English transcript

On Cuba's Playa Laga beachfront, Manuela Arenzabilla Baez's rental house is empty.

Tourism on the island has dried up, along with fuel and electricity, amid a U.S. energy

blockade.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists used to visit the Zapata Swamp, one of Cuba's top

ecotourism hotspots, every year.

But now Arenzabilla says she's lost track of her canceled bookings, even though they

had invested heavily in solar panels that help keep them running during power outages.

The critical issue, the one that hits us hardest, is fuel, the fact that there's no fuel.

That means not being able to transport clients to the area's pristine national park or to

dive in its famously clear waters.

Arenzabilla says it also means tourists already in the country can't find a taxi with enough

gas to make the two-hour trip southeast from Havana.

Official figures show Cuba's international arrivals plunged 56 percent in February from

the year before.

The island has been plagued by shortages for decades, hampered by its state-run economy

and a Cold War-era U.S. trade embargo.

But this time is different, those who live and work in the Zapata region say.

Hat seller Jorge Alberto Brito Echevarria says everyone in the area depends on tourism.

With no tourism, the town has ground to a complete halt.

Electricity is now out for 22 hours a day.

Water is running short in many areas, and medical services are even trickier to come

by.

There are a few visitors still rolling the dice on travel to the region, like repeat

American tourist Blair Andrews, who has come back, despite Cuba's struggles, for another

dive at the beautiful Bay of Pigs.

I certainly hope that politicians can get together and work out some sort of compromise

that works for everyone, because I think it is incredibly important for the tourists to

return to Cuba, not only to support the people here, but I think this is a beautiful place

that people should be able to experience.