Holguín: Rampant Black Market Fuel Sales Met with Minimal Penalties

The illegal fuel trade is flourishing in Holguín, despite blatant disregard for the established safety protocols for its transportation, storage, and sale.

According to a report released on Sunday by the official newspaper ¡Ahora!, there are only a handful of certified locations for storing the volumes of fuel entering the area through these new economic actors. Current regulations mandate specific conditions for these facilities, yet compliance is lacking.

An unnamed source, with extensive knowledge of the situation, stated that an individual is limited to transporting no more than 20 liters of gasoline in containers, and up to 200 liters of diesel. Furthermore, service stations are prohibited from filling containers beyond these limits.

The danger increases significantly during the fuel transfer process. The source warned that even without an open flame or someone smoking, a spark could ignite during the transfer from a hose or nozzle into another container. Therefore, there are stringent guidelines for handling and transporting these materials.

Regulatory Gaps and Safety Concerns

The main issue arises at the final destination of the fuel. A supposed personal buyer might acquire 1,000 liters and then start reselling it, while storing it in a location that is neither inspectable nor certifiable for such activities.

Rafael, the chief fire inspector of Holguín, provided documents outlining the general and specific requirements for transporting combustible substances. These include conditions that service centers and storage facilities must meet, applicable to both state and private sectors.

Facilities used for fuel storage must have adequate ventilation, fire extinguishers, proper signage, and clear demarcation. Additionally, those handling these materials must be properly trained.

Despite these regulations, only four fines, each worth 60 pesos, have been issued to audit-able establishments. The investigation deemed these fines as negligible and highlighted the limited control over an activity riddled with irregularities, according to sources interviewed.

Challenges in Enforcement and Compliance

The regulations also specify measures for private individuals storing fuel, such as keeping containers in cool, well-ventilated, and secure places, away from sunlight and children, and avoiding smoking nearby.

The investigation also encountered difficulties in obtaining updated official information about measures taken to address the situation. Some sources mentioned needing authorization to provide data, while others remained unresponsive despite repeated attempts.

The report further points to the responsibility of property owners who lease premises for such activities. Those allowing the irregular storage of fuel or hazardous products on their property can be held accountable for violations, while tenants must comply with safety regulations and obtain necessary certifications before commencing operations.

The outcome is a scenario where fuel commercialization is expanding, yet the required conditions for safe storage and handling are not keeping pace, and enforcement is limited to issuing four fines amounting to a mere 60 pesos each.

In June, during its third Ordinary Session of the X Legislature, the National Assembly of People's Power authorized non-state management forms to sell fuel, as part of the country's new economic measures.

This authorization mandates strict adherence to standards: premises must receive approval from the National Institute of Territorial and Urban Planning (INOTU) and certification from the Fire Department before commencing any storage or sales activities.

In mid-August, firefighters in Guantánamo raised alarms about similar violations in private businesses across Cuba, including the use of plastic tanks for large volumes, lack of grounding, and absence of containment walls.

Recently, Matanzas authorities began fuel inspections on highways to detect mixtures with dielectric oil stolen from transformers, in a province accounting for 60% of the theft of this product in the country.

Reuters reported that by the end of July, nearly 200 Cuban companies had been authorized to distribute fuel wholesale, a rapid sector expansion that the regime's inspection and control structures have been unable or unwilling to monitor at the same pace.