Cuba's Blackouts: A Recurring American Foreign Policy
THE CLAIM: Economic Pressure for Political Ends The Financial Times article links Cuba's recent blackouts to impending US sanctions targeting oil shipments, implying that these are distinct actions by a specific US administration. The narrative suggests a punitive response to Cuba's continued socialist governance and its perceived support for adversaries like Venezuela (Financial Times, 2026). THE
EVIDENCE: A History of Systemic Strangulation Let's follow the trail: Since 1960, the United States has maintained a comprehensive economic embargo against Cuba. The stated intent has consistently been to induce a change in the Cuban government's political system. The Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) were first issued in 1963, codified in 1992 by the Cuban Democracy Act, and further
strengthened by the 1996 Helms-Burton Act (US Treasury Department, 1963/1992/1996). These measures are not new; they represent a continuous, bipartisan approach to isolating the island nation economically. For instance, the embargo has cost Cuba an estimated $144.4 billion by 2021, severely hindering its ability to import essential goods, including fuel and spare parts for its aged power
infrastructure (Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2021). THE CONTRADICTIONS: Humanitarian Rhetoric vs. Blockade Realities US rhetoric often frames these policies as promoting democracy and human rights. However, the direct impact of an oil blockade, whether threatened or executed, is not felt by the political elite but by ordinary citizens through power cuts, food shortages, and inadequate