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People queuing at a gas dispatch center. /CGTN Photo
The Cuban government recently announced the shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), used mainly for cooking, as a result of the U.S. sanctions against the island nation. Following the announcement, many people rushed to gas cylinder dispatch centers, which saw long queues of clients for several days.
"People were worried that they might not get any more gas, so the demand went far beyond the availability," said Mario Avila,an LPG dispatcher.
The official announcement issued by Cuba-Petroleum Oil Company and the Ministry of Energy and Mines said that the U.S.sanctionsaimed at hampering Cuban fuel importsled to the current gas shortage.
"In late 2019, the U.S.sanctioned the Cuban energy company Panamericana, which guaranteed the country's gas imports.Butas a result ofthe U.S.sanctions, our gas providers in this part of the world cut deliveries to Cuba," Lucilo Sanchez from Cuba-Petroleum Domestic Fuelstold CGTN.
In order to fill the import gap, authorities imposed restrictions on gas deliveriesbycutting delivery timesto all state and private customers.
Some 1.7 million Cuban households were affected by the fuel shortage. All those families now have to wait longer periods of time to get their cooking gas.
Many homes in Cuba are not connected by gas pipelines so residents depend on gas cylinders.
Lucilo Sanchez from Cuba-Petroleum Domestic Fuels speaking with CGTN's Luis Chirino /CGTN Photo
For senior citizen Josefa Sanchez, the gas shortage has affected their everyday life. "After they extended the gas delivery period to nearly two times the previous one, we were affected,and some have resorted to using electric cooking appliances. Thereare four in my family, including mytwo-year-old granddaughter, but the available gas is no longer enough to meet our cooking needs. I used to receive a cylinder every 19 days, nowit'sabout once a month."
Josefa Chanchez, speaks with CGTN at her kitchen.
Cubanenergyauthorities are workingon ways to ease the crunch, said Lucilo Sanchez.
"We have been forced to look for new providers in other parts of the world at higher costs, butwe need tostabilize deliveries and return to normality," he said.
While waiting for a stable solution for thefuel shortage,Cubanshave to adapt and live under the current gas restriction measures.
