As U.S. Blockade Squeezes Cuba, Christians Push Solidarity Over Sanctions

People walk along San Lazaro Avenue during a blackout as Cuba's state-run economy has descended into a full-blown crisis after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump hardened sanctions and cut off the Caribbean nation's oil supply, in Havana, Cuba, May 6, 2026. REUTERS/Norlys Perez

As Cuba continues to face severe blackouts, economic crisis, and political pressure, Christians on the island and their allies in the U.S. are working to save lives and advocate for Cuban freedom.

In recent months, the nation of Cuba has been experiencing blackouts so severe that journalists at the New York Times have mapped the effects in satellite photos taken from space. The island’s economy, which had been in crisis for several years, has all but come to a standstill since January’s U.S.-led capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, a key ally of the island’s government. Later that month, the Trump administration also renewed and hardened a longstanding comprehensive embargo on the island, citing “actions of the Government of Cuba directly threaten the safety, national security, and foreign policy of the United States.”

More so than ever, U.S. pressure on the island has made daily life difficult. Jorge González Núñez, president of the Movimiento Estudiantil Cristiano de Cuba, spoke to Sojourners in voice messages over the course of three days, originally in Spanish.

“We’ve had only two hours of electricity each day for a week, or more,” González Núñez said.

Read the Full Article

To continue reading this article — and get full access to all our magazine content — subscribe now for as little as $5.95. Your subscription helps sustain our nonprofit journalism and allows us to pay authors for their terrific work! Thank you for your support.
Subscribe Now!