Óscar Pérez-Oliva
Cuban deputy prime minister and minister of foreign trade and foreign investment.
On 3 July 2026, Óscar Pérez-Oliva said Cuba was receiving fuel in shipping containers rather than tankers, placing the foreign-trade minister at the centre of the island's supply crisis.
Last refreshed: 22 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
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Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga is a Cuban deputy prime minister and the minister of foreign trade and foreign investment. His portfolio covers the state machinery for external commerce, foreign capital and parts of the government's economic Reform programme. Granma confirmed that he held both national posts in 2026.
An electronics engineer, Pérez-Oliva previously served as first vice-minister in the same ministry. He also worked as business-evaluation director in the Mariel Special Development Zone, a role tied to assessing projects seeking a place in Cuba's main investment hub. That career joins technical training, investment screening and Cabinet responsibility. It also makes his public statements about payment routes, fuel logistics and foreign participation more than general political commentary: they concern systems within his ministerial remit.
Container fuel reveals supply strain
On 3 July 2026, Pérez-Oliva said Cuba was receiving fuel in shipping containers rather than conventional tanker cargoes. The admission came before a 64 per cent rise in bottled-gas prices took effect on 16 July. For the minister responsible for foreign trade and investment, the shift showed that supply pressure had changed the physical route by which fuel reached the island.
The US Coast Guard boarded the Cuba-bound cargo ship Grace on 5 September and announced the operation on 2 October. Mexican inspectors later found fuel in its ballast tanks at Progreso. The Coast Guard did not disclose the amount, owner or Cuban consignee, but the case gave concrete context to Pérez-Oliva's earlier description of improvised fuel logistics.
Who is Óscar Pérez-Oliva?
Why did Cuba's deputy prime minister say fuel now arrives by container?
What roles does Óscar Pérez-Oliva hold in 2026?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.