Have you heard about what's going on in Cuba? It may seem like it is a paradise of fun and music, but not for those living there. It is like a fight for survival for the people.
Cuba’s economy is failing. In Cuba, there are blackouts, resource shortages, fuel shortages, hospitals are failing, and it’s being affected heavily by the U.S. as well.
Since 2020 when the Covid-19 virus started, Cuba’s economy has been declining rapidly. Their hospitals are incapable of being funded, due to the lack of money circling in the economy. Shortages of fuel, medication, and staff lead to suddenly cancelled surgeries and treatments being interrupted. Without treatment, many Cubans can’t thrive.
You may think that's all, but it gets much worse. Cuba is also experiencing severe chronic energy and fuel shortages, with constant blackouts nationwide lasting up to 18 hours. These blackouts are driven by an aged framework, shortages of imported fuel, and restricted access to goods and supplies.
The U.S. affects Cuba in ways like lessening trade through economic enduring embargo, limiting oil supply, making energy catastrophes more prominent, causing food shortages, and having strict restraints on tourism. Less tourism also means less money, because tourists will come and spend more and more money which fuels the economy. Right now, they do not have the tourism money, which is also causing downfalls in that section of the economy. Food is a necessity, not some luxury. Food shortages are deadly, leading people to starve or have little-to-no fulfillment. Energy crises also lead to less warmth and cooling in houses and no lights. Most people living in the states don’t know this problem, because they have a good economy unlike the people living in hispanic and east-asian countries. People online hate a lot of these bad ways of living and call it dirty, but it is just what they call home. Homes that used to be beautiful and lively are being slowly lost under the economic pressure of today.
It isn't just a problem with the economy, it also affects food supply. The fuel shortages and heavy reliance affects 70% and 80% of the electric power, considering they run on fuel. Food in fridges get spoiled because those fridges are run on electricity, and with the already declining food supply, that is dangerous. No more people need to suffer like they have been there.
People have not been being supportive online or in general, and it’s depressing to see. Empathy is an important thing when it comes to situations like these, and the lack of it with all of the countries currently suffering right now shows the lack of care people have when it doesn’t affect them. This has been currently shown with Sudan, Hispanic countries like Cuba and Venezuela, the Philippines, and many others of what are called ‘The Seablings’ of Asia.
Even if unable to help, empathy is powerful. Empathy fuels fight, and it fuels these people too. They have been strong, and the least we can do is support them.