Inside Cuba’s Fuel Lines: Taxi Drivers Struggle Under U.S. Oil Blockade

"F*ck Donald Trump and all the sons of b*tches who have done this to us," said Fernando Hernández, taxi driver.

"I got here at 9 a.m. I'm waiting in line for fuel. And it's 2:35 p.m. now," said a taxi driver waiting in line.

"This line goes on for four blocks. All of them are taxi drivers for tourism. But with most airlines cancelling flights, few tourists coming in and no fuel, I'm not sure how they're making a living," said Liz Oliva Fernández, journalist with Belly of the Beast.

"How long have you been a taxi driver?" she asked.

"I've been at it for almost eight years," one taxi driver replied.

"About ten or twelve years more or less," said another taxi driver.

"Since around '82," a third taxi driver said.

"We've had issues, but nothing like this. The U.S. blockade has been really severe. The more they tighten it, the more problems we have getting fuel and the fewer transportation services are available to the public. They've blocked us from being able to work," said Alexis Santos, taxi driver.

"There's very little tourism these days," said Raidel Herrera, taxi driver.

"Very few tourists are coming in, very few customers call you," said Carlos Chin, taxi driver.

"Tourism doesn't exist," said Alejandro Martínez, taxi driver.

"Things are tough. Sometimes you spend hours at the airport to get a client," said another taxi driver.

"There has never been a fuel crisis this bad," said Rolando Montero, taxi driver.

"Before, I wasn't putting in just a little gas. I was putting in 40 liters almost every day. I can't get that much anymore. Now, I can get 20 when there is some, and another 20 when it comes back in," said Lázaro Socarrás, taxi driver.

"Is that enough for one or two weeks of work?" Oliva Fernández asked.

"No, no, it's not that much," Socarrás said.

"At private businesses, when gasoline is available, it costs $6 per liter," another taxi driver said.

"You mean private companies?" the journalist asked.

"Yes, private companies," he replied.

"And how much does it cost here?" she asked.

"Here? 2 dollars per liter," he said.

"There've been problems with the electrical service at the gas station. This morning there was no power, then there was no connection, and now they started the generator," said a gas station worker.

"I come when they call me, I fill up the tank again, and that's it. There's nothing else we can do," another taxi driver said.

"We hang out together until time passes," he added.

"I no longer have any hope for this situation and everything that's happening," another taxi driver said.

"The less money you make, the less you have to help your family, to help yourself," he continued.

"Right now you have to cut down on cooking oil, food, everything, so it lasts. Otherwise, you can't get by," another taxi driver said.

"The dollar goes up, then everything becomes more expensive. So you try to put a plate of food on the table with what you can manage to make," he added.

"F*ck Donald Trump and all the sons of b*tches who have done this to us. We're struggling," Hernández said.

"We can't lose faith. If we do that, we'd have to hang ourselves," another taxi driver said.

"We all want the situation to get better because it's our country," Carlos Chin added.

"We'll keep waiting in line, and we'll keep fighting," Rolando Montero concluded.