World News for Students of English

19-05-2026 07:00

Cuba completely ran out of diesel and oil. The government says the country’s energy system is in a critical state. This problem is happening because of a US blockade which stops other countries from selling oil to Cuba.

Former friends like Mexico and Venezuela don’t send fuel anymore, and help from Russia is already gone. Because of this, most of the island is dark at night. Life is very difficult for Cuban people. Power cuts last up to 22 hours a day, so people wake up in the middle of the night to cook or wash clothes when the electricity comes on for a short time. They cannot keep food in fridges because there is no electricity. It is very hard to buy basic things like bread.

Hundreds of people started protests in the capital city, Havana. They blocked streets and burned rubbish to show how angry they were at the government.

Difficult words: critical state (a very dangerous or bad situation), blockade (an action which stops things from getting into a country), power cut (when the electricity stops working).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.