Hundreds of Cuban women gathered Tuesday in Havana to protest a U.S. energy embargo and other measures imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump that are straining the Caribbean island, as an energy shortage paralyzes the nation's health system, public transportation, and production of essential goods and services.
The rally was organized by the Federation of Cuban Women, a large organization with close ties to the government and the Communist Party, to honor the late Vilma Espín, the federation's founder, a guerrilla fighter and Raúl Castro's wife. The crowd gathered at a park commemorating a 19th-century independence patriot, waved Cuban flags, held signs reading "Down with the Blockade" and clutched pictures of Fidel Castro and Espín.
Leadership and International Law
Deputy Prime Minister Inés María Chapman and Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal led the demonstration along with Mariela Castro, daughter of Espín and former President Raúl Castro. Vidal said, "This policy of abuse has to stop," and added, "The Cuban people don't deserve this. It's the most comprehensive, all-encompassing, and longest-running system of coercive measures ever imposed against an entire country." She also said, "It subjects us to collective punishment, recognized as such under international law, and we couldn't fail to be here." Vidal was a key negotiator in a historic rapprochement between Cuba and the United States in 2014 under the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama.
Energy Crisis and Human Impact
In early January, the U.S. attacked Venezuela and arrested its then-leader, disrupting critical oil shipments to Cuba. Later that month, Trump threatened tariffs against any country that sells or supplies oil to the island. Trump later said he didn't mind when a Russian tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil arrived in Cuba last week, marking the island's first oil shipment in three months. Russia has since said it would send a second tanker.
Cuba produces only 40% of the fuel it consumes, and the shortage has paralyzed the Caribbean nation, affecting its health system, public transportation and the production of goods and services, and deepening an economic crisis that has plagued the island for the past five years. Leydys de la Cruz, a 57-year-old seamstress, said, "I am here fighting for the people of Cuba," and, "I would ask Trump to leave us in peace. The situation is very bad because of the blockade he's imposed on us." Georgina Reyes, a 36-year-old IT technician, said, "I would tell him that we don't hurt anyone. ... Please don't hurt us."
Political Pressure and Diplomatic Uncertainty
Trump has pressured for regime change in Cuba and threatened to take over the island while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio — the son of Cuban immigrants — has demanded the release of political prisoners and liberal economic reforms. The U.S. and Cuban governments have confirmed talks, but the extent of those talks is unclear.
Why This Matters:
The energy blockade represents a form of collective economic pressure that affects millions of ordinary Cubans who depend on functioning health systems, public transportation, and basic services. When a nation produces only 40% of its fuel needs and faces coordinated disruption of oil supplies, the burden falls heaviest on working people—seamstresses, IT technicians, and families—who have no control over geopolitical disputes. The invocation of international law regarding collective punishment highlights concerns about whether economic sanctions that target entire populations align with human rights frameworks. As energy shortages deepen an economic crisis now entering its fifth year, the human costs of diplomatic standoffs become increasingly difficult to separate from questions of institutional accountability and the proportionality of measures that affect healthcare, transportation, and daily survival.