Power goes out on entire island of Cuba, leaving 10 million people without electricity

[Judi Lynn]

39. As always, it's useful to acknowledge the word "Bloqueo" (blockade) has been in use from the first

by people everywhere outside Miami, and by hard-right Republican radicals still on te hunt for "commies."

The embargo has also been considered the longest form of economic war upon another country in history.

From a decent Wikipedia page which hasn't been totally commandeered by cold warriors, among other important comments made, please see this:

Human-rights groups including Amnesty International,[4] Human Rights Watch,[140] and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights[141] have also been critical of the embargo.[4] Critics of the embargo often refer to it as a "blockade" and say that the respective laws are too harsh, citing the fact that violations often lead to severe sanctions.[142]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_embargo_against_Cuba#Cuban_thaw

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Seventy-eighth Session,
24th & 25th Meetings (AM & PM)
GA/12552

1 November 2023

Economic, Commercial Embargo Imposed by United States Against Cuba Harmful, Violates UN Charter, Speakers Underline in General Assembly
Organ Also Concludes Discussion on International Criminal Court, Adopting Report

The United States must lift its economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba and remove the Caribbean nation from its list of State sponsors of terrorism — policies which have had devastating effects on the Cuban people and created severe obstacles for countries looking to engage in trade and investment with Havana, speakers told the General Assembly today.

As the 193-member organ kicked off its annual debate on the “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”, it had before it the Report of the Secretary-General (document A/78/84). The Assembly is scheduled to vote on a resolution on the matter on 2 November.

During today’s debate, an overwhelming number of Member States underscored the multitude of detrimental and harmful long-lasting consequences the embargo was having on Cuba. Many cited the Secretary-General’s report that said that years of the blockade has had an impact on Cuba’s overall human development. They recalled that for over 30 years, the Assembly has disproportionately urged the United States to lift the blockade and allow Cuba to join the international community on equal economic and financial footing.

Six decades of the embargo has cost Cuba trillions of dollars, Singapore’s representative, who spoke on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said. From 1 March 2022 to 28 February 2023, the blockade cost Cuba an estimated $4.87 billion in losses. It is unfortunate that 80 per cent of Cuba’s current population has only known Cuba under the blockade. The policy is particularly jarring at a time when the world has already fallen behind on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The representative of Mauritania, speaking on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), expressed alarm at how the embargo’s impact grew exponentially after Cuba was added to the list of countries allegedly sponsoring terrorism. Banking and financial operations have become extremely difficult for Cuba due to this. The embargo even impacts Cuba’s ability to obtain basic medicine and food.

The representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), recalled how things were looking up in 2015 when steps were taken by Cuba and the United States to normalize diplomatic relations. She rejected the application of laws and measures that are contrary to international law, such as the Helms-Burton Act and the increasing persecution of Cuba’s international financial transactions. “We are also opposed to the unjust inclusion of Cuba on the list of State sponsors of terrorism,” she continued.

Echoing the sentiment of several others, the representative of El Salvador, speaking on behalf of the Central American Integration System, said that the embargo has made it difficult for public health authorities to acquire medical supplies and equipment, including those necessary to make Cuban vaccines against COVID‑19. As a result of the embargo, Cuba cannot acquire the ideal medicines to treat childhood cancer. It is unfortunate that the multidimensional global crisis, which impacted the energy, food and economic sectors, plus the effect of the pandemic, were not enough to bring movement towards better relations between the United States and Cuba.

More:
https://press.un.org/en/2023/ga12552.doc.htm