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Reflecto News | Breaking News | Americas
BRASÍLIA — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued a forceful condemnation of the decades-long U.S. embargo against Cuba on Saturday, describing it as the “longest blockade in the history of humanity” and a primary obstacle to the island nation’s development.
Speaking at a press conference following a meeting with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, Lula, who was on his first official trip to Cuba since beginning his third term, positioned himself as a mediator between Havana and Washington, echoing a role previously played by the Vatican .
“Cuba wants to find a solution, the blockade never allowed them to be free since the Revolution. I think it is the biggest blockade, the longest blockade in the history of humanity.”
— Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil
📜 The ‘Longest Blockade in Human History’
The U.S. embargo on Cuba was first imposed in 1960 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, when the U.S. banned nearly all exports to Cuba except food and medicine. The embargo was tightened in 1962, expanded under the Helms-Burton Act in 1996, and remains in place today, enforced by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and reinforced by the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 .
The United Nations General Assembly has condemned the embargo for 30 consecutive years; the 2025 resolution passed with 187 votes in favor, 2 against (the U.S. and Israel), and 1 abstention (Ukraine) . Lula’s “longest blockade in human history” echoes language used by socialist leaders for decades .
🇨🇺 The ‘Cuban Solution’
Lula did not specify what the “solution” Cuba is seeking would entail. The Cuban government has consistently demanded an end to the embargo as a precondition for normalizing relations with the United States, and Cuba has also insisted on the return of the Guantánamo Bay naval base, which has been leased to the U.S. since 1903 under a treaty that the Cuban government has declared void .
Lula also denounced the U.S. sanctions policy generally, stating that “unilateral sanctions haven’t worked anywhere. They didn’t work against Iraq, against Yugoslavia, against Russia. They hurt people, they starve people, they make the rich richer and the poor poorer.”
🇺🇸 The Biden/Trump Position
The Biden administration partially rolled back Trump-era sanctions on Cuba but did not lift the embargo, leaving it in place . The Trump administration has designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, which remains in effect. This designation has prevented Cuba from receiving international financing and banking services, exacerbating the country’s acute economic crisis .
Lula met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the Summit of the Americas last year, where he raised the issue of Cuba’s exclusion from the summit and the ineffectiveness of the embargo, but Biden did not agree to lift the sanctions .
From Lula’s perspective, the timing of his pro-Cuba remarks is favorable. The United States is currently bogged down in its war with Iran and is less able to push back against Latin American criticism of its long-standing Cuba policy .
🧐 Reaction in Washington
The White House did not immediately respond to Lula’s comments, but a State Department spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that “the United States is committed to promoting democracy and human rights in Cuba. Our sanctions are targeted at the regime, not the Cuban people.”
Opponents of U.S.-Cuba rapprochement will almost certainly cite Lula’s anti-American rhetoric as proof that lifting sanctions would only benefit the Castro regime, and that the Cuban government is not interested in genuine political reform or free elections .
📋 Key Takeaways for Reflecto News Readers
| Aspect | Summary |
|---|---|
| The Quote | “Cuba wants to find a solution, the blockade never allowed them to be free… the longest blockade in the history of humanity.” |
| Lula’s Position | Condemns unilateral sanctions generally; offers Brazil as a mediator between Havana and Washington. |
| Historical Context | Embargo first imposed by President Eisenhower in 1960; tightened multiple times; has been condemned by the UN General Assembly for 30 consecutive years. |
| Obstacles | The State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) designation remains, effectively blocking Cuba from the international banking system. |
| U.S. Response | The U.S. has not offered to lift the embargo, and Lula’s mediation role has not been formally acknowledged. |
| Political Context | The war with Iran has the U.S. distracted; midterm elections and the war have crowded Cuba out of the news, giving Lula room to maneuver. |
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