The company imposes a series of measures on gas stations, which will not be adopted in the unlikely event that there is enough fuel
14ymedio, Havana, 17 November 2024 — Following the experience of the Tángana gas station, located in El Vedado (Havana), the financial company Cimex, Cuba Petróleo (Cupet), the police and other local authorities have decided to extend the form of management to the rest of the gas stations in Havana’s Plaza de la Revolución municipality. The measures are taken “based on the denunciations, complaints and dissatisfaction of the population” and contemplate the purchase of fuel for private generators, provided that the client presents a letter of authorization from the municipal mayor.
Of the group of service stations in the municipality, it is “particularly those of Rampa” that have generated the most discomfort among buyers. This is argued by Esther Pérez Trujillo, the boss and organizer of the lines in the Guanabacoa gas stations, who shared this Saturday the announcement in the Telegram group through which she manages everything that happens in the Cupet premises in the municipality.
All in capital letters and alluding to “two meetings with the authorities,” Esther reviews the rules: Only 40 liters (10.6 gallons) of fuel will be sold “for each vehicle” and, “in the case of motorcycles, enough to fill the tank.” In case it has not been clear, she states that customers will not be allowed to bring “additional bottles or other ’tanks’,” which she refers to as “innovations” of the drivers. In the case of electric generators, with prior authorization, only 20 liters (5.3 gallons) will be sold per customer.
Esther adds an exception to the measures, which will not be adopted “if there is fuel availability,” a situation that rarely occurs in the Havana gas stations that don’t charge in foreign currency. The manager is clear, adding, “Let’s remember that today there is a deficit, which we all know, in the import of hydrocarbons. Today the country prioritizes the supply for electricity generation.”
Only 40 liters (10.6 gallons) of fuel will be sold “for each vehicle” and, “in the case of motorcycles, enough to fill the tank”
The manager of the Guanabacoa gas stations also recognizes that the “availability of more ’guns’ or pumps” is a frequent complaint from those who come to refuel at the Cupet facilities. The problem, however, will not be solved in the near future. “We are informed that there is no possibility [of adding new equipment], and there are currently negotiations about restoring the existing ones, a situation that will not be resolved immediately,” he says, repeating the canonical phrase, “due to the economic situation that we all know.”
The statement, which reminds customers of where to recharge the cards which Cubans must use to pay for the fuel, also explains that Cimex, which controls payments, transactions and commercial operations, will be responsible for the service at gas stations. To do this, the Computer Union of the province will ensure that the payment system remains “fluid and functional.” Complaints about the “failure of the system” and “cards that don’t work” have been frequent since the government announced that payments can only be made in that way.
The order of the lines and “the implementation of the most appropriate forms, which guarantee better organization and control,” is controlled by the Popular Council of La Rampa.
Despite the arrival of several fuel tankers in recent weeks, the Island shows no signs of improvement in its energy crisis. Even with the drop in temperatures that the country is experiencing this weekend, the deficit reported by the Unión Eléctrica for the peak hour is 1,421 megawatts, 40% of national consumption.
The PVT Clara oil tanker arrived in Havana Bay on November 14, under the flag of Panama and owned by the PetroVietnam Transport Corporation. The tanker’s cargo, which will arrive this Monday in Santiago de Cuba, was declared as “vegetable oil,” but the fact that food is stored in tanks used for fuel makes experts doubt that statement. In addition, the ship left Kaliningrad on September 14, near the location of the oil wells from which the Russian Urals crude oil is extracted, and it has been off the Cuban coast since October 2.
The tanker PVT Clara under the flag of Panama arrived in Havana Bay on November 14
Likewise, on November 11, the Elandra Redwood, coming from Amsterdam with fuel, docked in Havana Bay, and the Eco Merlin, with liquefied gas, has been off the Cuban coast for days.
At the end of October, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that she would send “humanitarian” donations of fuel to Cuba to alleviate the damage to the energy system after Hurricane Oscar. Coinciding with the statement, the tanker Vilma delivered a cargo in Cienfuegos at the beginning of November and, after returning to the port of Pajaritos-Coatzacoalcos, returned to the Island this Saturday.
The Ocean Mariner, which docked in Santiago de Cuba before the impact of Hurricane Rafael, is also heading back to that port from the Ciudad Madero refinery in Tampico. Its arrival is scheduled for November 20, according to maritime tracking applications.
The regime has also received help from Venezuela. The Alicia arrived in Matanzas in the first days of this month and is now in Havana after reloading in the port of José.
Finally, Russia gave a loan of 60 million dollars to the Island to acquire 80,000 tons of fuel. Cuba seems to have created the conditions to keep the electrical system afloat for at least a few weeks, but the authorities continue to schedule blackouts, reporting deficits of almost half the power generation and ensuring, like Esther, that there is no fuel.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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