A truck brimming with cooking oil was looted by dozens of individuals on Friday near the Lisa Cemetery and the National Highway in Havana. This incident, captured on video and shared by journalist Gilberto Dorrego on Facebook, underscores the dire situation in Cuba.
According to an eyewitness, the truck was under police supervision when what Dorrego described as a "human avalanche" descended upon it to seize the oil. The police presence was either ineffective or indifferent to stopping the looting.
This event highlights the extreme desperation among Cubans due to the chronic shortage of essential goods, such as cooking oil, which has been missing from ration books throughout 2026. Alberto López Díaz, the Minister of the Food Industry, admitted back in June that the ration system had failed to provide oil, chicken, or yogurt so far that year.
The situation deteriorated further after the Ministry of Finance and Prices issued Resolution 150/2026, removing price caps on imported cooking oils and repealing the previous ceiling of 990 pesos per liter.
Consequently, oil prices skyrocketed uncontrollably in Cuba. From about 1,500 pesos per liter in April, prices surged between 4,000 and 7,000 pesos in various provinces by August, making it unaffordable for those earning in Cuban pesos.
As a result, many Cuban families have turned to alternatives like pork fat or coconut oil, which are also becoming scarce. Some mothers resort to cooking eggs in water due to the lack of oil, a poignant image of the food crisis.
The looting in La Lisa is not an isolated incident. In August 2025, a traffic accident in Bayamo led to a similar mass appropriation of goods, with subsequent arrests. October saw an attempted robbery of a moving truck in Camagüey, and in February 2025, Cuban police were caught on camera extorting a truck driver in Cerro, Havana, demanding a share of his agricultural goods.
The inability—or unwillingness—of the police to control the crowd this Friday in La Lisa points to a deeper issue than just product scarcity: the erosion of state authority as the regime fails to meet basic needs.
As of April 2026, five Cuban provinces were reported to be in critical states of food insecurity, according to a cited report, and the situation has only worsened since.
Understanding the Cuban Cooking Oil Shortage
What led to the looting of the truck in Havana?
The looting was driven by severe shortages of cooking oil, a basic necessity that has been largely unavailable, coupled with skyrocketing prices, making it unaffordable for many Cubans.
How have Cuban families coped with the cooking oil shortage?
Families have turned to substitutes like pork fat or coconut oil, but these too are becoming scarce. Some families are even cooking without oil, such as boiling eggs in water.
What does the looting incident indicate about the state of authority in Cuba?
The incident suggests a significant erosion of state authority, as the regime struggles to provide for basic needs and maintain control over public order.