Russian Tanker Anatoly Kolodkin Arrives in Cuba with 100,000 Tons of Crude Oil

The Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin arrived in Cuba with a humanitarian cargo of 100,000 tons of crude oil, reports the Russian Ministry of Transport. The vessel is now waiting to unload at the port of Matanzas.

Experts have reported that Cuba requires 100,000 barrels of oil per day to meet its demand. Therefore, the arrival of the Russian vessel, while very important symbolically, technically only relieves about seven and a half days of the island’s consumption. The island produces approximately 30,000 to 40,000 barrels per day.

Additionally, it has been reported that small private businesses in Cuba have received special licenses from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), allowing the arrival of approximately the equivalent of 30,000 barrels of diesel so far this year. This figure is likewise marginal compared to Cuban demand.

Russian crude: the first relief Cuba has received in months
The Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin has become the first vessel of this kind to assist Cuba in the past three months. It should be noted that the ship made the journey escorted by Russian military vessels only in the area of the English Channel, and throughout this time sailed under the Russian flag.

Cuba is being subjected to a harsh economic blockade by the United States, which has been aggravated by the cutoff of Venezuelan and Mexican crude supplies imposed by the White House.

As a result, lacking hydrocarbon imports since January 9, Cuba has been plunged into a severe energy crisis.

Now, the 100,000 tons of crude carried aboard the Anatoly Kolodkin, should alleviate the crisis that the Cuban people are experiencing.

Is the US easing the embargo on Cuba?
On the previous day, a US official told The New York Times that the US Coast Guard would not block the passage of the Russian tanker despite the blockade imposed on Cuba by the Trump regime.

The US president himself downplayed the matter when journalists asked him about it aboard Air Force One on Sunday night.

“We don’t mind that someone receives a shipment, because they need it; they have to survive,” the president said, as quoted by the NYT. At the same time, Trump predicted that the arrival of the Russian tanker “is not going to have any impact” because “Cuba is finished.”

On January 29, Trump signed an executive order allowing the US to impose tariffs on imports from countries that supply oil to Cuba.

Washington’s actions have caused a severe fuel shortage in the Caribbean country. Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the energy blockade and considered it “reprehensible that a power of the magnitude of the United States would adopt such an aggressive and criminal policy toward a small nation.”

The president acknowledged that Cuba faces serious problems with adequate oil to ensure electricity generation and basic activities due to the fact that no fuel has entered the country since December.

On Monday, March 30 Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov welcomed the arrival of the shipment of 100,000 tons of Russian oil to Cuba, equivalent to approximately 750,000 barrels, highlighting that for Moscow, it is a duty to assist Cuba amid its current crisis, caused by the US blockade.

Peskov told the press that his country cannot remain indifferent to the situation faced by the Cuban people, and therefore, Russia is committed to not turning its back and to continue providing the necessary assistance to the island.

“Russia believes it has a duty not to stand aside and to provide the necessary assistance to its Cuban friends, and we are pleased that this batch of petroleum products has arrived on the island,” the Russian official stated.

‘Cuba Is Not Alone’: Inspiring Days of Solidarity in Havana

 

 

(LaIguanaTV) with Orinoco Tribune content

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/CB/SL