Venezuela was the leading supplier of oil to Cuba prior to the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. But since then, paired with the U.S. temporarily enforcing a blockade on oil reaching Cuba, the island nation is spiraling into a humanitarian crisis and near economic collapse.
Karell Martinez, co-owner of Cortadito Cuban Cafe in Kansas City, Kansas, was born and raised in Cuba until his family fled the country as political refugees when he was a teen.
Martinez recalls a lack of food and medicine, and experiencing blackouts when living on the island, but the conditions have gotten worse due to recent U.S. actions.
“Cubans, they've been struggling for so many years, but with a lack of oil now, they've been feeling it more and more and more blackouts,” he said.
Martinez worries about the friends and family he left behind on the island. Through Cortadito, which he owns with his wife, Martinez collects medicine, vitamins and first aid products to send to the island. With blackouts at times lasting 24 hours, regular communication can be challenging.
In March, President Donald Trump called the island a “failed nation” and said that he believes he’ll have “the honor of taking Cuba.”
Although details are unclear of what action the U.S. might take, Martinez said almost anything is better than the oppressive regime currently in control.
“The people from my country will never want another country to, like, take over. In a perfect world, we will want our own people to obtain their freedom,” he said. “But most of the people that I talked to in Cuba, they do want the United States intervention.”
- Karell Martinez, co-owner, Cortadito Cuban Cafe
