No food, no fuel, no tourists: Under US pressure, life in Cuba grinds to a halt

Pruna and his bright red 1957 Chevrolet were in constant demand and he says countless visitors including celebrities like Will Smith, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian paid princely sums – at least for Cuba – to go on classic car tours with him.

His Chevy was one of three vintage American automobiles that US diplomats selected to be in the background for the flag raising ceremony at the US Embassy in Havana that marked the official restoration of ties between the two countries following decades of bitter animosity.

“All sectors of society benefited from that,” Pruna said, referring to the brief improvement in relations. “You saw people painting their houses, opening new businesses. For me it was fantastic. It was the best era for tourism in Cuba.”

Now, Cuba may be experiencing the most profound moment of economic uncertainty that the island’s residents have endured in decades if not over their entire lives.

Cuba does not appear to have any remaining allies willing to supply the hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of fuel needed to power the economy.

What oil the island has left is running out.

The twin loss of fuel and tourists for people like Pruna has been catastrophic.

“I need gas to be able to work, I need tourists to be able to work,” he said.

Classes have been suspended at many schools and workers furloughed to save energy. Near vacant hotels have been shuttered and flights from Russia and Canada canceled as there is not enough jet fuel on the island for longer international flights.

The UK and Canada have warned citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Cuba.

Last week, organizers canceled the yearly Habanos cigar festival that brings in millions of dollars of revenue. Sherrit International on Tuesday announced that the company is pausing nickel and cobalt mining operations in Cuba amid the fuel crunch.