Since 18th October, Cuba has been enduring severe disruptions to its energy supply, a direct consequence of the blockade that prevents the import of fuel and essential resources. This is not merely an economic policy but a calculated act of war on Cuba’s socialist economy. Since 2019, the U.S. has intensified its persecution, sanctioning companies and vessels involved in Cuba’s fuel trade, blocking access to financial markets, and obstructing repairs to critical energy infrastructure.

The U.S. blockade is designed to crush the will of the Cuban people and dismantle the achievements of the Cuban Revolution. For more than six decades, it has aimed to create shortages, disrupt industries, and attack the heart of a socialist system that prioritises the welfare of its people – workers, students, and the vulnerable – over the interests of capital. This is a direct assault on socialism, an alternative to the exploitation and inequality ingrained in the capitalist system.

Despite this relentless economic warfare, Cuba’s socialist government continues to resist. The Cuban people, organised under a system built on working-class solidarity, are working tirelessly to stabilise the energy grid and defend the gains of the Revolution. The crisis highlights the strength and resilience of a planned economy, which, even under siege, focuses on meeting the needs of the people.

The Workers’ Party of Ireland condemns the U.S. blockade as a vicious act of imperialist aggression and stands shoulder to shoulder with Cuba in the international struggle for socialism. This blockade is not only an attack on Cuba but on all workers who seek a future free from the domination of capital. As the United Nations prepares to debate this blockade on 29 and 30 October, we call for its immediate and total end.