The collapse of the Cuban economy has dealt a major blow to the airlines and hotels that have been operating in the archipelago for decades. The tightening of the U.S. embargo — which has prohibited the supply of crude oil from Venezuela or Mexico — has triggered an unprecedented economic crisis, forcing companies to improvise contingency plans to cope with fuel shortages and the absence of tourists. The impact of this shock has been far broader, extending to the rest of the Spanish business sector with interests in Cuba. Spanish companies say the Cuban government owes them at least around €300 million (about $324 million) in unpaid debts and other funds that cannot be taken out of the island, although the real figure is likely higher because the estimate comes from a document in which most companies operating in Cuba did not provide their numbers.

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