On a residential street just off the major thoroughfare of Paseo de Marti in Havana, dozens of people sit outside in the sweltering afternoon heat.
They chat amiably, clinging to the shade cast by the buildings, while keeping a watchful eye on a group of children playing football. Someone turns up the volume on their phone, and a reggaeton song feebly permeates the humid air.
This has become a common sight in the Cuban capital, as people try to stay cool when fuel shortages cause blackouts across the city. Some areas receive only a couple of hours of electricity a day. Outside Havana, the blackouts can last even longer.
“It makes it uncomfortable to sleep, uncomfortable to cook – if you don’t have gas, you have to do it over a wood-burning fire or grill,” Raul, a resident of the nearby town of San Antonio de Los Banos who asked to go only by his first name, told The National.
Following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January, the US initiated an oil embargo on Cuba, threatening tariffs on any countries providing fuel to the island in an effort to pressure the government in Havana to “make a deal” – which for President Donald Trump means regime change.
The lack of fuel is affecting every area of life. The streets of Havana, usually buzzing with traffic, are practically empty, with only a handful of cars on the road. Rubbish is piling up on street corners, as the collection lorries can no longer run, and public bus service has ended.
“I go as far as my feet can take me, and then I walk back,” one Havana resident told The National, slapping her legs for emphasis as she explained how she gets around the city these days.
Cuban drivers said petrol can cost up to $10 a litre – if you can find it. Long queues form at a few petrol stations, but most are deserted. Fuel is available on the black market, but would-be consumers need both money and connections to get it.
Food is also becoming scarce due to fuel shortages affecting agricultural production and distribution. The National spoke to Cubans who described empty shelves and rocketing prices, and salaries that used to be able to provide for families now being worth almost nothing.
“It’s very difficult to live in this situation. It agitates people,” said Manuel, a Havana resident who asked to go only by his first name. He said the situation in Cuba, while by no means perfect before, has declined dramatically since Mr Trump returned to office.
Mr Trump has intensified punitive economic measures against Cuba since the beginning of the year, and he has increased pressure even more in recent weeks. Last week, sanctions compelled several large foreign-owned hotel chains to leave the country, and Visa and Mastercard have shut down services on the island – detrimental blows to the already struggling tourism industry.
"The Americans don't want to remove the blockade, and that's the reason we're experiencing difficulties in this country," Fernando, a 67-year-old Havana resident who described himself as a "Fidelista" - loyal to former leader Fidel Castro - said. "Trump wants to destroy it [Cuba], destroy a country, because he thinks he's the leader of the world."
Washington has also issued sanctions against Cuban officials, including President Miguel Diaz-Canel and members of his family, as well as members of the powerful Castro family. Raul Castro, brother of revolutionary leader Fidel, was recently indicted on murder charges in the US in the alleged shooting down of a civilian plane in 1996.
“I think the goal [of the US sanctions] is to cause Cuban society to burst, to be unable to withstand it any more, to cause protests against the system, a civil war … for them [the US] to have a justification for intervention,” Manuel said.
Several Cubans told The National that they expected protests to occur as the blackouts intensify and scarcity continues. Already in some parts of Havana, cacerolazos – the banging of pots and pans, a popular form of protest in Latin America – are becoming more frequent. Previous large-scale protests over the economic situation were met with swift crackdowns and widespread arrests.
Meanwhile, there is growing fear that the US is preparing for an invasion. Mr Trump intimated as much when he said that once the US was finished with the war in Iran, it would turn its focus to Cuba, and with a deal agreed between Washington and Tehran, Cuba could soon find itself in US crosshairs.
Mr Trump told reporters in recent weeks that former presidents had considered an intervention on the island but “it looks like I'll be the one that does it”.
Still, both the government and Cubans remain defiant. Mr Diaz-Canel has said that any attempt to invade will result in a “bloodbath”.
Venezuelan media reported this week that the government was handing out weapons to Cuban citizens, but The National could not independently verify these reports. The National did see some soldiers drilling in the street and busloads being transferred through the capital, but it was unclear if this was a normal occurrence.
“Cubans are afraid of having to fight against other Cubans, but they’re not afraid of confronting an enemy,” Raul said.
“Cubans are courageous, and we’re going to fight. I’m not going to let them come here and kill my kids.”
Fernando echoed that sentiment.
"We Cubans are ready for anything. If I have to take up arms to defend my country, I'm going to do it, despite my age. Because I have a family, and I'm going to defend them as well, to the death."
