Cuban drivers face monthslong wait for gasoline in an app designed to reduce lines

Cuban drivers are facing unprecedented monthslong waits to refuel their vehicles through a digital app system designed to reduce fuel queues, as severe gasoline shortages intensify across the island nation due to tightened U.S. oil sanctions. The Cuban government introduced the digital app last year to streamline fuel distribution and combat the notorious long lines that had become a daily frustration for citizens, but the system has now backfired as fuel supplies dwindle to critical levels. According to local reports, some drivers are now waiting up to four months for their turn to access gasoline through the application, effectively rendering their vehicles unusable for extended periods. The fuel crisis has been exacerbated by the Trump administration's tightening of sanctions on Cuba's energy sector, which the Cuban government terms an 'oil siege,' significantly reducing the island's access to imported petroleum products. As transportation becomes increasingly difficult, the crisis is impacting all sectors of the Cuban economy, from food distribution to healthcare services, with ordinary citizens bearing the brunt of the shortages.