Rodriguez criticized the humanitarian consequences of US sanctions targeting Cuba’s economy and foreign trade. In a statement on the US-based X platform, Rodriguez argued that the Washington administration was pressuring international maritime shipping companies.
Rodriguez said that 7,000 containers whose contracts had been signed and payments completed were being held at various ports around the world. Rodriguez said most of the containers held food, medicine and medical supplies, describing the blocking of these products from reaching Cuba as part of the US “collective punishment” of the Cuban people.
Criticizing US economic sanctions and pressure on Cuba’s foreign trade, Rodriguez said: “The threats, pressure and blackmail by the United States have disrupted Cuba’s foreign trade and led to devastating humanitarian crimes.”

Cuba’s economic contraction
Cuba’s economy is estimated to have contracted by more than 15 percent between 2020 and 2025.
The US oil blockade introduced at the beginning of the year and secondary sanctions imposed on key sectors of the economy since May appear to have further deepened Cuba’s economic vulnerability.
Power outages and the near-total halt of public transport are making daily life more difficult for Cubans. Hospitals can provide only minimal services, while food and medicine prices have risen sharply on informal markets.
International experts have called on the international community to take urgent action to prevent a severe humanitarian situation from developing on the island.
