By Mark Ginsburg on October 5, 2026
Women at a grandparents center. All fotos Mark Ginsburg
During my most recent travel to Cuba (6-13 September) I visited a variety of institutions, including (1) a “maternity home,” a clinic for at-risk expectant mothers, and (2) a “grandparents’ community,” a facility where seniors (70+) can live if they can’t or don’t want to live on their own.
At the “maternity home,” the doctor who guided our tour indicated the following as impacts of the economic and fuel blockade (or embargo as some in the U.S. call it). Given that many of the women being served by this 50-bed institution had complicating health problems or were socially disadvantaged, they were suffering from shortages of medicines and even pre-natal vitamins. Electricity blackouts, although sometimes moderated by a generator (when fuel could be purchased), not only affect living conditions but also medical treatment. Fuel limitations also affect transportation (e.g., ambulances) for patients as well as family members who want to visit residents. We learned that, despite institutions like the one we visited in Havana, the infant mortality rate has increased in the last couple of years from a remarkable 4 per 1,000 to more than 9.9 per 1,000
Painting a Clinic for At-Risk Expectant Mothers
At the “grandparents’ community” the director of the institution mentioned the following as impacts of the U.S. (economic and fuel blockade. Food and cooking oil shortages meant that the community could only prepare and serve 60 meals a day, compared to the 650 that had been served two years ago. Additionally, fuel shortages restricted the number of vehicles which could transport seniors to and from the facility. Limited fuel to generate electricity also led to frequent and extended blackouts, affecting the daily life of the residents at the facility, not to mention millions of people in their homes and workplaces. While the “grandparents’ community” was staffed with 2 doctors and 4 nurses, they were hampered in caring for the residents, since there was always a lack of needed medications, and even pain reliever pills.
We heard similar accounts of the impact of the economic and fuel blockade when we visited La Castellana Psicopedagogical Center, a site for programs of youth with special needs. In particular, the doctor who oriented us emphasized how many of the participants in the program who did not live on the campus were facing challenges to come to the center because of the few buses were running and even the growing number of electric taxis that were available were expensive.
The dreadful impact of the blockade was also visible to our group as we moved around the capital city. For example, when we stopped by a pharmacy to talk with the pharmacist, we witnessed the almost empty shelves, where years before they would have been filled with a large variety of medicine (see photo #3). And, for me, one of the most depressing sights were the piles of garbage on street corners, awaiting the circulation of trash removal trucks, which operated much less frequently because of fuel shortages .
Almost Empty Shelves in a Pharmacy
If readers are as angry as I am about the deleterious effects of the U.S. blockade on Cuba, I urge you to stand up against these policies of the U.S. government (including President Trump’s, Secretary of State Rubio’s, and Secretary of War Hegseth’s threat of military action. Use the following link to go to the website of the Alliance for Cuban Engagement and Respect (ACERE) (https://secure.everyaction.com/nXyIMGqsHUOWrNGfLfCr_Q2) and send a letter to your congressional representative to Pass the Cuba War Powers Resolution (S.J. Res.124/H.J. Res.153), seeking to halt U.S. military action against Cuba.
For those inspired to provide material aid to Cuba to help its great healthcare system combat the rising infant mortality rate, please contribute to the current Saving Lives Campaign, which is being facilitated by Global Health Partners.
Mark Ginsburg is a long time Cuba solidarity activist from Santa Cruz California and a member of the Bay Area Cuba Solidarity Network
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano – US