Chronic fuel shortages in Cuba have forced the province of Pinar del Rio to shut down all public transportation. Residents are up in arms after the local government announced on Saturday that bus and train service has been suspended, leaving them unable to use public transportation either locally or to other parts of the island.
Via Diario de Cuba (my translation):
Amid the severe transportation crisis in Cuba, a central element of the breakdown of society, the government of Pinar del Río suspended public transportation in the provincial capital starting this Saturday, September 14. On its Facebook page, the entity justified the action and other measures by citing “the insufficient availability of fuel in the country.”
These other measures consist of “halting intermunicipal routes from the capital city to the rest of the territories, which will be reinstated when fuel availability allows,” as well as “suspending the departures of the train that covers the Pinar del Río-Havana route.”
Similarly, the train service between the provincial capital and Guane made its last departure on September 12, in the Pinar-Guane direction, for the transportation of students, who will begin the new school year in higher education this Monday, September 16. Precisely on this Monday, the train will run the reverse route, Guane-Pinar, and the Provincial Transportation Directorate of the territory was not clear about the frequency that this route will maintain from now on.
As expected, this announcement sparked indignation among the people of Pinar del Río, and several of them expressed it both on the provincial government’s Facebook page and on the local official newspaper Guerrillero. “And what are all the people who work in hospitals, clinics, schools, and important centers going to do?” one commenter asked. “This country is bankrupt, and they don’t plan to say it. It can’t go on anymore,” said another.
The destructive effects of 65 years of socialism in Cuba have been manifesting themselves every day since 1959. The only difference now is that it is getting exponentially worse.
But Carlos, you have to give the reason for this–the evil US “blockade,” obviously, or at least Trump.