Democratic Congressional representatives Pramila Jayapal and Jonathan Jackson demanded an immediate end to the illegal fuel blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba, which they said is now part of the longest economic embargo in history.
Jayapal and Jackson, members of the House of Representatives for the states of Washington and Illinois, respectively, issued a statement at the end of a five-day visit to the island as part of a US congressional delegation.
“The illegal fuel blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba — located just 90 miles south of the United States — is part of the longest-running embargo in world history and is causing untold suffering to the Cuban people,” they stated in the text, published on Jayapal’s official website.
They recalled that the United States prevented the entry of “a single drop of oil into Cuba for more than three months” and warned that this constitutes “a cruel collective punishment—equivalent, in practice, to an economic bombardment of the country’s infrastructure—and has caused permanent damage.”
“This situation must end immediately,” the two representatives demanded, arguing that they had witnessed firsthand the problems caused by the fuel shortage, which affects basic services such as public health, water supply, and even the education system.
“Numerous businesses have closed their doors. Families cannot keep their food refrigerated,” they added in their statement, in which they emphasized that during this trip, “we listened to a wide variety of voices: families, religious leaders, entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, and representatives of the Cuban government.”
They also spoke with “ambassadors from Latin American and African countries, humanitarian aid organizations, and Cuban citizens from across the political spectrum.”
“There is a consensus across all sectors: this illegal blockade must end immediately. We do not believe that the majority of Americans want this kind of cruelty and inhumanity to continue being perpetrated in their name,” they emphasized.
Jayapal and Jackson agreed that the obstacles to progress in Cuba “now depend on the United States modifying its outdated policy—one that belongs to the Cold War era—based on the imposition of coercive economic measures and military pressure.”
True reform will only come from charting a new course, the congresswomen stressed, advocating for the need for the United States and Cuba to “immediately engage in genuine negotiations that guarantee the dignity and freedom of the Cuban people, as well as the enormous benefits for the American people that will result from real collaboration between our two countries.”
Pramila Jayapal broke barriers by becoming the first Indian-American woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives for Washington’s 7th Congressional District. She co-chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus from 2019 to 2021, followed by a term as chair from 2021 to 2025. She serves on both the Judiciary Committee and the Budget Committee.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Jackson has served as the representative for Illinois’ 1st Congressional District since 2023. He is the son of the late Reverend Jesse Jackson and previously served as a national spokesperson for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, an organization founded by his father that works for social justice and civil rights through political activism.