Tanker Returns to Cuba Empty, Jamaica Refused to Sell Gas
Jamaica is a regular supplier to Cuba, but decided to comply with Trump’s decree threatening tariffs on countries that deliver fuel to the island.
HAVANA TIMES — After weeks of apparent inactivity, the tanker Emilia, dedicated to transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) under the Cuban flag, moved again. However, far from bringing relief, its arrival at the port of Cienfuegos confirmed the worst possible scenario: the vessel arrived empty.
As confirmed to 14ymedio by expert Jorge Piñón — a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin — the Emilia had departed Santiago de Cuba with the intention of loading LPG in Jamaica, one of its regular suppliers. The destination was the port of Kingston. But the plan was derailed by a lethal combination of timing and politics. The vessel reached Jamaican waters just hours before the new executive order by President Donald Trump took effect. The decree, effective at 12:01 a.m. (Eastern Time) on January 30, 2026, sanctions all countries that send fuel to Cuba.
Maritime tracking data confirm the failure of the operation. Vessel Finder records show that the Emilia never docked in Kingston. It approached with a draft of 8.4 meters and departed with exactly the same draft, unmistakable evidence that it did not load fuel. It entered Jamaican territorial waters at 08:35 UTC on January 29 and left at 10:48 UTC on the 30th — an insufficient window to carry out a loading operation, even before the US decree formally took effect at midnight.
The tanker then headed for Cienfuegos and entered the port with the same draft with which it had departed. It carried no LPG. The voyage, watched for days with anticipation by specialists and citizens alike, ended up being yet another demonstration that Cuba’s energy system operates day to day, without any safety net.
The Cienfuegos terminal concentrates key infrastructure for the storage and redistribution of LPG to the western part of the country. From there, provinces that have gone months without regular service are supplied. The lack of gas not only deprives families of an essential household cooking fuel, but also forces them to improvise with firewood, charcoal, or intermittent electricity for cooking, fueling a sustained social and public-health deterioration.
In 2025, the authorities themselves acknowledged near-total suspensions of gas sales due to depleted inventories. Each unloading allowed barely a few days of sales before the “balitas” disappeared again. For thousands of households, obtaining a 10-kilogram cylinder has become an obstacle course with no guarantee of success.
That is why every movement of the Emilia is tracked meticulously. The vessel has spent long periods anchored or inactive, a pattern that some experts attribute less to technical failures than to financial constraints. Cuba purchases LPG in spot operations, without stable contracts, and depends on regional intermediaries willing to assume risks. The shortage of hard currency, a history of nonpayment, and now the tightening of the US sanctions are making it increasingly difficult to close deals, even in the short term.
From Cienfuegos, when product is available, LPG is redistributed to provinces that are months behind. Then the lines reappear, quotas are exhausted within hours, and the informal market drives prices up. In January 2026, a gas “balita” has been resold for between 10,000 and 30,000 pesos — several times the monthly salary of a state worker. The official price exists only for those who manage to reach the service window before it sells out.
The Emilia episode also fits into a broader context of energy contraction. As early as 2025, fuel imports to Cuba fell significantly, hitting both electricity generation and household consumption. With less fuel for generation plants, blackouts intensify and gas becomes a critical substitute. The scarcity of one increases demand for the other, closing a vicious circle.
First published in Spanish by 14ymedio and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.