National Nurses United, the nation’s largest union of registered nurses, and U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez will hold a press conference in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, June 30 to demand an end to the Trump administration’s blockade of oil supplies entering Cuba. Union nurses will be joined by Global Health Partners, which is working to supply the island nation with critical medical equipment and medicine, as fuel shortages enter its fourth month and the humanitarian crisis escalates.

“Nurses cannot and will not stay silent while our president’s policies cause immense suffering, at home or abroad,” said NNU President Jamie Brown, RN. “The Trump administration is using innocent lives, including pregnant women and infants, to force the Cuban government to concede to its completely unrealistic demands. U.S. nurses denounce these cruel tactics and demand an end to the blockade.”

Who: National Nurses United press conference demanding end to Cuban blockade
What: NNU RNs; U.S. representatives Delia Ramirez, Pramila Jayapal, Jonathan Jackson, and Ro Khanna; Global Health Partners; Code Pink
When: Tuesday, June 30 at 11:00am ET
Where: House Triangle | U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. 20004

“Two months ago, I went to Cuba and saw the devastation and destruction of the US blockade firsthand – people living with no electricity to power their refrigerators or gas to put in their cars, doctors keeping babies alive in incubators run by generator power," said U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal. "I left Cuba shocked by the inhumane effects of US policy. We must immediately end this blockade, lift the embargo, and work to normalize relations between our countries.”

"People in Cuba can’t get critical healthcare or access medicine," said U.S. Representative Ro Khanna. "Trump’s economic and military aggression is causing a human rights crisis. I stand with National Nurses United and my colleagues in calling for an end to the blockade.”

"Despite history having shown us that peace and democracy have never been realized through strongmen, United States imperialism, or unilateral military intervention, Trump and Rubio have established another blockade against Cuba. The immoral, inexcusable, cruel blockade has cut Cubans off from healthcare, safe food, potable water, and security," said U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez. "I stand with Cubans demanding self-determination, freedom, and safety. That is why I am clear that we must become good neighbors. We must end the blockade and the siege on the Cuban people."

"I believe U.S. foreign policy should be grounded in humanitarian principles, meaningful engagement, and respect for our shared humanity," said U.S. Representative Jonathan Jackson. "This past April, as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Congressional Black Caucus, I traveled to Havana to assess the humanitarian impact of the Trump administration’s newest, cruelest blockade and what I witnessed was the harsh reality facing the Cuban people managing a severe shortage of essential supplies. Cuban health care professionals are resilient and dedicated, but no health system can operate under these conditions. The U.S. must end the collective punishment by suspending all coercive economic measures and military pressures against Cuba and enter real negotiations that provide for dignity and freedom for the Cuban people."

Without essential oil resources, as well as a sharp increase in U.S. sanctions, Cubans are suffering from frequent blackouts, shortages of gasoline and cooking gas, and dwindling supplies of diesel that power the nation’s water pumps, with a particularly severe impact on the delivery of health care services. Recent reporting indicates that tens of thousands of Cubans have had to forego medical treatments, including surgeries, and that three-quarters of essential medicines are entirely unavailable on the island. Additionally, the U.N. has warned that infant mortality has doubled and that fuel shortages have negatively impacted food production, with output down by more than 60 percent, leading to a sharp increase in food costs.

To support the Cuban people, NNU nurses have donated to Global Health Partners (GHP), an organization that has brought millions of dollars worth of lifesaving medicines and surgical supplies to the island. Most recently, GHP’s programs have been focused on reversing Cuba’s fast-rising infant mortality rate.

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.