressed his rejection more clearly. “It’s not about normalizing informing something like that, it is not to have to take that measure, that things work as they should be. Nothing … small fruits of partial dollarization, ”he wrote.
The lack of transparency on the real availability of fuels and the insistence on blaming external factors without mentioning the structural crisis of the country have generated uncertainty among the population. Meanwhile, Cuban drivers continue to face long lines and limitations to supply their vehicles in a context of persistent energy crisis.
