A forest ranger from Banes, located in Cuba's Holguín province, has publicly raised alarms over the rapid destruction of local woodlands. The ongoing energy crisis is driving Cubans to indiscriminately cut down trees for firewood and charcoal, leading to significant deforestation every day.
Edilberto Betancourt Quevedo, a forest ranger responsible for the areas of Los Ángeles, Río Seco, and part of the Popular Council of Mulas, was unequivocal in his warning: "Every day, vast swathes of forest are lost" due to unchecked logging for firewood, uncontrolled charcoal production, and forest fires.
Reforestation Efforts Fall Short
Betancourt Quevedo further cautioned that "the situation is dire and worsening, as current reforestation plans fail to meet the urgent needs for forest replenishment." This dire situation was reported by Radio Banes and picked up by the newspaper Ahora, highlighting that bakeries, pizzerias, and other operations—both legal and illicit—often use wood as an alternative fuel source "frequently without regulation," exacerbating the depletion of forested areas in the municipality.
Structural Causes of Deforestation
The root of the problem lies in structural issues: with no electricity or liquefied gas, thousands of Cuban families are compelled to cut down trees to cook and survive. In Holguín, power outages lasted up to 18 hours daily in May 2025, and by July 2026, they were still described as "endless," with the electrical grid on the brink of collapse.
Nationally, Cuba's electrical system closed out 2025 meeting only 50% of demand, with an average deficit of 1,643 MW against a demand of 3,300 MW. By August 2026, the Electric Union reported a forecasted impact of 2,230 MW, with 106 distributed generation plants out of service due to fuel shortages.
Forests Under Siege
The strain on forests is occurring just as the state's capacity to replenish them has plummeted. According to the National Office of Statistics and Information, the production of seedlings for reforestation fell nearly 40% from 2020 to 2024, dropping from 24.7 million to 14.7 million plants, while the planted area decreased from 12,615 hectares to 8,191 hectares over the same period.
Adding to the devastation are forest fires. Between January and April 2026, Cuba reported 111 wildfires affecting more than 3,174 hectares, according to the Forest Rangers. Authorities attribute between 90% and 95% of these incidents to human activities: negligence, land burning, poaching, and charcoal production.
Illegal Logging and Environmental Emergency
In September 2025, arrests for illegal logging in Holguín's nature reserves were reported, with damages in areas like Mayarí, Cacocum, Báguanos, and the hydro-regulation strip of the Holguín River, indicating that the issue extends beyond Banes to encompass the entire province.
Cuba maintains approximately 31% forest cover, equivalent to 3.331 million hectares, according to the CITMA as of the end of 2023—a metric the regime has historically touted as an environmental success. However, the widening gap between daily forest loss and the state’s inability to replenish these areas threatens to silently undo decades of reforestation efforts. Forest rangers like Betancourt Quevedo describe this as an environmental emergency demanding "urgent action."
The Impact of Cuba's Energy Crisis on Deforestation
Why are Cubans cutting down trees at such a high rate?
Cubans are resorting to cutting down trees to obtain firewood and produce charcoal due to the severe energy crisis, which has resulted in extensive power outages and lack of alternative fuel sources.
How has the state of reforestation in Cuba changed in recent years?
Reforestation efforts in Cuba have significantly declined, with seedling production dropping nearly 40% and planted areas decreasing, highlighting the state's diminishing capacity to restore forests.
What has been the impact of forest fires in Cuba recently?
Forest fires have severely impacted Cuba, with over 3,174 hectares affected between January and April 2026, largely attributed to human causes such as negligence and illegal activities.