Humanitarian Crisis Growing In Cuba

CUBA IS IN THE MIDST OF A WORSENING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS. THE U.S. OIL BLOCKADE IMPOSED ON THE ISLAND NATION LEADING TO ROLLING BLACKOUTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN JANUARY. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER IMPOSING NEW TARIFFS ON COUNTRIES THAT DIRECTLY SUPPLY OIL TO CUBA. CUBA'S NATIONAL ELECTRIC GRID HAS COLLAPSED AT TIMES. FOOD IS SCARCE WATER SYSTEMS ARE RUNNING DRY. AND CUBANS FACE A SEVERE HEALTH CRISIS. FOR MORE ON THE LATEST WITH CUBA AND ITS RELATIONS WITH UNITED STATES. WE ARE JOINED NOW BY PEGASUS PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, DR. LUIS MARTINEZ FERNANDEZ. DR. MARTINEZ FERNANDEZ, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. CAN YOU DESCRIBE FOR OUR AUDIENCE WHAT LIFE IS LIKE RIGHT NOW FOR CUBANS AT THIS POINT WITH REPORTS OF COMPLETE TOTAL ROLLING BLACKOUTS, ROTTING FOOD IN THE STREETS. HOSPITAL SHUTTING DOWN SHORTAGES OF FOOD. LOTS OF UNREST. >> YES, WITH WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW MOMENTS DURING THE HISTORY OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION, THE CUBAN ECONOMY HAS BEEN IN CRISIS. FOREIGN POWERS BEGINNING WITH THE SOVIET UNION. AND LATER, A VENEZUELA WE'RE ABLE TO PROP THE COUNTRY UP. BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY IS THE ROCK BOTTOM. THE ECONOMY HAS COME TO A STANDSTILL. WHICH IS NEVER BEEN ABUNDANT IS FAR SCARES. ENERGY. PEOPLE ARE COOKING WITH WOOD RATHER THAN GAS OR ELECTRICITY. THERE ARE BLACKOUTS THAT LAST FOR I THINK THE LAST ONE LASTED FOR 3 DAYS EVEN WATER IS SCARCE BECAUSE THE PUMPS REQUIRE. ENERGY FUEL. SO AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT FACTORS. WE FIND A CRISIS OF FUEL. AND THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT DECLARED AND I SAW THIS ON TV. THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT DECLARE THAT THEY HAVE NO FUEL. AND IF YOU HAVE NO FUEL EVERYTHING ELSE IS PARALYZED. >> CAN YOU SUMMARIZE FOR OUR AUDIENCE, YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT HAS CAUSED THIS WORSENING CRISIS TO YOU BELIEVE IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF THE FUEL EMBARGO. >> THE FUEL EMBARGO IS IS JUST ONE FACTOR. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME. STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS FOR EXAMPLE, THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE TO BE PRODUCTIVE. THAT'S THAT'S ONE OF THEM. SECONDLY, A DEMORALIZED LEADERSHIP. ALL EVEN THOUGH DON'T COST ARE STILL ALIVE. WE SEE A NEWER GENERATION NO SPRING CHICKENS. HOWEVER, THEIR IN THEIR 60'S AND NOR GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP, WHICH FLAUNTS ITS WEALTH. AND HAS IS TONE DEAF TOWARDS THE NEEDS OF THE CUBAN PEOPLE. THE OTHER FACTOR. IS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS HEARTENING OVER ITS POSITION ON CUBA. SO TRYING TO WEAKEN THE REGIME TO THE POINT THAT IT COLLAPSES. THIS INCLUDES ALL A TREE AND OIL EMBARGO. BUT ACTUALLY IT'S AN OIL BLOCKADE, NOT PHYSICAL, BUT IT'S AN OIL BLOCKADE. CUBANS ON THE ISLAND HAVE BEEN CALLING THE EMBARGO A BLOCKADE FOR DECADES. IT HAS NOT BEEN A BLOCKADE UNTIL NOW. WHAT ARE THE FACTORS OF COURSE, THE THE FACT THAT CUBA WAS BENEFACTOR VENEZUELA IS NO LONGER PROVIDING THE COUNTRY WITH ALL TYPES OF SUPPORT, MAINLY FUEL. I WOULD SAY THAT THOSE. FOR 5 FACTORS EXPLAIN WHY CUBA HAS HIT ROCK BOTTOM. AND WHY THE REGIME IS NOT LIKELY TO SURVIVE. >> THE PROTESTS ARE RARE IN CUBA. THEY BROKE OUT RECENTLY WHEN THE CIA DIRECTOR VISITED THE ISLAND. 2 REPORTEDLY TRY TO HELP MANAGE THIS CRISIS. WHAT IMPACT DO YOU BELIEVE HIS VISIT HAD OR OR HAS HAD AND IS HAVING CURRENTLY ON CUBANS. >> CUBANS ARE SO DESPERATE THAT ANY SOLUTION THAT BRINGS DOWN THE BS REGIME. HIS WELCOME. BELIEVE IT OR NOT. I'VE SEEN SOME IMAGES AND VIDEO GRAFFITI IN CUBA STREETS SAYING THANK YOU, TRUMP AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT KIND OF THING THAT THAT FORM OF PROTEST GRAFFITI WAS VERY, VERY RARE. LIKEWISE STREET PROTESTS, BOWSER, VERY RARE. WE HAVE THE EXCEPTION OF JULY OF 2021 WHEN MASSIVE. PROTEST BROKE OUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY ARE MORE MORE PROTESTS MAINLY AT NIGHT. AND THEN WOMEN BANGING POTS AND PANS OF NOT JUST CALLING FOR ELECTRICITY BUT CALLING FOR THE END OF THE REGIME. >> YOU HAVE ANY MORE THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE RIGHT NOW? WHAT'S THE HOPE FOR CUBA? I MEAN, THIS IS JUST SUCH A DIRE SITUATION. >> WHEN IT COMES TO CUBA, IT'S HARD TO PROGNOSTIC 8. AND I'VE BEEN BURNED ONCE OR TWICE IN THE PAST. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT FOR THE REASONS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE CUBAN REGIME IS AT ITS MOST OF OR NORMAL POSITION. IT'S REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY. I DON'T SEE IT SURVIVING. I THOUGHT THAT HE WOULD BE A MATTER OF WEEKS AND MONTHS. BUT THE WAR IN IRAN HAS SORT OF POSTPONED WHATEVER ACTIONS MAY HAVE BEEN PLANNED FOR CUBA. KEEP IN MIND THAT MARCO RUBIO WHO'S A CUBAN AMERICAN STAUNCH ANTI-COMMUNIST, HAS SOME INFLUENCE ON THE PRECEDENT. SO THAT IS YET ANOTHER FACTOR THAT. EXPLAINS TO ME THAT THE DAYS OF THE REGIME ARE COUNTED, MAYBE THE WEEK. SO THE REGIME OR THE MONTH OF THE REGIME ARE COUNTED. BUT I DON'T SEE A SURVIVING MUCH LONGER. >> ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY WITH YOUR INSIGHT. DR. LUIS MARTINEZ, FERNANDEZ. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.