Kuba-blockaden: Kulturpersoner fördömer USA:s politik

Kulturpersoner i upprop: Fördöm blockaden mot Kuba

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Publicerad 2026-03-11 10.00

En bagare drar en vagn med varor under ett av huvudstaden Havannas återkommande strömavbrott, den 5 mars 2026. — Foto: Ramon Espinosa /AP/TT

Havana is facing a deepening crisis as the United States continues to tighten its economic pressure on Cuba, following the recent political upheaval in Venezuela. A growing number of cultural figures are now speaking out against the U.S. Policies, which they say are deliberately inflicting hardship on the Cuban people.

Following the controversial military operation in Venezuela in January – which reportedly resulted in over one hundred casualties – U.S. President Trump has increasingly targeted Cuba. According to reports, 243 measures have been implemented during Trump’s first term to intensify a blockade of the island that began in 1962. Cuba was also added to a list of “state sponsors of terrorism.” Beyond the existing blockade, the U.S. Has imposed new sanctions in 2026 aimed at provoking shortages of essential goods and triggering a humanitarian crisis.

Aims to turn the country into a U.S. Colony

On January 29, Trump issued “Executive Order 14380,” classifying Cuba as an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. National security. The “emergency order” is being used to justify sanctions against third countries attempting to trade with or supply energy to the island. Trump has threatened countries selling or transporting oil to Cuba with penalties. Oil tankers are reportedly being blocked by military means from reaching Cuba, resulting in a complete halt to oil deliveries – a vital resource for daily life. The purpose of the escalating blockade, critics say, is to cripple the population and undermine Cuba’s independence, effectively attempting to re-establish the island as a U.S. Colony.

We, the undersigned – individuals in culture, creation, thought, science, education, and art residing in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark – clearly express that the use of hunger as a political tool constitutes an unacceptable act of aggression. Social welfare, including culture, is a universal right that protects life and human dignity and maintains peaceful coexistence among peoples.

The new emergency order exacerbates the aggressive blockade Cuba has endured for more than six decades, effectively amounting to a siege that directly impacts everyday life. Children, the elderly, and the sick are the most affected by the oil blockade. Families are left without electricity for lighting, refrigeration, and cooking. Hospitals are forced to make extreme decisions, risking the closure of wards and the cancellation of life-saving treatments; incubators, operating rooms, and dialysis machines are facing energy insecurity. The distribution of food and medicine is at risk of grinding to a halt.

We cannot remain silent in the face of aggression aimed at subjugating an entire country through material deprivation. Raising our voices against Trump’s unlawful aggression means defending the principles of sovereignty, international law, and peaceful coexistence. For more than 33 years, the UN General Assembly has annually voted, by overwhelming majority, to condemn the U.S. Blockade against Cuba. The Nordic countries have consistently voted against the blockade. The international community has repeatedly expressed its distance from a policy that violates the rights of an entire people and hinders its development.

Possesses a long and rich tradition of culture, solidarity, and humanism

The world seeks normal relations with Cuba, based on equality and respect. Cuba possesses a long and rich tradition of culture, solidarity, and humanism, and has shared its art, music, and literature, as well as its medical advances, scientific knowledge, and educational models with the world for decades. This cultural openness has helped build bridges and strengthen ties between peoples.

We urge artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians, academics, publishers, actors, researchers, and cultural workers worldwide to raise their voices in defense of the Cuban people’s right to life and dignity. Defending Cuba today means defending the right of all peoples to determine their destiny with full sovereignty and without collective punishment.