Cuba is facing one of the gravest economic and humanitarian crises in the island nation’s modern history. Millions of residents are struggling with prolonged blackouts, food shortages, scarce medicine and a collapsing public-service system.
Much of the island receives only a few hours of electricity each day. Without reliable power, water cannot be pumped into apartment buildings, food spoils and hospitals struggle to operate. The Cuban peso has sharply declined in value, while transportation costs and prices for basic goods have climbed beyond the reach of many families.
Cuba’s communist government blames decades of U.S. sanctions and a recently intensified American campaign to block fuel shipments. The Trump administration says Cuba’s economic system and authoritarian government are responsible for the suffering, pointing to harsh punishments including imprisonment for political opposition and free expression.
The crisis is unfolding alongside an escalating threat of American military action.
Fresh after a defeat against Iran, President Donald Trump said this week that a possible operation against Cuba could resemble the January U.S. raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Trump has described that intervention as a major success and suggested Cuba’s proximity and weakened military could make an operation there easier.
However, foreign-policy experts warn that Cuba is significantly different from Venezuela. There is no clear successor government prepared to assume power, and military action could produce instability, civilian casualties and another wave of migration.
Cuba’s leaders are responding to the pressure from the Trump administration. This week the nation adopted the most sweeping reforms and free market openings since its 1959 communist revolution. The parliament unanimously approved a reform package comprising 176 measures to overhaul the economic and social structure, including eliminating ration subsidies and allowing private banks and real estate development.
Amid the growing hardship, some San Antonio residents are trying to provide direct humanitarian assistance.
The San-Havana Project began by connecting artists in San Antonio with their counterparts in Havana. After repeated visits to Cuba, the initiative expanded into a small-scale relief effort, providing assistance to artists, families and communities facing shortages.
Project participants say the effort cannot resolve Cuba’s political conflict or nationwide economic collapse. But they hope that maintaining human and cultural connections can offer practical held and remind Cubans that they have not been forgotten.
Guests:
Angela Martinez is a San Antonio cultural activist and owner of Slab Cinema who leads the San-Havana Project, an initiative that builds creative and community connections between artists in San Antonio and Havana, Cuba.
Mercedes Gallego is an award-winning Spanish journalist and author who specializes in foreign policy and the coverage of conflicts, wars, and natural disasters. She has served as a foreign correspondent for various Spanish newspapers since 1994 and has reported on Cuba for thirty years.
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This interview will be recorded live on Monday, June 22, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
