US media and Cuban writers spotlight decades‑long embargo on Cuba

A study of U.S. media coverage over six months identified 2,191 posts about Cuba that generated 7.19 million engagements. Of the 559 posts discussing Cuba’s economic and energy crisis, 41.3 % explicitly linked the hardships to the U.S. embargo, with major outlets such as The New York Times, CNN and ABC News naming the “blockade” or “petroleum embargo.” The analysis shows variation in how outlets frame the cause, with some omitting the embargo entirely.

Separately, the Cuban writers’ union UNEAC released an open letter to American artists, scholars and writers, condemning the U.S. government’s “systematic genocide” through the embargo and accusing officials including former Secretary of State and Senator Marco Rubio of perpetuating the policy. The letter calls for international solidarity and urges U.S. cultural figures to publicly denounce the sanctions and the threat of military intervention.

Both pieces underscore ongoing Cuban criticism of the embargo and highlight how U.S. media narratives and Cuban civil‑society responses intersect in the debate over the decades‑long sanction regime.