Cuban-American singer and producer Gloria Estefan stated that the oil blockade against Cuba does not represent an effective means to bring about political change on the island, and she argued that the real sanctions have been imposed by the government itself on the Cuban people.
In statements made to the EFE agency during the 65th edition of the Viña del Mar International Festival in Chile, the artist stated that “this is not a way to bring down any regime,” referring to the measures implemented by President Donald Trump’s administration against countries that supply oil to Cuba. She expressed that the impact of these restrictions does not fall on the power structures, but on the population.
"The only sanctions that have existed in Cuba have been from the government against the Cubans," said Estefan. The interpreter lamented the daily consequences of the energy crisis on the island and described a scenario marked by a lack of electricity, difficulties in transportation, and basic issues like food preservation. "My heart breaks," she confessed.
Although she questioned the effectiveness of external sanctions as a mechanism for political pressure, the artist also pointed directly to internal repression. In her view, any change would have to come from within Cuban society, but she acknowledged the obstacles faced by the citizens.
"It has to come from the Cuban people for them to say: 'This is enough, we don't want any more.' And that is difficult, because every time something happens, young people are taken away as prisoners," he stated.
Estefan warned that the situation on the island is experiencing one of its most critical moments since the so-called Special Period following the fall of the Soviet Union. He also noted that the Cuban government continues to receive international support and aid, although, as he pointed out, at times it publicly rejects humanitarian assistance.
In the same interview, the artist also expressed concern about the raids and detentions of Latino migrants in the United States, noting that silence in the face of injustices can become a danger. Without equating historical contexts, she recalled that when something "is not right," one must raise their voice.
The statements made by Gloria Estefan, one of the most influential Cuban figures internationally, reopen the debate among Cubans both inside and outside the island regarding the effectiveness of external sanctions and the human cost involved in any strategy of political pressure.
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