Press Release

America Thrusts Cuba into Darkness, leading to a 148% Increase in Infant Mortality

Since January 2026, the American government has placed an oil embargo against the tiny Caribbean island of Cuba. While America has maintained an embargo on Cuba since 1962, it has varied in its severity over time. However, during Trump’s first term in 2017, US–Cuba relations worsened. He restricted travel and business with Cuba, reimposed sanctions, and returned Cuba to the State Sponsor of Terrorism list, which deepened Cuba’s economic difficulties. Trump has signed 2 executive orders this year alone – one in January and another in May that imposed tariffs and restrictions on imports from any country that directly or indirectly supplied oil to Cuba – namely Venezuela and Mexico. This has had a myriad of effects on the life of Cubans. Transportation has all but come to a halt due to the lack of gasoline and diesel; and widespread electrical outages that can last up to 20 hours per day. This has led to many areas being without running water, problems with agriculture logistics and public transit, trash collection have come to a stand-still, and food shortages have resulted, leading to a man-made humanitarian catastrophe.

Women and children have borne the brunt of the current embargo. It has caused limited or even no access to education as schools have closed. Food shortages, including problems in delivering the daily liter of subsidized milk for each child under 7, has created an atmosphere of chronic malnutrition that adversely affects early growth, physical development, and immune system strength. The loss of sanitation, water, and refrigeration systems has raised the risk of vector and water borne diseases. Consequently, this has also pushed the healthcare sector to the brink of disaster. Pregnant women are not just affected by lack of nutrition, but they have limited access to obstetric care and ultrasounds. There has also been a rise in underweight newborns. What is most shocking, especially in Cuba, which once held the lowest infant mortality rates in the Western Hemisphere, is the 148% rise in infant deaths due to the embargo and restrictions placed on them by the American government. Also, according to the report released by Cubadebate, the survival rate for children with cancer has fallen to 65% from 85% before the energy restrictions began in January. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, recently stated, "Children are dying because doctors lack access to essential medical supplies and medicines."

Cuba and all of Latin America have continued to live in a cycle of subjugation, poverty, and violence, at the hands of colonizers since they arrived five centuries ago. The bully America, who uses cruel and violent means to control the world, leaving innocent people suffering in ways unimaginable, will continue to smother Latin America until its reign of terror is stopped by the emergence of a state in the world that rules in accordance with the Laws of the Creator and therefore truly cares for the sanctity of human life and stands against all forms of oppression globally: the Khilafah (Caliphate) based upon the method of the Prophethood. The Khilafah will seek to bring Latin America under its shade, treat its people with dignity and honor and lift the centuries-long pillage of its land by colonial powers. In the 8th century, when Spain was under the rule of a tyrant King, Roderick who imposed oppressive taxes upon his people and persecuted many of his citizens, a Christian Chief, Count Julian, implored Musa ibn Nusair, who was appointed as the Wali (governor) of North Africa during the rule of the Umayyad Khilafah, to help the oppressed people of Spain. Musa responded by sending the young general Tariq bin Ziyad with an army of around 7,000-10,000 troops to Spain. Despite facing an army that was said to be ten times larger than their own, the Muslims defeated their enemy, and subsequently Spain was brought under the rule of Islam. This land became known as Al-Andalus and became one of the great civilizations of the world. Hence, the Khilafah when established, will not just bring security and honor to Muslims and the lands of Islam, but to all people and all the lands that are opened by it, Allah willing.

Women’s Section

in the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir