Dignity Beyond Cuban Crude Oil.
In a complex socioeconomic scenario, where the island aspires to diversify its energy mix and make its consumption sustainable, our gaze turns to those who, drop by drop, are cementing that desire.
On July 1st, 1960, in Havana Bay, a shipment of Soviet oil was waiting to be processed. The Esso Standard Oil refinery—a subsidiary of a US multinational—refused to refine it, aligning itself with foreign interests seeking to strangle Cuba’s nascent economic policy. What happened next not only marked a shift in the country’s energy sovereignty but also gave rise to one of the most significant anniversaries in the Cuban calendar.
Faced with the company’s refusal, the crude oil was transported by flatbed truck to the processing plant. There, in a gesture of notable dignity, the workers lowered the American flag that flew over the facility and raised the national ensign. With this symbolic action, the refinery was taken over and became part of Cuba’s heritage. Indeed, Oil Workers’ Day is celebrated every July 1st as a tribute to the courage, conscience, and commitment of that working class.
Since then, the island’s oil industry has navigated rugged paths, shaped by geographical restrictions, economic constraints, and technological challenges. However, it has persisted as a vital axis of development in the fields of extraction, refineries, transportation, and distribution, where oil workers become the backbone of Cuba’s infrastructure thanks to their proven technical expertise and steadfast patriotic vocation.
