Pemex launches to the rescue of Cuba

A tanker with 400 thousand barrels of crude oil left the port of Pajaritos yesterday, Veracruzbound for Cuba to help alleviate the acute energy crisis suffered by the island.

Since October 18, the island has suffered from blackouts due to the collapse of its electrical network, a situation that the government attributes to the economic blockade of the United States and that was aggravated by the passage of Hurricane Oscar. During the past week, the Cuban authorities kept schools closed and a good part of the economy was paralyzed as part of the attempts to achieve its stabilization, although they also warned that the failures will continue.

Our country has been supplying oil to Cuba since last year through Gasolinas del Bienestar, SA de CV, a subsidiary of Pemex created in the López Obrador government, as a complement to the volumes previously sent by Venezuela, the island’s main energy support.

The crude oil shipments are sent to the port that serves the Cuban refinery of Cienfuegos and are transported by Cuban flag vessels.

From January to September of this year, Mexico has sent about 20 thousand barrels of Olmeca-type crude oil to the island per day. Cuba also negotiates energy aid from Venezuela and Colombia.

Oil shipments to the island are made under the concept of humanitarian aid because the economic blockade imposed by the United States implies sanctions on all countries that trade almost any product with Cuba.

This week the Cuban government will once again request the end of the embargo before the United Nations (UN).