Cuba's Private Sector Faces Collapse Under Four-Month US Oil Blockade

An in-depth report four months into the US oil blockade documented widespread economic devastation for Cuba's private sector. Black-market petrol prices had soared from approximately $1 to $10+ per litre. Transportation costs for goods multiplied four to six times, making private enterprise non-viable in most sectors. Power outages lasting 15+ hours daily prevented refrigeration of food imports and disrupted small-scale manufacturing. Private businesses employing approximately 31% of Cuba's workforce faced widespread closure. Consulting firms projected income declines of 50–60%. Cuba's roughly 10,000 registered private micro, small, and medium enterprises — representing 15% of GDP — were described as in existential crisis. The report noted that even before the blockade, Cuba's private sector operated under severe bureaucratic and financial restrictions; the energy crisis had converted a difficult operating environment into an impossible one.