By: Cuba Ambassador to Namibia Sergio Vigoa de la Uz
For Cuba, the energy blockade imposed by the United States can no longer be measured solely in millions of dollars. It is measured in hours without electricity, postponed medical treatments, schools left in the dark, collective punishment, and lives thwarted.
To an outside observer, terms like "sanctions," "financial restrictions," "trade," "energy," or "foreign policy" might seem like part of a purely diplomatic discussion.
For a Cuban mother whose son is undergoing radiotherapy, the issue is far more concrete.
Diego was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 15. His mother, Liset Rodríguez Alonso, has spent years organizing her life around surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments—traveling between Villa Clara, a province in central Cuba where she lives with her son, and Havana.
Today, her concern boils down to a simple, stark question: what happens if the hospital cannot guarantee the electricity needed to keep the equipment running?
At another Cuban hospital, a doctor describes what happens when a power outage occurs during a surgical procedure: the unit is plunged into total darkness, and the medical staff must continue their work by the light of mobile phones.
In the neonatal ward, the situation can be even more critical. A newborn cannot wait for the power to return; incubators, ventilators, and monitors all require electricity—and the generator meant to serve as a backup to the power grid requires fuel.
In terms of its effects, the human dimension of this oil or energy blockade is equivalent to a naval blockade—an act of war and genocide. This is how it is defined in a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 14, 1974, which states: “The blockade of the ports or coasts of a State by the armed forces of another State is an act of aggression.”
Collective punishment
In a document submitted by Cuba as a contribution to a report requested by the United Nations Secretary-General—pursuant to the resolution titled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”—it is estimated that, as of the end of May, approximately 1,400 megawatts of available power capacity —the third part of electricity demand— could not be utilized to generate electricity due to a lack of fuel.
Throughout 2026, the energy crisis has reached a scale that affects every aspect of life in Cuba. This has resulted in prolonged power outages; in some communities, blackouts have lasted for more than 30 consecutive hours.
However, a blackout means more than just the absence of electric light. When electricity is unavailable, transportation is disrupted, the cold chain is broken, dialysis machines stop, operating rooms are paralyzed, school days are lost, irrigation pumps cease to function, and the distribution of drinking water to communities is halted.
There is a particularly painful paradox: the United Nations system in Cuba provided approximately 20,000 tons of food intended for vulnerable communities, yet its distribution was slowed by the lack of fuel. There is simply no energy capacity to deliver these supplies in a timely manner to those who need them.
In Cuba, special education programs face significant challenges in obtaining prosthetics, batteries, audiometers, and Braille machines. According to the report submitted by Cuba, only two of the 16 audiometers available across the provinces are still functional—a situation that affects hundreds of students with hearing impairments.
Regarding visual impairment, there is a need for 63 Perkins Braille machines, while 21 of the existing units are beyond repair.
These are basic necessities, not luxuries. When a policy of sanctions hinders access to technology, medicine, equipment, or financing, the consequences affect everyone, without distinction. This reality constitutes a form of collective punishment against the island’s population.
Multi-million dollar losses
Cuban government estimates that the losses caused by the blockade between March 2025 and February 2026 reached 8,083.3 million US dollars —a 7% increase over the previous period.
The tourism sector recorded losses exceeding USD 2,093 million.
Food production: more than USD 848 million.
The power and energy sector: approximately USD 802 million.
Culture: more than USD 435 million.
Healthcare: USD 367 million.
Transportation: USD 202 million.
Biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry: USD 134 million.
Telecommunications: USD 135 million.
Education: nearly USD 98 million.
Behind every budget line item are human beings who suffer and dreams that are shattered.
The cumulative damage over decades is estimated at USD 178,700.5 million in current prices.
A blockade that crosses borders
One of the most egregious aspects of United States policy toward Cuba is its extraterritorial dimension.
Secondary sanctions are intended to deter banks, shipping companies, energy firms, airlines, and other international actors from maintaining relations with Cuba.
The result is that a decision made in Washington can affect a company located in Europe, Latin America, Asia, or Africa.
A report presented to the United Nations indicates that 34 international banking institutions suspended or rejected transactions involving Cuba between March 2025 and February 2026, due to the fear of U.S. sanctions.
More than 2,900 tons of foods intended for Cuba were affected by disruptions to maritime services, according to data presented by United Nations agencies. Seven other critical shipments, valued at USD 630,000, included supplies for newborns, emergency medical kits, nutritional products for pregnant and nursing women, water treatment equipment, and hygiene items. More than 7,000 containers—most of them holding essential goods—are stranded in ports across the Caribbean and Central America because they cannot reach Cuba.
It is not just a matter of being able to make a purchase. It is a matter of finding someone willing to sell, transport, finance, and insure the merchandise. That is the true scope of a regime of extraterritorial sanctions.
The world is watching
Cuban economy faces structural problems, internal limitations, and the consequences of a particularly complex international context; yet, it is impossible to ignore the cumulative effect of six decades of restrictions—and, in particular, their recent intensification.
Various representatives of the United Nations system have expressed concern regarding the impact of energy-related restrictions on essential services in Cuba.
The World Health Organization has warned of the consequences for hospitals, ambulances, emergency services, and intensive care units.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has drawn attention to the effects of coercive measures on the civilian population.
While these positions do not, in themselves, resolve the legal and political debate surrounding the sanctions, they confirm a fundamental truth: the humanitarian consequences cannot be ignored.
Africa is not a distant spectator
When Cuba speaks of sovereignty and self-determination, it does not do so from a purely theoretical standpoint. We know what these terms mean. We know that no people should ever have to ask for permission to decide their own future.
We Cubans understand the cost of the struggle of African peoples for independence and the right to freely determine their own destiny—because thousands of Cuban internationalists stood alongside the peoples of Southern Africa during decisive moments in their history.
The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale remains one of the most heroic symbols of that solidarity.
Africa is well-acquainted with the consequences of policies of economic pressure, the subordination of the interests of peoples to geopolitical calculations, and decisions imposed upon territories and societies by centers of power located far from the continent.
For this reason, Africa stands with Cuba in its determination to defend the island’s sovereignty at any cost.
In February 2026, the African Union once again—for the 17th consecutive time and by unanimous consensus—spoke out against the U.S. blockade, expressing its concern regarding its extraterritorial effects. This support affirms the principle that sovereignty is not up for negotiation and that solidarity among peoples still has a place in the contemporary world.
Namibia: A voice that knows the price of solidarity
During the most difficult years of the struggle for Namibia’s independence, Cubans and Namibians shared trenches, sacrifices, and hopes. Cuba welcomed young Namibians, who found on the island an education, training, and an opportunity to prepare for the nation they would one day help to build.
From this perspective, the situation in Cuba takes on a particularly personal dimension for Namibia. Cuba was not a mere spectator to the African struggle for freedom; it was an active participant. Today, as the Cuban people face an unprecedented energy blockade, Namibian solidarity manifests as a memory transformed into a firm commitment—a sentiment once again clearly expressed at the United Nations.
During the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah reaffirmed her country’s position, calling for the lifting of the unjustified economic blockade against Cuba and highlighting its devastating impact on the Cuban economy and the well-being of its population.
Namibia also has demanded an end to the energy blockade against the island and called for Cuba’s removal from the unilateral list of state sponsors of terrorism—a designation imposed by the United States.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah recalled that international solidarity was decisive in securing Namibia’s independence, reaffirming her nation’s ongoing commitment to peoples denied their right to self-determination. This stance is rooted in Namibia’s own history of confronting colonialism, apartheid, and occupation.
The response from the “Land of the Brave” before the General Assembly was unequivocal: no more silent genocide against the Cuban people.
UN vote: The international community speaks once more
On October 27 and 28, the United Nations General Assembly will debate the resolution titled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.” This will be no ordinary discussion. It comes after a year in which coercive measures have intensified, an energy blockade has caused unimaginable humanitarian consequences, and secondary sanctions have compounded the difficulties Cuba faces in engaging in trade and accessing essential resources. Furthermore, Washington has leveled the absurd accusation that Cuba poses a threat to U.S. national security—a pretext intended to justify potential military aggression against the island.
The debate at the United Nations will, once again, serve as a test for the international conscience. Faced with a people demanding the right to live free from siege, the community of nations will have the opportunity to translate its principles into a concrete demand: an end to a policy that goes beyond mere economic statistics, striking at the daily lives of millions of people.
The blockade reveals its true human cost, and the response must be unequivocal. Lifting the blockade is a matter of justice, humanity, and respect for Cuba’s right to forge its own destiny.
#CubaIsNotAThreat, the blockade is.