Earlier this week, Florida‑based Vanguard Energy announced it had authorization from both the US and Cuban governments to ship 250,000 barrels of fuel to private buyers in Cuba – potentially the island’s largest delivery since Eisenhower‑era sanctions in 1960. But once the news became public, the US State Department said Vanguard did not have a valid license, freezing the deal. Cuba has faced severe fuel shortages since the US imposed a de facto blockade earlier this year, and the most recent shipment could have powered the island for about 11 days. Although the US recently eased some sanctions on the sale of small amount of fuel to private companies for humanitarian reasons, this deal now remains uncertain.
Hard Numbers
Cuba’s next fuel shipment in purgatory
Farida Dowidar
By Will FitzpatrickJune 12, 2026
Will Fitzpatrick
Will Fitzpatrick is a multimedia reporter and producer at GZERO, where he does a little bit of everything: writing for the GZERO Daily, creating social videos, producing GZERO World, and whatever else the news cycle throws his way.
Before GZERO, Will worked in documentary film on both the production and post-production sides, including on Everest: The Other Side and on The First Wave. He has also directed and produced two short documentaries of his own. Outside the film world, Will has worked as a freelance journalist, with reporting that has taken him from the dhow workshops of Oman to the mountains of Patagonia, with plenty of stops in between. He’s especially interested in the niche, hard-to-reach, and underreported stories that reveal something bigger about how the world works.
Will studied economics and world politics at Hamilton College and received his Master’s in journalism from New York University. When he's not reporting, you can likely find Will tending to his oyster farm, on a bike, or somewhere outdoors.
