U.S Economic Warfare is Hitting Cuba’s Classrooms

Nearly 1.4 million Cuban students return to school today to begin the new academic year.

But what should be a moment of celebration is instead unfolding under the shadow of U.S. economic warfare.

The Trump administration’s oil blockade and widening U.S. sanctions have created blackouts and shortages across the island, undermining the country’s education system.

The Cuban government provides free buses to transport teachers to rural schools and help children reach their classrooms. But many of those buses aren’t running because the U.S. oil blockade has left the country without fuel.

As a result, many teachers and students have to walk long distances to reach school.

Getting to school is only the first challenge. Cuba’s deepening food crisis is affecting students once they arrive.

The UN says Cuba’s food production has declined 60% since the Trump administration imposed an oil blockade, while the cost of basic foods had spiked. As food grows scarcer and fuel shortages disrupt deliveries, feeding students at school cafeterias has become another daily challenge.

Cuba is also facing a severe teacher shortage. The Cuban government says the school year will begin with enough teachers to cover just 73% of the country’s needs.

Roughly 3,000 teachers are being sent from eastern Cuba to understaffed schools in Havana.