Key facts
- UN human rights experts condemned U.S. measures against Cuba.
- Experts warned that food must never be used as an instrument of political pressure.
- Measures that deprive a population of the means to survive violate rights to life and human dignity.
- Four Democratic U.S. House representatives visited Cuba and condemned the energy blockade.
- The representatives described severe humanitarian conditions including prolonged blackouts and impacts on transportation, tourism, and workplaces.
United Nations human rights experts have condemned recent measures by the United States against Cuba, warning that food is being used as a tool of political pressure. The experts urged the international community to act swiftly to prevent a "silent Gaza" scenario from unfolding on the island, stating that measures knowingly depriving a population of survival means violate basic rights to life and human dignity.
Four Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives who recently visited Cuba also condemned the U.S. energy blockade, describing it as having turned the island into a "silent Gaza." Representatives Mark Pocan, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Maxine Dexter, and Delia Ramirez reported that the blockade has resulted in a humanitarian emergency, with blackouts lasting over 20 hours daily, crippled public transportation, canceled flights, a collapsed tourism sector, and workplaces unable to operate.
Pocan noted that while there may not be bombings, the conditions prevent people from going about their daily lives, affecting their ability to work, preserve food, and access medical supplies. He found the comparison to Gaza, made by Cubans living under the blockade, to be apt. The representatives also criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio and pledged to advocate for amendments in Congress to mitigate the blockade's health impact and prevent further unilateral escalation without congressional approval.