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Vicente de la O Levy
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Vicente de la O Levy

Cuba's Energy Minister; personally sanctioned under EO 14404; ministry oversees CUPET, now also designated.

Last refreshed: 12 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

What happens to Cuba's oil supply when both the Energy Minister and CUPET are sanctioned?

Timeline for Vicente de la O Levy

#711 Jun

Presided over grid system with deficit exceeding 2,000 MW on night of 11 June

Cuba Dispatch: US sanctions Cuba's national oil company
#63 Jun

Mentioned in: Havana gas cut leaves milk undelivered

Cuba Dispatch
#518 May

Sanctions reach Cuba's ministries and party

Cuba Dispatch
#416 May

Civil Defense orders three-day food backpacks

Cuba Dispatch
#413 May

Stated Venezuelan crude has been interrupted since November 2025

Cuba Dispatch: Minister: Venezuelan oil cut since November 2025
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Common Questions
Who is Cuba's Energy Minister in 2026?
Vicente de la O Levy is Cuba's Minister of Energy and Mines. He oversees UNE and CUPET and is the government's main spokesperson on the island's electricity crisis.Source: event
What did Cuba's energy minister say about the power grid in April 2026?
Vicente de la O Levy announced that the restart of the Cienfuegos refinery on Russian crude had cut Cuba's grid deficit from 1,732 MW to 1,395 MW, providing partial relief to the ongoing blackout crisis.Source: event
Why was Cuba's Energy Minister sanctioned by the US?
Vicente de la O Levy was personally designated under Executive Order 14404 on 18 May 2026 as part of the second wave of US sanctions targeting Cuban officials and institutions including the Interior Ministry and the Directorate of Intelligence.Source: Cuba Dispatch Update 5

Background

Vicente de la O Levy is Cuba's Minister of Energy and Mines, responsible for the island's electricity generation, petroleum sector, and renewable energy development. He oversees UNE (Unión Eléctrica Nacional), the state grid operator, and CUPET, the state petroleum company. In a system that normally limits ministerial visibility, De la O Levy has become one of the most recognisable faces of Cuba's economic emergency.

On 13 May 2026 De la O Levy confirmed that Venezuelan crude has been interrupted since November 2025 and disclosed Cuba's structural oil deficit: 40,000 Barrels Per Day domestic production against demand of 90,000 to 110,000 barrels. On 18 May he was personally designated under EO 14404 alongside ten other officials and three institutions including MININT and the DGI. His earlier April announcement that the Camilo Cienfuegos refinery restart had cut the grid deficit from 1,732 MW to 1,395 MW provided the primary public measure of progress, quickly reversed. On 11 June 2026 OFAC designated CUPET, the entity under his ministry controlling all Cuban oil import licences, ports, and customs, completing a sanctions chain from minister to state oil company.

More questions
When did Venezuela stop supplying oil to Cuba?
Energy Minister De la O Levy confirmed on 13 May 2026 that Venezuelan crude supply has been interrupted since November 2025, and that Cuba produces only 40,000 Barrels Per Day against demand of 90,000 to 110,000 barrels.Source: Cuba Dispatch Update 4
How bad is Cuba's electricity deficit in 2026?
In late May 2026 UNE forecast a deficit of approximately 1,960 MW against demand of about 3,200 MW, the worst figure in the current cycle, after a Sovcomflot tanker turned away without delivering 270,000 barrels of diesel.Source: Cuba Dispatch Update 5
Who is Vicente de la O Levy?
He is Cuba's Minister of Energy and Mines, overseeing the National Grid (UNE) and state petroleum company (CUPET). He has been the government's main public voice on the energy crisis, confirming fuel shortfalls and deficit figures.Source: Cuba Dispatch
Who is Cuba's Energy Minister and why has he been sanctioned?
Vicente de la O Levy is Cuba's Minister of Energy and Mines. He was designated by OFAC on 18 May 2026 under Executive Order 14404 as part of a wave targeting Cuban officials responsible for the energy sector and state repression apparatus.Source: cuba-dispatch U5
Why did Venezuela stop sending oil to Cuba?
Venezuela's crude supply to Cuba was interrupted from November 2025 according to Energy Minister De la O Levy's public admission on 13 May 2026, months before the March 2026 OFAC PDVSA authorisation included a carve-out blocking GAESA from Venezuelan crude. The causes include both US sanctions architecture and Venezuela's own production constraints.Source: cuba-dispatch U4
What is CUPET and why is it now sanctioned?
CUPET (Unión Cuba-Petróleo) is Cuba's state oil company managing domestic production of around 40,000 Barrels Per Day and handling all import licensing. OFAC designated CUPET on 11 June 2026 under EO 14404, sanctioning the entity that controls every Cuban oil import port, customs gate, and licence, closing the private-buyer loophole earlier Venezuela licences had created.Source: cuba-dispatch U7
Source Material
Treasury EO 14404 Cuba DesignationsCuba energy minister and the 2026 electricity crisis