In every town, city and village in Cuba, the blackouts have become unavoidable. Hospitals rely on backup power just to keep life-saving machines running. Families scramble to keep food fresh, save up for propane stoves, and stretch limited budgets for essentials that can survive without refrigeration. Cuba’s power infrastructure is in a state of dire deterioration. Nearly 95% of the island’s thermal power plants are more than 40 years old, many nearing the half-century mark. The ­Ministry of Energy and Mines reports that these plants, which still carry the Soviet blueprint of a bygone era, are well beyond their intended lifespan, struggling to meet the needs of an entire nation.

For most Cubans, these blackouts aren’t just a power issue; they reshape the very rhythm of daily life. Entire communities have learned to bend to the demands of an aging and crumbling energy grid, one that they themselves cannot fix, modernize or even maintain without external support — support that the U.S. blockade prevents them from accessing.

Cuba’s Energy Crisis & U.S. Sanctions

The sanctions imposed during the Trump Administration, largely maintained by the Biden Administration, have severely restricted Cuba’s ability to import the technology and resources needed to modernize or replace its aging infrastructure. The U.S. blockade doesn’t only limit trade with the United States; it also has a global chilling effect, as the threat of U.S. sanctions deters countries and companies around the world from trading with Cuba. This impact is most visible during the annual U.N. General Assembly vote on a resolution to condemn and end the embargo. For 33 consecutive years, the world has overwhelmingly called for the blockade to end, with 187 countries voting in favor of the resolution and only the United States and Israel isolated in opposition.

This chilling effect extends to critical sectors like energy. Even countries sympathetic to Cuba hesitate to sell the fuel and infrastructure needed to maintain and upgrade its energy grid. Cuba’s outdated thermal plants, reliant on dwindling resources, struggle to keep the grid running in a country with abundant potential for renewable energy. Transformative solar, wind and hydro projects remain out of reach due to blocked financing and restricted access to suppliers. As a result, Cubans face unreliable power and rising pollution from an overburdened system barely holding itself together.

Divided Democrats

This year’s presidential election saw Florida shift 10 points further to the right. Miami-Dade County followed suit despite Biden’s extensive “anti-regime” overtures to the exile community. The results raise a critical question: Will this free Democrats from the perceived electoral necessity of pandering to South Florida Cubans, or was “electoral necessity” merely a convenient excuse for Washington ­policymakers who already want Cuba to fail?

The hope lies with the younger, more progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which could help reshape the narrative around Cuba. Outgoing Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar visited Cuba last year, signaling a willingness to challenge the status quo. Additionally, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined other legislators in signing a recent congressional letter urging Biden to provide humanitarian aid to Cuba and remove its designation as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism.”

The SSOT designation has devastating consequences for Cuba. It severely restricts access to international financial systems, discourages foreign investment and complicates humanitarian efforts. The label makes it nearly impossible for Cuba to secure loans or trade agreements with global partners, further exacerbating the island’s economic crisis. Removing this designation would be a critical step toward alleviating Cuba’s humanitarian challenges and building a foundation for improved relations. The progressive push within the Democratic Party offers a glimmer of hope for meaningful change.

Members of the Cuba solidarity movement are scrambling to pressure the Biden administration to remove this spurious designation for Cuba before the incoming Trump administration further entrenches it to devastating effect. Recently, a coalition of over 50 elected officials, labor unions like the United Auto Workers, and solidarity organizations from across the country sent its own letter demanding action from Biden before it’s too late.

A Call for Solidarity

As the escalating events in the Middle East grab international attention, it’s natural to focus on the most immediate crises. But Cuba, a neighbor to the United States, is enduring a crisis of its own, with people who live in conditions no less deserving of our attention. Ending the blockade is the first step toward empowering Cuban society to recover. The blockade is outdated, punitive and ultimately counterproductive — it isolates Cuba from solutions that would bring relief to millions of people.

In moments like these, solidarity isn’t just a word. It’s a recognition that the right to a stable, dignified life transcends political borders. Lifting the blockade is about giving the Cuban people the chance to build a future, to harness their own strengths without an external hand holding them back. It’s time to see the crisis in Cuba for what it is: an urgent need for change that will allow the Cuban people to live without the constant shadow of blackouts and to rebuild their society with dignity and resilience.

Danny Valdes is the co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America’s Cuba Solidarity Working Group. He is a first-generation Cuban American who grew up in South Florida and lives in New York City. To get involved in DSA’s #SendAndEnd campaign, demanding Biden to send humanitarian aid and end Cuba’s designation on the State Sponsors of Terror List: dsaic.org/forcuba.

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