Radio Martí reports worsening humanitarian crisis in Cuba as diplomacy with U.S. intensifies

Martí Noticias AM opened its morning program warning of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Cuba as an Arctic cold front hits the island and prolonged fuel and electricity shortages continue.

The show’s host said basic services have collapsed in places and that ‘‘the cold, hunger and total lack of protection’’ are affecting ‘‘elderly people, children, people without housing and prisoners,’’ a framing repeated by on-air reporters who described outages that limit access to real-time information and supplies.

A reporter in Havana described shelters and protection centers as overwhelmed and, in some cases, operating in ‘‘deplorable’’ conditions. The broadcast cited accounts that recluses in poorly maintained detention facilities face extreme cold; the program relayed concerns that some inmates lack mattresses or adequate blankets.

The report included named local sources who described flooding on the northwestern coast and waves ‘‘between 4 and 10 meters’’ that inundated low-lying areas including parts of the Malecón in Havana. Civil defense officials, quoted on the air, urged precautions against strong winds and warned of damage to unstable structures.

Why this matters: broadcasters and interviewees told listeners that prolonged outages reduce people’s ability to seek help, to obtain food and to power medical services, heightening the risk of illness and death among the most vulnerable.

Diplomacy and international aid

The program noted parallel diplomatic developments. U.S. officials have signaled renewed contacts at high levels with Cuban interlocutors, and the broadcast said that the arrival of a U.S. diplomatic official in Caracas and related moves have contributed to shifts in regional diplomacy.

Mexico’s president, cited by the program, announced plans to send humanitarian assistance to Cuba this week, including food and ‘‘other essential supplies’’ while diplomatic channels are used to address fuel shipments. The broadcast emphasized that Mexico aims to frame the transfers as humanitarian and said officials are exploring diplomatic routes to permit fuel shipments without violating recent U.S. measures.

Voices on the air

Carolina Barrero, identified on the program as an activist and director of Ciudadanía y Libertad, said international gestures such as a recent European Parliament amendment and U.S. pressure ‘‘reopen political space’’ and could influence relations with Havana, while also warning civic groups that changes are uneven and that human-rights protections remain incomplete.

An energy analyst quoted on the show said Cuba’s dependence on imported diesel — an estimated shortfall repeatedly cited on-air — makes the country vulnerable to a broader collapse of services if shipments do not resume soon.

What the broadcast did not establish

The program repeatedly relayed claims about shortages, evacuations and deaths that were grounded in on-the-ground reporting and in statements by civil-defense and local sources; however, several casualty counts and specific facility conditions were reported as claims from local sources and not confirmed by an official Cuban government release within the broadcast.

Next steps

Hosts said the station will continue coverage and promised updates as new information becomes available, including follow-ups on Mexico’s announced assistance and any developments in diplomatic channels between Washington and Havana.