A visitor captured a nearly deserted scene of Havana's Malecón, devoid of vehicles and tourists, and shared the video on Facebook with a caption that captures the current state of Cuba's capital: "Everything looks deserted."
Norma Estrada, the creator of the video, filmed the iconic coastal avenue from her hotel, documenting the desolation: "This is the hotel where we're staying, the Gran Aston of Havana. My car is there on the Malecón."
The lack of cars on the Malecón is neither accidental nor an isolated image; it reflects the most severe fuel crisis Cuba has experienced in recent years.
Currently, only three gas stations are operational across Havana, with a cap of 20 liters per vehicle, waiting lists between 7,000 and 15,000 requests per station, and a black market selling gasoline at 4,000 Cuban pesos per liter, roughly eight dollars.
The Impact of Cuba's Energy Crisis
On February 6, Transportación Habana halted all bus routes due to a fuel shortage, leaving thousands of residents without public transport.
The energy crisis intensified after Pemex suspended supplies on January 9, Venezuela reduced shipments, and former President Donald Trump's executive order on January 29 threatened tariffs on countries providing oil to Cuba.
The Decline of Cuban Tourism
The collapse of tourism completes the picture of abandonment depicted in the video.
Cuba ended 2025 with just 1.81 million international tourists, a 17.8% decrease from the 2.2 million in 2024, and significantly below the government's target of 2.6 million.
According to EFE, only 184,833 international tourists arrived in January 2026, a 9% drop compared to January 2025, marking the worst figure in 13 years, excluding the pandemic, while global tourism reached a record of 1.520 billion arrivals.
National hotel occupancy fell to 18.9% in 2025, the lowest historical figure recorded, and more than two dozen state-run hotels closed during the peak season.
Classic car drivers — a touristic symbol of the Malecón — have slashed their ride prices from 50 to 20-25 dollars due to a lack of customers, and restaurants in the vicinity remain empty.
Cuba's visitor numbers have plummeted from 4.7 million in 2018 to just 1.8 million in 2025, the lowest level since 2002, excluding the pandemic period.
Economist Pedro Monreal described the state of Cuban tourism as "terrible" and warned that it continues to struggle to recover.
Understanding the Tourist and Economic Challenges in Cuba
Why is there a fuel crisis in Cuba?
The fuel crisis in Cuba is due to the suspension of supplies from key providers like Pemex, reductions in shipments from Venezuela, and external pressures such as tariffs threatened by the U.S. against countries supplying oil to Cuba.
How has the tourism sector been affected in Cuba?
Cuba's tourism sector has seen a significant decline, with international arrivals dropping and hotel occupancy rates falling to historic lows, leading to the closure of numerous state-run hotels and reduced income for local businesses.