The Cuban government has rejected a request from the US Embassy in Havana to import diesel for its generators due to a fuel shortage. The embassy had warned the State Department that the denial could force nonessential staff to leave the island in May or possibly earlier. The Cuban Foreign Ministry reportedly interpreted this request as a privilege the US Foreign Ministry denies to the Cuban people. This comes as the island's electrical grid collapses, leaving nearly 11 million people in the dark for over a day before power was partially restored. The U.S. government's economic pressure campaign has been centered around a push for political reform inside Cuba and a potential test for the upcoming months as two tankers carrying Russian oil are reportedly heading for Cuba.