July 15, 2026
On July 9-13, 2026, U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan (D-WI), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL), and Maxine Dexter (D-OR) conducted a fact-finding mission to Cuba. The delegation met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, other Cuban officials, civil society organizations, private business owners, physicians, electricity workers, farmers, ordinary citizens, and foreign diplomats to assess the island’s worsening humanitarian and economic crisis firsthand.[1,2,3]
The Alliance for Cuba Engagement and Respect (ACERE) welcomes this congressional delegation, the largest to visit Cuba in around 8 years, and which was preceded by a delegation led by Representatives Jayapal (D-WA) and Jackson (D-IL) in April.[4] The purpose of both delegations was to assess the impact of U.S. policy toward Cuba.
The lawmakers concluded that the Trump administration’s intensified sanctions and de facto fuel blockade have drastically restricted Cuba’s access to imported fuel, and deprived over 9 million Cubans of reliable access to electricity and other essential goods and services on which their lives depend. They witnessed daily blackouts lasting more than 24 hours, hospitals struggling to provide care under emergency conditions, entrepreneurs fearing they would be forced to shut down, exhausted electricity workers struggling to keep obsolete equipment operational while racing to expand renewable energy capacity, and ordinary Cubans pleading for an end to the economic siege.
Members of the delegation sharply criticized current U.S. policy, with some describing conditions on the island as a “silent Gaza.” Representative Ramirez reported that “many [Cubans] feel like they are forced to emigrate.”[1,2,3,5]
The visit comes as the Trump administration continues to escalate its economic pressure campaign against Cuba, including new measures targeting fuel imports and commercial activity, while justifying these actions on national security grounds. After meeting with Cubans from across society and diplomats representing allied countries, the lawmakers rejected that rationale. Representative Mark Pocan stated, “We have seen no proof” of the State Department’s allegations, adding that “Congress needs to demand it.”[2,5]
Following the trip, Representatives pledged to pursue legislative amendments to mitigate the humanitarian consequences of current U.S. policy and to limit the administration’s ability to undertake further unauthorized actions against Cuba. They also urged their colleagues to support the Cuba War Powers Resolution in the House (H. Con. Res. 106, introduced by Representatives Velázquez and Meeks) and the Senate (S. J. Res. 193, introduced by Senators Kaine, Schiff, and Gallego) to ensure that any U.S. military action against Cuba requires explicit congressional authorization. Representative Dexter asserted that she will work “to remove the barriers to delivering health care to the Cuban people.”[2] Soon after her return, Congresswoman Leger attempted to pass two amendments requesting the State Department to look into the human impacts of its Cuba policy.[6]
ACERE commends these Members of Congress for insisting on oversight and accountability at a moment when the humanitarian consequences of U.S. policy can no longer be ignored. We urge other members of Congress—especially Republicans—to travel to Cuba, witness the reality on the ground, and assess firsthand the human costs of the Trump administration’s maximum-pressure campaign. Sound policy-making must be guided by facts rather than ideology. No Member of Congress should support policies that deepen human suffering, much less do so without firsthand oversight of their impact on real people.
For more information, contact: allianceforcuba@acere.org .
Sources:
[1] “Democratic members of US Congress visit Cuba and compare US energy embargo to ‘silent Gaza’” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/07/13/cuba-embargo-congress-pocan-legerfernandez-dexter-ramirez/e6cab2b6-7f09-11f1-8a16-393bd03340b0_story.html
[2] “Reps. Pocan, Dexter, Leger Fernandez, and Ramirez Return From Cuba Fact-Finding Mission,” July 13. https://mailchi.mp/b45f382b4008/release-rep-pocan-to-introduce-xxx-bill-18257207
[3] “Ramirez Statement on Oversight Visit To Cuba and Humanitarian Crisis on the Island,” July 13, https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ramirez-statement-oversight-visit-cuba-and-humanitarian-crisis-island
[4] “ACERE Commends Congressional Delegation to Cuba, Calls for Immediate End to Fuel Blockade,” April 7, 2026, https://acere.org/acere-commends-congressional-delegation-demands-end-to-fuel-blockade
[5] “U.S. Lawmakers Challenge Trump’s Claims About Cuba After Visiting the Island,” Belly of the Beast, July 13, https://www.bellyofthebeastcuba.com/us-lawmakers-challenge-trumps-claims-about-cuba
[6] See 54:20-1:07:32 of the Rules Committee Hearing H.R. 139, H.R. 8595, H.R. 9237, H.R. 1181 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdYMMgCqRH4
