Cuba has begun to close hotels and relocate international tourists in a desperate attempt to reduce energy consumption due to a fuel shortage that has the island on the brink of collapse. The Vice Prime Minister, Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, confirmed the launch of a plan to “compact tourist facilities and take advantage of the high season,” which in practice has led to the cessation of operations in key hubs such as Varadero and the northern cays. This measure, confirmed by sector sources, directly affects major international chains like the Spanish Meliá and Iberostar, and the Canadian Blue Diamond, in a context where tourism was already at its worst record of visitors since 2002. Under the “zero option” concept, the island is implementing survival measures. According to the head of state, the emergency package aims to address what he called a “petroleum siege,” prioritizing telework and restricting motorized mobility to the maximum. The impact on the economy is devastating, as tourism is the country's main source of foreign currency. In 2025, the arrival of visitors barely reached 1.8 million, a paltry figure compared to the 4.7 million achieved in 2018 during the brief period of diplomatic thaw. The fall of key source markets, such as Canada and Russia, is compounded by the obsolescence of local thermoelectric plants, which suffer constant breakdowns. According to information from the Argentine News Agency, the energy crisis intensified after the U.S. military operation in Caracas on January 3, which cut off the vital supply of oil from Venezuela, added to new sanctions imposed by Donald Trump that threaten tariffs on any country that provides crude to the island. Faced with this scenario, President Miguel Díaz-Canel revived the “zero option” concept, an extreme survival plan designed by Fidel Castro in the 1990s that involves severe rationing and a return to precarious living methods. While the government tries to sustain activity with minimal infrastructure, the reality on the streets and in hotels reflects a nation that is regressing to its era of greatest isolation and scarcity.
