Hundreds of Cuban women gathered Tuesday in Havana to protest U.S. energy sanctions, as the Caribbean island faces mounting economic pressures and fuel shortages that have paralyzed essential services across the nation.
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.
Government-Led Demonstration
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 Economic Impact
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. 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.
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."
U.S. Policy and Diplomatic Tensions
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 protests highlight the economic consequences of decades under communist governance, where Cuba's inability to produce sufficient fuel domestically has left it dependent on hostile regimes like Venezuela and Russia for survival. The five-year economic crisis predates current U.S. sanctions, reflecting structural failures within Cuba's centrally planned economy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's demands for political prisoner releases and liberal economic reforms address fundamental governance issues that have prevented Cuba from developing energy independence and market-based solutions. The regime's reliance on government-organized protests through party-affiliated organizations, rather than addressing the underlying economic mismanagement, underscores how authoritarian systems deflect responsibility for policy failures onto external actors while resisting the democratic and market reforms that could provide long-term stability.