Overview
- The two House Democrats, whose five-day visit ended Sunday, called U.S. restrictions an illegal fuel blockade that they said is devastating daily life.
- They described neonatal wards where premature babies risked losing ventilation during blackouts, schools without transport fuel, water pumps idle, shuttered businesses and food output at about a tenth of needs.
- After meeting President Miguel Díaz‑Canel and senior officials, the lawmakers said both governments have begun talking, though they stressed discussions have not reached formal negotiations.
- They pointed to Cuban moves they see as openings, including pardoning more than 2,000 prisoners, inviting the FBI to probe a deadly boat incident and signaling that Cuban Americans can invest in private businesses.
- A Russian tanker delivered roughly 700,000 barrels of crude last week in a rare break from the squeeze, while Democrats in Congress are pushing to bar unauthorized military action and to ease sanctions as Rep. Jonathan Jackson warned a deeper crisis could drive a new migration wave.