Amid rolling blackouts, food shortages, and resurgent protests in Cuba, human rights activist Rosa María Payá told Digital in an interview that the island’s worsening crisis can’t be fixed by economic reforms alone—and she’s calling on the U.S. to keep up pressure on Havana’s communist government.
These recent outages and shortages are linked to Cuba’s deteriorating energy and economic crisis.
A recent countrywide blackout, sparked by a failure at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant (Cuba’s biggest power station), knocked out electricity for much of the country, per Reuters. The crisis has been made worse by fuel shortages following the Trump administration’s moves to limit oil shipments to the island—especially from Venezuela, a top Cuban supplier.
Cuban officials claim U.S. sanctions have exacerbated the country’s economic struggles, while repeated power plant breakdowns and an outdated electrical grid have left millions dealing with long blackouts—stoking rising public anger and protests.
A state-owned company cited U.S. sanctions in an official statement, declaring, “Without ending the financial blockade, there can be no permanent energy stability,” per CubaHeadlines.
In recent months, the Trump administration has ramped up pressure on Cuba by tightening sanctions and targeting oil shipments that power the island’s energy infrastructure. These steps are part of a wider push to weaken the Cuban government and back democratic change there.
Speaking directly to President Trump, Payá said: “It’s important for you to know that the Cuban people are thankful for what this administration is doing—and we’re ready. We want to make Cuba great again. That means ending the communist dictatorship, not just a new economy, but a new republic.”
Her plea comes as Cuba has reentered Washington’s foreign policy conversations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio—the son of Cuban immigrants and one of the most influential Cuban American voices in U.S. politics—has long pushed for a harder line on Havana and greater support for pro-democracy movements on the island.
The Trump administration has lately stepped up pressure on the Cuban government, including actions aimed at oil shipments that keep the island’s ailing energy sector running.
During a Tuesday press conference, Trump praised Rubio and hinted he could take a key role in any future negotiations with Havana.
“Marco Rubio is doing a great job,” Trump said. “I think he’s going to go down as the greatest secretary of state in history. They trust Marco.”
A White House official told Digital on Tuesday: “The United States supports the Cuban people’s pursuit of democracy, prosperity, and fundamental freedoms. We call on the Cuban regime to end its repression, release all unjustly detained political prisoners, and respect the rights and freedoms of all Cubans.”
“We want to work with President Trump and Secretary Rubio—the opposition is united,” Payá said. “We have a plan: it’s called the Freedom Accord,” she added, referencing a democratic transition framework backed by Cuban opposition groups. “We’re ready to lead this process. The moment is now, Mr. President.”
Opposition groups created the Freedom Accord—a political roadmap for democratic change—that she says would steer a transition away from Cuba’s current system.
Payá, 37, who fled Cuba 13 years ago, has spent the last decade advocating globally for democratic change there.
She’s the daughter of Oswaldo Payá, a prominent dissident who founded the Christian Liberation Movement and led the Varela Project—a 2000s petition drive that collected over 25,000 signatures calling for free elections and civil liberties in Cuba.
Her father died in 2012 alongside fellow activist Harold Cepero in an incident Payá calls an assassination by the Cuban regime. Cuban officials said the men died in a car crash in eastern Cuba, but the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights later found “serious indications” that Cuban state agents were involved.
“After the Cuban regime assassinated my father… I’ve tried to carry on his legacy with so many other Cubans—on the island and in exile—who now believe we have a real chance at freedom,” she said, noting the movement includes activists both in Cuba and abroad.
Per Payá, the crisis in Cuba has gotten so bad that basic survival is a daily battle for many families.
“Today, mothers don’t know if they’ll be able to feed their children tonight,” she said. “Most of the island has endured blackouts that last days at a time.” In recent years, the island has seen waves of unrest fueled by economic collapse and political repression.
The biggest protests against the regime happened on July 11, 2021, when thousands of Cubans marched across the island chanting “freedom”—the largest demonstrations since the 1959 revolution.
Authorities reacted with mass arrests and prison terms for many protesters.
To Payá, those protests were about more than just economic anger.
“The Cuban people have been fighting for freedom for 67 years,” she said. “We’re demanding political freedom—not just a new economy.”
Even though some compare Cuba’s crisis to Venezuela’s political chaos, Payá says Cuba’s situation is entirely different.
“Cuba’s situation is quite different,” she said. “This is the longest-running communist dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere.”
Though she stressed Cubans must ultimately lead political change, Payá said international pressure is still vital because of the regime’s ability to crush dissent.
Her plea comes as Cuba has reentered Washington’s foreign policy talks.
Payá said the Cuban opposition wants the U.S. to keep supporting democratic change on the island.
“I believe President Trump knows—better than anyone—the difference between a real deal and a better one,” she said. “He understands this dictatorship must end.”
“To end the crisis,” she added, “we need to end the regime.”
Digital reached out to the White House and Rubio for comment but hasn’t received a response yet.