The United States' seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker carrying oil to Cuba has aroused the Cuban people's concerns about a possible energy shortage and escalating geopolitical tensions.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Dec. 10 that the U.S. military has intercepted and taken control of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
On Dec.16, Trump ordered "a total and complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. Cuba relies heavily on fuel imports from Venezuela, Mexico, Russia and other countries, with Venezuelan fuel dominating.
While the impact of the tanker's seizure is not immediately apparent, some Cubans have already expressed their concerns.
"Fuel is very scarce, extremely scarce. Look at the long lines. Many gas stations are out of oil. Maybe there will always be a solution, but we are always the ones most directly affected," said resident Nelson.
"Clearly, Venezuela remains a significant supporter of our electricity supply. If the situation deteriorates further, all the power rationing and blackouts we have implemented in recent years will have to be strengthened, and we will face an even more complex situation," said Alejandro Rossez, researcher at the Cuban Center for International Politics Research.
For a long time, the United States has conducted sanctions against Venezuela and used its economic influence to restrict other countries' dealings with Venezuela, and the forcible seizure of the oil tanker by the U.S military has indicated its deeper geopolitical intentions, that is, influencing Cuba's economy and society by pressuring Venezuela, according to scholars.
"They (in the U.S.) believe that the two systems in these two countries [Cuba and Venezuela] are mutually supportive and closely linked. Undoubtedly, behind all the U.S. actions against Venezuela in recent months are their deliberation of impact on Cuba. Their goal is to both suppress Venezuela and simultaneously attempt to make things worse in Cuba. This is closely related to the more aggressive U.S. policy in Latin America, under which the U.S. seeks to eliminate countries that they assume to have threatened its interests, particularly Cuba and Venezuela, thereby expanding their geopolitical influence in the region," said Rossez.
US blockade of Venezuela arouses Cubans' concerns over energy crunch
