Russian oil is giving a lifeline to Cuba

Summary

Marketplace Morning Report – Russian Oil is Giving a Lifeline to Cuba

Date: March 31, 2026
Host: Sabri Ben-Ashour (in for David Brancaccio)
Guest: Will Grant, BBC Correspondent for Mexico, Central America, and Cuba

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Marketplace discusses how the arrival of Russian oil is providing Cuba with a much-needed — though temporary — reprieve from crippling, U.S.-imposed energy shortages. BBC correspondent Will Grant, fresh from the island, shares first-hand insights on the profound impact of the blockade on daily life, the country's struggling infrastructure, and the Cuban people's outlook on their political and economic future.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The US Blockade and Its Human Impact

• [00:59] Sabri Ben-Ashour establishes the context: Cuba has been suffering severe nationwide energy shortages due to a U.S.-enforced energy blockade, resulting in frequent blackouts, fuel shortages, and shutdowns of schools and businesses.
• [01:44] Will Grant recounts witnessing an island-wide blackout:

  "I've just seen the situation on the island get progressively worse with each trip... I was there during an island wide black out where there was genuinely no power anywhere on the island. Neighborhoods go regularly, 18, 20, you know, 15 hours a day without power. It is deeply frustrating."
  (Will Grant, 01:44)

2. Effects on Essential Services

• [02:09] Discussion shifts to the blockade’s effect on healthcare and food supply:
  • Grant visited two hospitals post-blockade. While a government-guided tour of a maternity hospital showed operational facilities ("they'd kept the lights on"), a typical clinic was "90% in darkness," and only emergency cases were treated.

  “Most hospitals are struggling. One of the other clinics I went to was 90% in darkness while I was down. They were only receiving emergency cases.”
  (Will Grant, 02:15)

3. Russian Oil: A Short-Term Lifeline

• [02:42] The arrival of a Russian oil tanker (carrying about 100,000 metric tons or 730,000 barrels) is analyzed.
  • Grant calls this shipment "a lifeline" but emphasizes it is far from a permanent solution:

  "It is a lifeline, but it's not making any lasting dent... They can eke that out to well beyond a week. But it's not the answer. It is a short term fix."
  (Will Grant, 02:50)

4. Cuba’s Domestic Energy Production: Prospects and Limitations

• [03:14] Brancaccio asks if Cuba can boost domestic production.
  • Grant is skeptical about fossil fuels due to "dilapidated" infrastructure but notes increased investment in solar power using Chinese technology:

  "Not in terms of the fossil fuels... because the energy infrastructure is so dilapidated, what they produce is limited. What I think it could do... is really ramping up the solar power."
  (Will Grant, 03:21)

5. Political Sentiment and Talk of Regime Change

• [03:35] The conversation turns to recent comments by President Trump about “taking Cuba.”
  • Grant describes widespread public exhaustion, frustration with both Cuban authorities and U.S. actions, and a dramatic shift in conversation among ordinary Cubans:

  "Cubans are very, very frustrated and angry at their own authorities for the state of the economy... But also, of course, there is anger at the Trump administration... I'm hearing people say to me on camera things like, 'I'd be happy now for Trump to come in and take this,' which is an extraordinary thing to see people so exhausted that they're no longer... concerned about the consequences of speaking out."
  (Will Grant, 03:42)

6. Closing

• [04:17] Brancaccio thanks Grant for his insights:

  "Will Grant is the BBC's Mexico, Central America and Cuba correspondent. Will, thank you so much."
  (David Brancaccio, 04:17)

  • Grant responds warmly:

  "It's always an absolute pleasure."
  (Will Grant, 04:23)

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Notable Quotes

• On blackouts and daily life:

  “Neighborhoods go regularly, 18, 20, you know, 15 hours a day without power. It is deeply frustrating.”
  (Will Grant, 01:44)

• On the impact in hospitals:

  “Most hospitals are struggling. One of the other clinics I went to was 90% in darkness while I was down. They were only receiving emergency cases.”
  (Will Grant, 02:15)

• On the Russian oil shipment:

  “It is a lifeline, but it's not making any lasting dent… it is a short term fix.”
  (Will Grant, 02:50)

• On political exhaustion:

  "I'm hearing people say to me on camera things like, 'I'd be happy now for Trump to come in and take this,' which is an extraordinary thing to see people so exhausted that they're no longer... concerned about the consequences of speaking out."
  (Will Grant, 03:42)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:59: Introduction to Cuba's energy crisis and oil tanker arrival
• 01:44: Will Grant describes the worsening situation and blackouts
• 02:15: Hospitals' struggles under blockade
• 02:50: Assessment of Russian oil's impact
• 03:21: Discussion about Cuba's renewable energy efforts
• 03:42: Cuban sentiment on regime change and US politics
• 04:23: Closing remarks

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Tone and Language

The conversation is matter-of-fact yet conveys a sense of urgency and frustration, especially through Grant’s personal observations. The language remains journalistic and sober, underlining the hardship faced by ordinary Cubans and the magnitude of the crisis, with moments of candid, emotional insight.

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Summary in Brief

This episode paints a vivid picture of Cuba’s ongoing energy crisis, exacerbated by a U.S.-led oil blockade that has plunged the country into darkness — literally and economically. Russian oil provides only temporary relief, while public disillusionment with both local and U.S. authorities grows. Will Grant’s on-the-ground reporting captures the hardship, the struggle of essential services, and an unprecedented openness among Cubans to drastic political change. The episode highlights both the dire day-to-day realities and the complex, shifting political landscape emerging from this ongoing crisis.

Transcript

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[David Brancaccio]

Russian Oil is giving a Lifeline to Cuba From Marketplace I'm Sabri Ben ashore in for David Brancaccio. The US is allowing Russian oil to be delivered to Cuba after months of what has basically been an energy blockade imposed by the U.S. a tanker carrying 100,000 metric tons of oil arrived yesterday. The U.S. blockade has caused nationwide blackouts, severe fuel shortages and shutdowns of schools and non essential businesses in Cuba. Will Grant is the BBC's Mexico, Central America and Cuba correspondent. He's been traveling to Cuba regularly for years and he's here to share what he's been seeing. Will, good morning.

[Will Grant]

Good morning. It's nice to be with you again.

[David Brancaccio]

You just got back from Cuba. What did you see?

[Will Grant]

I've been going quite often this year and I've just seen the situation on the island get progressively worse with each trip. And on this latest one, I was there during an island wide black out where there was genuinely no power anywhere on the island. Now that's one moment. But neighborhoods go regularly, 18, 20, you know, 15 hours a day without power. It is deeply frustrating.

[David Brancaccio]

What about hospitals? What about the food supply? How is this blockade affecting all of that?

[Will Grant]

I did actually go into a hospital. In fact, I've been into two hospitals since the oil blockade was put in place. One was a maternity hospital and the government showed us around. They were very, you know, willing to show us that space because they'd kept the lights on. But the truth is that most hospitals are struggling. One of the other clinics I went to was 90% in darkness while I was down. They Were only receiving emergency cases.

[David Brancaccio]

There's this oil coming from Russia, something like 730,000 barrels. Will that make any difference?

[Will Grant]

Yes, in the sense that it is a lifeline, but it's not making any lasting dent. So if we estimate that, you know, 730,000 barrels would be a week's worth, of course, in these current restrictions that they're putting on and how much fuel you can pump at the petrol pumps, so on and so forth, they can eke that out to well beyond a week. But it's not the answer. It is a short term fix.

[David Brancaccio]

Cuba does produce a small amount of energy domestically. Is there any way it could ramp that up?

[Will Grant]

Not in terms of the fossil fuels, I don't think, really, because the energy infrastructure is so dilapidated, what they produce is limited. What I think it could do and what in fact it is doing using Chinese technology is really ramping up the solar power.

[David Brancaccio]

Now President Trump has made comments about, quote, taking Cuba, referring to regime change. What do Cubans want?

[Will Grant]

Cubans are very, very frustrated and angry at their own authorities for the state of the economy, for the state of the country. But also, of course, there is anger at the Trump administration. The imposition of a complete fuel blockade still touches that nationalist nerve among Cubans. Nevertheless, I think the the clamor for change has reached a point where I'm hearing people say to me on camera things like, I'd be happy now for Trump to come in and take this, which is an extraordinary thing to see people so exhausted that they're no longer, you know, concerned about the consequences of speaking out.

[David Brancaccio]

Will Grant is the BBC's Mexico, Central America and Cuba correspondent. Will, thank you so much.

[Will Grant]

It's always an absolute pleasure.

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[David Brancaccio]

There are some things they just do not teach you in college or in high school. How to restore an 18th century Georgian home, for example, or rebuild a grand piano or craft a violin from scratch. These are all things that need to be done somewhere, somehow in this economy. So where do you go to learn that? For 162 students in Boston, the answer is one of America's oldest trade schools. Marissa Mazria Katz reports on why a school teaching centuries old traditional crafts has a wait list.

[Marissa Mazria Katz]

It's almost final season at Boston's North Bennett Street School and the piano technology students are honing a new skill, how to tune the 88 key instrument in under three hours.

[David Brancaccio]

Listen to the way that the tone

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[David Brancaccio]

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[Marissa Mazria Katz]

That's Alex lacava, a teacher at the school who's worked in the field since they were about 18. The median pay for this kind of work in the Boston area is around $63,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Lacava tells me a lot of their students get job offers before graduation.

[David Brancaccio]

I am not only teaching how to be a piano technician, I'm teaching how to make a living as a piano technician.

[Marissa Mazria Katz]

The school's department head of carpentry, Peter Smith, says that's just what students are looking for.

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It's really important to understand that we're not here to teach do it yourselfers. We're not here to teach hobbyists. We're here to teach students who want a career and not just a job.

[Marissa Mazria Katz]

The school runs nine professional training programs. Tuition costs can range from around $23,000 for their nine month locksmithing program to $85,000 for the three year one. Like violin making, 70% of the school's qualified students have their tuition offset through financial aid. For many here, the sticker price is well worth it, especially if you consider how AI has the potential to reshape the labor market, says Robert Schwartz, senior advisor to the Project on Workforce at Harvard.

[David Brancaccio]

Technical jobs, technician level jobs, and particularly the traditional trades and crafts, they're not going anywhere. They're not going to be replaced.

[Marissa Mazria Katz]

On a nearby job site with an 18th century house, alum Ivan Ibarca Torres tells me he left a job in academia to learn carpentry at North Bennett Street School and is passionate about his new career.

[Will Grant]

When you connect your mind, your heart and your hands to do meaningful things, it gives you something very deep.

[Marissa Mazria Katz]

In Boston, I'm Marissa Masria Katz for Marketplace.

[David Brancaccio]

This is the Marketplace Morning Report

[Will Grant]

from

[David Brancaccio]

APM American Public Media.

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