Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal said she has been discussing ways to help Cuba obtain oil amid escalating U.S. sanctions and a worsening humanitarian crisis on the island.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Pramila Jayapal said she has been communicating with foreign diplomats about efforts to help Cuba obtain oil despite intensified U.S. sanctions and a de facto American blockade targeting fuel shipments to the communist-led country.
Jayapal, a leading member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, made the remarks during a recent public briefing in Seattle following a congressional delegation visit to Cuba.
“I was in conversations with the ambassadors from Mexico and some other places … trying to figure out how to get oil there,” Jayapal said, according to The New York Post.
Jayapal described conditions on the island as “a crisis beyond imagination” and blamed the humanitarian situation on policies implemented by the Trump administration.
The comments come amid escalating tensions between Washington and Havana following President Donald Trump’s aggressive sanctions campaign targeting Cuba’s fuel supply.
After the removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year, Venezuela’s heavily subsidized oil shipments to Cuba largely ceased. The Trump administration subsequently imposed additional penalties and tariffs targeting countries and companies that continue supplying oil to the island.
Trump signed an executive order in January authorizing tariffs against countries exporting oil to Cuba while also imposing sanctions against foreign firms and financial institutions involved in Cuban energy trade.
According to Reuters, the sanctions have contributed to a severe fuel and electricity crisis across Cuba, leading to widespread blackouts, transportation disruptions, and shortages affecting hospitals, water systems, and food production.
Jayapal and Jonathan Jackson traveled to Cuba last month and publicly criticized what they described as an “illegal blockade of energy supplies.”
Following the trip, the lawmakers issued statements arguing that the fuel restrictions amounted to “economic bombing” of Cuban infrastructure and were causing humanitarian suffering.
The lawmakers met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, senior Cuban officials, and members of parliament during their visit.
Jayapal defended her diplomatic outreach, arguing members of Congress routinely communicate with foreign officials regarding international humanitarian and policy concerns.
Her remarks nevertheless triggered criticism from opponents who questioned whether discussions with foreign governments regarding sanctions circumvention could violate federal law, including the Logan Act, which restricts unauthorized negotiations by private citizens with foreign powers.
No charges or investigations have been announced, and prosecutions under the Logan Act have historically been extremely rare.
Jayapal has long advocated ending the U.S. embargo against Cuba and removing the country from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list.
The humanitarian situation on the island has worsened significantly in recent months as fuel shortages intensified under the sanctions regime.
Reuters reported this week that Cuba accused the United States of effectively threatening military action while tightening the oil blockade amid escalating regional tensions.
The island’s government has blamed the U.S. embargo and fuel restrictions for nationwide blackouts, food shortages, and economic instability.
According to Reuters and other reports, only one Russian oil tanker has successfully delivered fuel to Cuba since the intensified blockade began, providing roughly 10 to 14 days of supply relief.
Jayapal has argued that the current policy risks worsening migration pressures and humanitarian instability in the region while failing to produce meaningful political change inside Cuba.
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