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Cuba has been hit by worsening power outages as the country’s communist government confirmed that its oil reserves have run out, triggering fresh blackouts and rare protests near the capital, Havana.

Eastern parts of the island were plunged into another round of electricity shutdowns on Thursday, May 14, while dozens of residents reportedly staged protests on Wednesday, May 13, in San Miguel del Padron on the outskirts of Havana over the prolonged outages.

The crisis comes as Cuba struggles with severe fuel shortages and increasing pressure on its ageing power infrastructure. Speaking on state television, Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said oil reserves previously supplied by Russia had now been exhausted.

“Oil reserves sent by Russia have now run out,” the minister said. “The impact of the blockade is indeed causing us significant harm… because we are still not receiving fuel,” he added, blaming the situation partly on long-standing US sanctions.

Images from Havana showed residents cooking with firewood during the blackout as frustration continues to grow across the country. The latest outage adds to months of energy instability in Cuba, where repeated blackouts have disrupted daily life, businesses and public services.

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Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of mismanaging the country.

Speaking during an interview with News Central TV, Obi accused President Tinubu of over borrowing, failing to deal with insecurity and promoting wrong food policies.

According to the former Governor of Anambra State, the country has become poorer and more insecure since Tinubu took over in 2023.

He also pointed out that things have gone so bad that Ukraine, which is a country currently ravaged by war, is still able to donate grains to Nigeria.

According to him, the insecurity in Nigeria has prevented farmers from producing and the government appears incapable of addressing the situation.

“It’s only two years that someone used to borrow more than all the previous governments put together. It’s only two years that Nigeria has been the hungriest country in the world.

“A president of Nigeria can stay in Abuja, and 200 people die in Jos or in Niger or Benue, and you’re still sitting here.

“When you go to theatres of war, you know how to contribute. So they’ve failed in everything. I said Ukraine, which is at war, is donating grain to Nigeria.

“Look at what happened to us with our farmers. Instead of intervening when there was a crisis, we went to import food and killed all the farmers,” Obi stated.

One Term Presidency

During the interview, Obi reiterated his vow that if elected as President in 2027, he would not stay a day more than four years as President of the country.

He added that even with a gun to his head, his decision won’t change.

“I want to be a one-term president because of stability. I would not stay a day, with a gun to my head, longer than four years,” Obi said.

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The Yusufu Bala Usman Institute in Zaria has announced the death of its Chairman, Dr. Samuel Olusegun Osoba, at age 92.

The institute said Osoba died peacefully at his residence in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, in the early hours of May 14, 2026.

The announcement was made in a statement signed by Director Norma Perchonock.

Osoba was described as a scholar whose work focused on economic history, capitalism, and neo-colonialism in Nigeria.

The institute said he dedicated his career to teaching, research, and public writing aimed at understanding and challenging the structures that hindered the country’s development.

His writings ranged from academic books and papers to newspaper articles and columns.

One of his notable works was “The Minority Report and Draft Constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1976” co-authored with Yusufu Bala Usman.