Madrid/After 1 pm this Thursday, the Electrical Union (UNE) considered the incident over which yesterday left half the country without energy when the transmission between the Santa Cruz del Norte thermoelectric plant (Mayebeque) and the Antonio Guiteras plant (Matanzas) broke down. “All provinces are now connected to the national electrical energy system. The service will be restored gradually as generation capacity allows,” they announced on social networks. But the generation was almost non-existent.
At the height of peak hour, the electricity company established demand at 3,194 megawatts (MW) and availability at 1,076, with 2,141 affected: a new absolute recordtwo days after the previous one. “Gentlemen, availability is 30% of the country’s demand – responded one user -. This has already gotten out of hand, like so many other things that are at a trickle. This now has no solution.”
The main problem, discounting the decrepitude of thermoelectric plants, was the one that has been accumulating most intensely this year “the lack of fuel, which keeps more than 1,000 MW out of service in distributed generation,” Lázaro Guerra Hernández, general director of electricity, said on television.
“Gentlemen, availability is 30% of the country’s demand,” responded one user. “This has already gotten out of hand, like so many other things.”
It is not surprising knowing that for another month Venezuelan oil shipments remained in a meager 24,000 barrels per day (bpd), not even half of what was agreed with the Chavista Government 25 years ago. The amount included crude oil, gasoline and jet kerosene. The decrease is in line with what happened throughout this year, when PDVSA fuel shipments to the Island fell 15% compared to 2024, the year in which also they were down 42% compared to 2023.
The data, corresponding to the first ten months of the year, were provided by Reuters, which also recorded a 73% collapse of Mexican crude oil between January and October 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year. The last shipment of Pemex oil arrived on the island on November 17 with the tanker Ocean Marinerwhich he took to Cuba, after months without exporting a single drop.
It cannot be said, however, that Venezuela has oil difficulties. Its global exports rose again this month after declining in October. That month it sold 808,000 barrels a day abroad, but in November they increased to 921,000, the third highest monthly average so far this year, since, according to Reuters, which cites PDVSA data and shipping documents, “the country used more diluents to produce exportable grades.” In addition, the British agency points out that with these products they obtain gasoline for national distribution, helping the country to avoid a drop in exports in November.
On November 13, the tanker Seahorse was intercepted by the American destroyer USS Stockdalewhich was placed in its path, preventing it from reaching Venezuela, where it was heading loaded with the Russian gasoline that PDVSA uses to dilute its extra-heavy crude oil. After this episode, the ship returned to the Cuban port of Matanzas, where it had already been and from where it left again to an unknown destination.
The American Chevron continued to extract a good amount of oil from the Caribbean country. In total, 150,000 barrels per day, compared to 128,000 in October
Despite these tensions, which are increasing, the American company Chevron continued to extract a good amount of oil from the Caribbean country. In total, 150,000 barrels per day, compared to 128,000 in October, thanks to the authorization granted by the Donald Trump Administration, which allows the company to export half of its production to the United States and regulates payments to the Government of Caracas.
In addition, Chevron is also a supplier of US gasoline to joint ventures operating with permission from Washington, which has helped boost imports of light crude oil and fuel, which doubled to about 167,000 bpd from 74,000 bpd in October.
Although in total Venezuela increased exports by 3% compared to the previous month, they fell 5% compared to November 2024.
China continues to be the largest beneficiary of Venezuelan fuel, acquiring around 80% of the total exported, some 746,000 bpd.
