Spanish
Havana - The Havana International Book Fair, one of Cuba's most important cultural events, did not start this Thursday as initially planned, affected by the US oil siege.
As indicated by the Cuban Book Institute in a statement that the fair "is postponed as a consequence of the extraordinary situation that the country is experiencing". The organization did not announce a new date for its realization.
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The decision, like the suspension of other cultural and scientific events, was included within the harsh contingency plan implemented by the Cuban government to try to survive without imported oil, when the island only produces a third of its energy needs. Among other measures, the Executive has severely rationed the sale of fuel, minimized hospital services and transportation, and established remote schedules and formats in public offices and universities. The event, which was to be held until February 22, had Russia as the guest country in this edition. The last time the country's main literary event was not held was in 2021, during the covid-19 pandemic. The U.S. closed the flow of Venezuelan oil to Cuba on January 3, following the capture of that country's president, Nicolás Maduro, and on January 29 announced a presidential order to apply tariffs to anyone who supplied fuel to the island. Cuban expert Jorge Piñón, a specialist at the Energy Institute of the University of Texas (USA), estimated for EFE that, if it does not receive new oil shipments, Cuba would be in a "serious crisis" by March.
