'Cuba Is Next': U.S. Sanctions and the New Economy of Survival

This episode of Latino USA explores the deepening humanitarian crisis in Cuba, driven by decades of U.S. sanctions, a collapsing economy, and worsening infrastructure. Host Maria Hinojosa, through co-executive producer Pennyley Ramirez, reports from Miami and interviews Cubans both on the island and in exile, revealing how families rely on private shipping networks like Cuba Max to send essential goods—food, medicine, even motorcycles—due to the near-total collapse of the state-run economy. The situation is described as worse than the 1990s 'special period,' not because of a steeper decline, but because Cuba never fully recovered from that earlier crisis. Meanwhile, in Miami, a powerful Cuban-American political and economic ecosystem thrives on sending these packages, even as many of its members support Trump and Marco Rubio, who advocate for regime change. The episode examines the moral and political contradictions: while U.S. sanctions are blamed for the suffering, the very businesses profiting from aid shipments are often staunch supporters of those same sanctions. The narrative culminates in a poignant reflection on human dignity, with the realization that this crisis is not just political theater, but a deeply personal struggle for survival among families separated by ideology and geography.