wx2026-0331 POSTSHOW Fernandez.mxf-audio

This episode of Democracy Now! features a powerful conversation with Liz Oliva Fernández, a Cuban journalist from Belly of the Beast, discussing the dire humanitarian crisis in Cuba exacerbated by decades of U.S. economic sanctions. The arrival of a Russian oil tanker, approved by the U.S., is presented as a temporary lifeline amid ongoing electricity blackouts (apagones), fuel shortages, and collapsing infrastructure. Fernández emphasizes that while the oil shipment is critical, it does not solve the systemic issues caused by the U.S. blockade, which she describes as a sustained economic war targeting Cuba’s most vulnerable populations. She details how the sanctions have crippled healthcare, eliminated access to medications, and endangered lives—especially children in hospitals during power outages. The episode also highlights the moral contradiction of the U.S. blocking humanitarian aid while simultaneously allowing Russian oil to enter, and critiques the political narrative that blames Cuba’s leadership rather than the external economic pressure. A convoy of Cuban Americans, including Danny Valdez, brought humanitarian aid to the island, underscoring the global demand for normalized relations and the visibility of Cuba’s suffering. Fernández reflects on the pride in Cuba’s international medical missions—free healthcare sent to marginalized communities worldwide—as a profound act of global solidarity, now under threat due to U.S. pressure on allied nations to cut ties with Cuba.