Hasan Piker, a progressive media personality and streamer, downplayed the severity of rolling blackouts in Cuba while on a recent trip to the communist island, telling viewers that the population was « partying. »
« There are rolling blackouts that take place throughout the day, every day, all around the country. But today is a beautiful day out here. People are partying. People are partying in the f—— streets. I don’t know if it’s an island mindset, » Piker said.
The remarks come as U.S. officials warn the island faces a deepening energy crisis, highlighting a stark divide between firsthand accounts and government assessments.
Piker, who has supported self-declared progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, praised the Cubans for their endurance.
« The people’s resilience is remarkable. There are rolling blackouts that take place throughout the day, every day, all around the country, right? 11 million people. »
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Piker’s descriptions come as Cuba’s communist regime finds itself choked off from access to energy imports after a U.S. operation in Venezuela resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
According to the Department of State, Cuba began to experience energy shortages shortly afterward.
« Understand that Cuba has largely survived on the basis of subsidies. The Maduro regime was providing them fuel, » Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a press event at the White House.
« So, the reason why Cuba’s electricity grid was already in collapse — before Maduro was captured, it was already in collapse — the reason why things are as bad as they are is because they have an economic model that does not work. It’s not functional, » Rubio said.
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President Donald Trump has characterized the energy crisis as severe and said he believes public unrest has strengthened U.S. influence over the island.
« I do believe I’ll be the honor of taking Cuba… That’s a big honor. They’re a very weakened nation right now. They were for a long time, » Trump told reporters last week.
Trump did not expand on what he meant by « taking » the island.
Piker’s characterizations, however, contrast sharply with the way the administration has framed the on-the-ground circumstances on the island.
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« A lot of the info that you see and hear from the island is like directly coming from like, most of the time, National Endowment for Democracy-Foundation-backed individuals, State Department propaganda, things like that, » Piker said, referring to a pro-Democracy group.
« It’s very difficult to get information out of here. Even though it’s so close, » he added. « They’re just chilling. Cubans they vibe, »
Piker did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Source link : https://www.foxnews.com/politics/progressive-streamer-backing-mamdani-says-cubans-partying-f-streets-amid-energy-crisis
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Publish date : 2026-03-25 14:42:00
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