Tourists walk past a mural of late revolutionary hero Che Guevara, Varadero, Cuba, February 14, 2026. REUTERS/Norlys Perez/File Photo
Cuba's Varadero peninsula is a postcard of a tropical paradise: turquoise waters, powder-white sand and palm trees.
But the resort's beaches, once crowded with tourists enjoying the sand and sunshine, began to clear out shortly after Cuba announced on February 8 it was running out of jet fuel.
And they may not be coming back anytime soon.
A Reuters survey of hotel and travel companies, airlines and on-island tourism industry workers found virtually every sector suddenly crippled by the fuel shortage.
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