Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., returned from a five-day congressional delegation to Cuba with sharp criticism of U.S. economic restrictions, calling the embargo an "illegal U.S. blockade of fuel" that amounts to "effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country."
The lawmakers described witnessing humanitarian conditions they linked to U.S. policy, including premature babies in incubators at risk due to electricity shortages, children unable to attend school for lack of fuel, and cancer patients unable to receive treatments. They said water shortages persist because little electricity is available to pump water, and that food production on the island has dropped to approximately 10% of people's needs.
What the Left Is Saying
Jayapal and Jackson argued that the U.S. blockade represents "cruel collective punishment" that must end immediately, noting the U.S. prevented a single drop of oil from entering Cuba for over three months during their visit period.
"The illegal U.S. blockade of fuel to Cuba—90 miles south of the United States—adds to the longest embargo in world history and is causing untold suffering to the Cuban people," the lawmakers said in a joint statement. "We do not believe that the majority of Americans would want this kind of cruelty and inhumanity to continue in our name."
The pair emphasized they spoke with stakeholders across the political spectrum, including dissidents, and said there was universal agreement that the blockade must end. They noted the Cuban government has released over 2,000 prisoners during their visit and begun economic reforms allowing private entrepreneurship.
Jayapal and Jackson argued that "true reform will only come from charting a new course" and called for immediate U.S.-Cuba negotiations. They had previously introduced legislation with Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., to block federal funds for military action against Cuba without congressional approval.
What the Right Is Saying
The Trump administration has taken a sharply different approach, with President Donald Trump escalating pressure on Cuba in recent weeks and calling the island a "failed nation."
During a recent address, Trump suggested "Cuba is next" following U.S. military actions in Venezuela and Iran, signaling continued hardline pressure on the island.
The U.S. embargo on Cuba dates to the Cold War era and has been defended by successive Republican administrations as a tool to promote human rights and democratic change. Supporters of the embargo argue that easing restrictions without reciprocal Cuban government actions would only strengthen an authoritarian regime.
The administration has pointed to Cuba's political repression and human rights record as justification for continued economic pressure, contrasting it with the democratic reforms the U.S. says are needed before sanctions can be lifted.
What the Numbers Show
The U.S. embargo on Cuba is the longest in world history, beginning in 1960. The island sits just 90 miles south of Florida.
During the lawmakers' visit, they said Cuba was prevented from receiving oil shipments for over three months. They cited Cuban government data indicating food production has dropped to approximately 10% of national needs.
The Cuban government released over 2,000 prisoners during the delegation's visit. The lawmakers said small- and medium-sized private businesses now comprise large portions of the Cuban economy following recent economic liberalization reforms.
The delegation met with representatives from Latin American and African embassies, humanitarian aid organizations, and various sectors of Cuban society including dissidents across the political spectrum.
The Bottom Line
The visit by two progressive Democrats highlights deepening divisions in U.S. politics over Cuba policy, with Jayapal and Jackson pushing for immediate sanctions relief while the Trump administration has escalated pressure.
The humanitarian conditions described by the lawmakers—particularly impacts on children, cancer patients, and premature babies—have become a focal point for critics of the embargo. Meanwhile, supporters of continued sanctions argue that economic pressure remains a necessary tool for promoting human rights.
What remains unclear is whether the Cuban government's recent prisoner releases, economic reforms, and invitation for FBI cooperation represent substantive change or tactical maneuvering. The administration has not indicated any willingness to ease sanctions, and the gap between progressive Democrats pushing for immediate normalization and Republicans defending the embargo appears unlikely to narrow in the near term.