El Ciudadano
Original article: Hasta la leche de los niños: Cuba denuncia bloqueo genocida de EE.UU. por apagones, falta de medicinas y combustible
Cuba Denounces Genocidal U.S. Blockade as Children Suffer from Power Outages, Medicine Shortages, and Fuel Crisis
The economic blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba for 67 years has caused 100,000 children on the island to miss out on the daily liter of milk subsidized by the state, while power outages exceed 20 hours a day, and the scarcity of fuel hampers the development of key sectors. The result has been a doubling of the child mortality rate directly linked to these coercive measures.
The human impact of the blockade imposed by Washington is immeasurable. 80% of Cubans living on the island have experienced the genocidal effects of this policy throughout their existence, which has dangerously intensified in recent years.
The two Executive Orders signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on January 29 and May 1, 2026, have brought the suffocation against Cuba to extreme limits, deepening the economic blockade and human suffering.
The Human Face of the Energy Blockade
The energy crisis is perhaps the most visible face of the blockade. A total of 1,400 MW of electricity generation across the country cannot be utilized because Cuba is unable to purchase the diesel and fuel oil required for these generators due to the total blockade on the island’s access to oil and its derivatives. The consequences are devastating: Cubans endure more than 20 hours of power outages daily, affecting lighting, food preparation, access to potable water, television and communication services, and other essential daily activities, as reported by the digital media Cuba Debate.
The healthcare sector is in critical condition. A recent study by the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) reveals that 1,800 children were denied the right to life due to the doubling of the infant mortality rate, which soared from an exceptional 4.0 per thousand live births recorded in 2017 to an alarming 9.9 per thousand in 2025. The survival rate of children with cancer has dropped to 65%, down from 85% before the intensification of the energy blockade.
Over 100,000 Cubans are on waiting lists for elective or reconstructive surgeries, including 5,152 cancer patients and about 12,000 children, while 2,888 patients receiving hemodialysis for chronic kidney failure are experiencing disruptions in their routine therapies, which are highly dependent on supplies, water, and specialized equipment.
The National Immunization Program, which particularly protects millions of Cuban children with 16 vaccines, is in serious jeopardy due to increasing difficulties in acquiring raw materials, equipment, and financial resources. 300 essential medicines are currently unavailable due to the inability to access raw materials and pharmaceutical supplies.
Economic Asphyxiation Intensifies
The Executive Order enacted by Trump on May 1 further expanded punitive measures against any company worldwide attempting to trade or invest in Cuba. Canadian firms like Sherrit International have halted their mining and energy operations; French shipping companies CMA CGM and German Hapag-Lloyd ceased accepting new orders destined for the Caribbean nation; and airlines such as Turkish Airlines, Iberia, Air Canada, Air France, and World2Fly canceled their flights to the island due to fuel shortages and a decline in visitors.
Parts and components intended for repairs of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the country’s largest thermal generation unit, are stranded in France, while 11,000 tons of basic food supplies from the World Food Programme are distributed at a significantly slower pace than required.
The foreign bank that processed transactions with Visa and Mastercard ended its relationship with the financial organization Fincimex, leaving Cubans without access to these payment methods. Mining and hotel companies have faced sanctions or have left the country, and the state-run Union Cuba Petróleo (CUPET) has been included among the entities subjected to unilateral measures with wide extraterritorial effects, as stated by Cuba Debate.
Criminalizing Solidarity
In an act of extreme severity, the Executive Order of May 1 went so far as to criminalize donations that individuals and entities might make to Cuba amidst the serious crisis caused by the intensified blockade. Solidarity organizations such as The People’s Forum, CodePink, ANSWER, and the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples have faced threats of sanctions or have suffered reprisals. The payment platform Stripe closed the account of Cuban Americans for Cuba Inc, an organization advocating for the end of the blockade in the U.S., citing “exposure to prohibited jurisdictions.”
Beyond numbers and coercive measures, the blockade represents collective punishment that is unjustifiable and contrary to international law against the Cuban people. Even children’s milk has fallen victim to this policy, which makes no distinction between governments and civilian populations, attacking the most fundamental rights of a people that has been resisting for nearly seven decades.
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