Why US sanctions on Cuba could be a violation of international law
CubaThu Apr 09 2026
In recent years, the US has tightened its grip on Cuba through economic measures that go beyond just trade restrictions. These policies cut off essential oil supplies, which power most of Cuba’s electricity—including hospitals. Without fuel, blackouts worsen, surgeries get delayed, and life-saving treatments like dialysis and radiation therapy become scarce. Doctors and nurses struggle to reach work, leaving communities without care. The numbers tell a grim story: since 2017, infant deaths in Cuba have more than doubled due to medicine shortages, food scarcity, and preventable disease outbreaks.
What makes these sanctions legally questionable is their impact on civilians. International law, including the Geneva Conventions, bans collective punishment—targeting entire populations to force political change. Yet the US has weaponized its financial dominance to enforce these measures. Experts estimate that US sanctions kill over half a million people globally each year, many of them children under five. These deaths rarely make headlines, overshadowed by flashier conflicts.
The US justifies its actions as tools for national security, but critics argue they’re a form of economic warfare. Unlike traditional military strikes, sanctions starve populations slowly, using banking systems instead of bullets. Even when the US temporarily allows oil shipments—like a recent Russian delivery—it doesn’t signal a shift in policy. Instead, threats of military intervention loom large. Meanwhile, Cuban medical teams abroad face pressure to withdraw, leaving vulnerable communities without healthcare.
Legal experts suggest these sanctions could violate the Geneva Conventions if classified as armed conflict. The US has kept the blockade through military enforcement, which meets that definition. Yet accountability remains rare. While lawmakers debate war powers, sanctions slip under the radar as "policy tools. " But as awareness grows, so does resistance. Recent court rulings and congressional pushback show cracks in the system—proving that even powerful nations must answer to international law.
