- This is a production of PBS Tampa, St.

Petersburg, Sarasota.

[music] - For decades, the United States and Cuba have had a strained relationship.

It's defined by embargoes, sanctions, waves of immigration, and plenty of mistrust.

And now that long struggle is at a new crossroad.

The U.S.

is tightening an oil blockade.

Cuba's main lifeline of energy from Venezuela remains cut.

Fuel shortages are plunging cities into rolling blackouts, grounding flights and jeopardizing essential services.

And diplomats are warning that the instability in Cuba could have ripple effects across the Caribbean and beyond.

Here in Florida, that connection runs deep.

More than 1.5 million people of Cuban origin call Florida home.

It is the largest concentration of Cubans in the United States.

Here in the Tampa Bay region, Cuban heritage is also a part of our community story.

Thousands of residents trace back their family roots to the island in Hillsborough County alone.

Roughly 1 in 4 Hispanic residents are of Cuban origin.

So on Florida this week, we are examining the evolving Us-cuba relationship, the politics, the crisis, and what could be next for Floridians.

[music] Welcome back to Florida.

This week we are joined by Betty Viamontes, a well-known Cuban American author.

Victor DiMaio, president of the Hillsborough County Democratic Hispanic Caucus, Tomas Martinez, CEO of Solmart Media and one of the region's most influential Spanish language broadcasters in the region, and Dr.

Andres Tremante of Florida International University.

He is an energy and infrastructure expert.

But first, the question of how did we get here?

Many point to the U.S.

economic embargo against Cuba that's been in place for more than 60 years.

It dates back to President Dwight Eisenhower.

It started in March of 1958, first as an arms embargo.

The goal to hinder the efforts of Fidel Castro and his rebels to overthrow the government of then Fulgencio Batista.

- President Eisenhower orders a drastic reduction in the Cuban sugar import quota.

The setback to Cuba's economy is finally triggered by Premier Fidel Castro's seizure of two American and one British oil refinery.

- By 1960, President Dwight Eisenhower shifted the embargo from temporary to the official posture of the U.S.

on Cuba.

The move came within months of Fidel Castro nationalizing American oil refineries on the island, followed by confiscations of US owned businesses, properties, and assets.

Eisenhower would be the first of 11 U.S.

presidents to contend with Castro under the controversial embargo, seven of them Republican presidents.

For Democrats, it was President Barack Obama who first moved towards normalizing relations with Cuba in 2016, after Castro's death at the age of 90.

- Many suggested that I come here and ask the people of Cuba to tear something down, but I'm appealing to the young people of Cuba who will lift something up, build something new.

[speaking Spanish] [applause] - In the ten years after Fidel Cuba has had two presidents, his brother Raul Castro and the current president, Miguel Diaz-Canel.

The U.S.

embargo on Cuba does remain, and it's enforced through various laws.

The trading with the Enemy Act of 1917.

It's Title 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations applies to money, finance and the U.S.

Treasury, first leveraged against Cuba by President John F. Kennedy.

Title 31 was used to target energy and agricultural sectors in Cuba.

The Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 further restricted trade and credit relations, imposing sanctions on countries providing assistance to Cuba.

Passed under President George Bush senior, it came at a pivotal moment after the fall of Cuba's largest benefactor, the Soviet Union.

The Helms-Burton Act of 1996.

It was passed under president Bill Clinton, further discouraging non-U.S.

companies from investing in Cuba beyond the embargo.

Other factors have contributed to the devolution of the Cuban economy.

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the US capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro in January have left Cuba without a main source of currency, food and fuel.

From 1982 to 2015, Cuba's name was kept on the US list of State Sponsors of Terror, effectively blocking its access to credit and loans in the international financial markets, including the world Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Another setback was the September 1992 congressional report on the Juragua Nuclear Power Plant in Cuba.

US geological Surveys raised safety concerns about the construction and operation of the nuclear reactors.

Officials identifying the site near Cienfuegos was susceptible to earthquake activity.

The nuclear power plant remains unfinished.

Which brings us to the executive order of President Donald Trump on January the 30th.

He imposed a fuel blockade on Cuba.

The president citing the international emergency economic powers.

Any nation providing oil to Cuba will face additional tariffs on their products in the U.S.. Cuba's power grid has long struggled with aging infrastructure and a heavy reliance on imported fuel.

Venezuela was its main supplier until the U.S.

stepped in.

Joining us now to talk more about that is Doctor Andres Tremonti of Florida International University.

And he's here to help us explain the power grid in Cuba that exists and why it is so dependent on fuel.

Dr.

Tremonti, thank you so much for joining us.

- My pleasure to help you out.

Thank you for having me.

- Explain to us in a way that we can all understand what is the electric grid in Cuba rely on?

How is it structured?

- The the electric grid is relying 95% on, on on crude on oil production and 5% in other renewable sources like solar, wind and water.

Having said that, uh, the oil production is very important in terms of what they are relying on, and basically they have up to four refineries that they can go up to 120,000 barrels per day.

That's what they have needed during the last 20 years, I would say.

Again, some data is not accurate.

But looking at the at the at the picture 20, 30, 40 years ago, this is more, more or less the number average again, 120,000 barrels per day that they need for their grid generation.

But again, uh, problems with the obviously the oil coming for mainly two sources, Venezuela and Mexico, maybe going back to 1980, when the San Jose Energy Agreement was signed to help the Caribbean and mainly Cuba.

Then, since they're obviously now those sources are not, uh, sending more oil anymore.

And then the oil production in Cuba is about 30, 32 thousands barrels per day.

So there are shortages, about 90.

And that's the big problem.

That's the gap between what they can produce and what the amount of the oil that they need.

- So in our country we talk about different sources, different vehicles to create energy, not just the oil energy.

We have thermal power.

For example, we have nuclear power plants, solar energy.

Um, what is the status of thermal power in Cuba or the nuclear power plant in Cuba?

- They they don't have nuclear power plants, even though they they try to study one of them, but was basically in theory.

They have up to 12 known thermal power plants that basically relying on natural gas and oil.

And out of those 12, only 4 or 5 are working well enough.

And that's another problem.

That's the gap between the amount of energy they can generate and the amount of energy that they really need.

That gap, again, is about just to give you a rough number.

It's about 90,000 barrels per day in terms of energy.

I can give you another number.

For example, um, average, uh, taking into account that they have 11, 11 million population or less, right?

Currently is about 1100 kilowatt hours.

Kilowatt hours is the most common energy unit that they use to compare apples with apples.

So having said that, if you look at the neighborhood, if you look at the South Florida area, you look at Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Caribbean region, they consume ten, 12, 15 times more than the number that I gave you, the 1100 kilowatt hours, which means that it's like a coin with two faces.

One face is the energy consumption that they have, and the other face is the energy need that they would have.

Therefore, it's about the gap is a huge gap.

It's about yes, exactly.

It's a lot.

It's about ten, 1200 of of of of kilowatt hours that, that that's a lot.

So in terms of the downstream pipeline, the consumer, is that what they need?

And in terms of the generation upstream, that's what's happening that I already shared with you about the bottles needed per day.

- So at Florida International University, you are in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.

So my question to you is if you and your colleagues were asked to help rebuild or consult on what it would take to rebuild the infrastructure, the energy infrastructure of Cuba, um, what are we looking at?

- We are looking at a huge problem.

You will need human resources, not only mechanical engineering, but electrical engineering and technicians in the oil industry and the and the thermal power plants industry as a whole.

Let me just use this example, a whole FPL equivalent, right, in terms of three main things energy generation, energy distribution, energy transportation and energy distribution are at different levels, different type of power and voltage.

So it's a huge task.

I would say that, uh, there are like, as per my best understanding in Cuba, they have a gap in terms of energy generation.

They have another problem in terms of the Greek maintenance and operational and the the that unfortunately putting the equation together again, it's a huge, huge task in terms of human resources and budget.

- We're talking about years, decades to rebuild.

- We we talking about something that could be feasible.

Again, as per my best understanding, I could be wrong.

Between 3 and 5 years, 100 110% effort task working all together throughout the island.

Again, it's a huge task.

It's a huge team of people working on that and it's not that easy task would be obviously other other folks may say, no, Andres, you need 10 or 15 years to rebuild the whole green.

And in terms of reliability and sustainability, yes.

So I just want to give you the two numbers.

Yes.

Short time will be three five years.

a long time will be up to 15 years.

- Well, thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us.

We really appreciate having you, Dr.

Andres Tremante of Florida International University.

- My honor, thank you.

- Cuba has a long history of radio as a lifeline for news and information, especially in times of limited access to the outside world.

Joining us now is Tom Martinez, the CEO of Solmart Media.

He is a veteran of Spanish language radio with more than 40 years covering the island.

He's here to help us understand not just what's happening now, but also the infrastructure in Cuba.

Tom, thank you so much for coming in.

- Thank you for inviting me.

- I'd like to know what are your insights in terms of what is happening in Cuba at the moment?

- Well, let me begin by saying that Cuba is probably going through its worst crisis in the last 66 years since the revolution came on, and people are really suffering, you know, since Maduro was extradited from from Venezuela.

Cuba has just gone down in a spiral.

And because basically Cuba relies on oil, you know, uh, electricity and everything else, you know, that that the government produces and it's based on oil.

And since the US cut off the, the oil supply, they're they're like in a, in a horrible, horrible situation.

- As you follow this, um, what are some of the comments that have caught your attention?

You said earlier that Marco, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been talking about the island nation.

- Yeah.

Uh, there's a sense in South Florida in particular that Cuba is going to be free tomorrow.

And that is not necessarily what the US, uh, Secretary Marco Rubio is saying.

He's saying that this is going to be a gradual process.

It's not going from night to day.

And, uh, that's what we should be expecting and if the people will have a better life afterwards.

I think that's a big step forward.

- For so many years Cubans have been talking about TV Marti, Radio Marti, TV Marti no longer exists.

Radio Marti still does.

It's been broadcast, according to the research, that I found it broadcast out of a building in Miami nightly from ten to midnight.

And it's the content is pushed out in Spanish.

It's from Radio Caracol.

And you worked there.

What was your experience with Radio Marti?

- Well, first of all, Radio Marti has been around for a long time, and they've had a history of interference from the Cuban government, the Cuban government, even though they were jamming the signal all the time.

And then somebody at the Voice of America had the bright idea that if they were not going to let their signal in through the regular antennas, they're going to hire some of the local stations to broadcast their content.

And while I was in Radio Caracol, what they did was they came to us and said, you know, we want to buy some hours from you guys to retransmit what we're already doing on Radio Marti.

And we did that and they were on the air, I think it was between 11 and 2 a.m.

or something like that.

And they've been there ever since.

- And they're still there.

- Yeah, because they're reaching I believe it's the western part of Cuba.

And we used to get feedback from Cuba all the time, people that were listening to us.

- Radio has always been a part of Cuban life.

Cubans on the island and outside of the island, they've always relied on radio.

What is the infrastructure there like now?

- Well, I can tell you from from both sides.

I can tell you that in Cuba, most people think that there's only radio, which is the new station, Radio Rebelde.

Radio Progreso, those are the main networks that cover the whole country.

But there's also a whole group of small stations, which they call community radio stations that are established in the little towns, and many people have told us that they listen to those stations more than to the national networks, because they talk about what's going on in their communities.

Radio has always been community driven, and even in Cuba, and even under this regime, still seems to be going that way.

- Incredible.

What role, when you look at the change in Cuba, if and when it does come, looking at the infrastructure of communications, whether it's media, whether it's radio, whether it's television, what role do you think that US based Cuban media professionals should play or could play in a new or free Cuba?

- I think first of all, we have to get to know the people that are doing their work there now.

Second of all, I think slowly we have to play the role of advisers, of letting them know how commercial radio works.

Letting them know how journalists do their work on the air.

Also establishing some rules and regulations, just like we have here in the US with the FCC.

So there's a whole process of education and mentoring that I think will take place.

It should take place.

- So I hear you say mentoring, consulting.

I don't hear you say taking over controlling.

- I would love to be part of a group if my life goes that far, that maybe we could buy some kind of a communication asset in Cuba.

But at the same time, you know what?

Just helping out, I think, would be gratifying.

- What are you most worried about at this moment in time for the people living in Cuba?

- What I'm most worried about is people dying when the electricity goes out.

People who are on life support, babies who are on life support die.

So that to me, is what really has impacted me.

- Well, thank you for sharing your thoughts and your perspectives with us.

- Thank you for the invitation.

- That is Tom Martinez, the CEO of Solmart Radio.

And joining us now on Florida this week is Betty Viamontes.

She is a Cuban American author, a written about the Cuban experience across the US.

Betty, in the past, in the history of Cuba and the US relations, there have been different moments where many exiles thought this is different.

There seems to be a change.

Do you think that that is happening now, or do you feel that it's too early to tell?

- Part of me thinks that it might be a little bit early to tell.

However, I want to think because that this is different.

I want to think that there's no way that this government can continue.

What are they trying to do?

They want to commit genocide on their own people.

They need to realize that the time has come that they have not done anything for this country other than oppress them.

Put young people in jail just for speaking out.

That is time for Cuba to be free.

- Do you feel that the images of the trash in the streets and the calls from Cubans on the island saying that they have no power, that they have no food?

Do you think that most of the American people really understand what's going on in Cuba?

- They don't.

They really don't.

And I've talked to people within the island.

I know people from Havana.

I know people from other provinces like Villa Clara.

And I know what they're going through.

And no one here has any idea of what it is to go to bed and not know where you're going to be able to eat.

- Are the folks that you're talking to in Cuba now?

Are they saying that this is the worst that it's ever been?

- This is the worst they've seen.

And these are people that have been there from the very beginning.

People whose family lost their store, that kind of people.

and this is the worst.

- Well, thank you so much for sharing your perspective with us.

We appreciate you coming in.

- Thank you very much for inviting me.

- And we continue now the conversation with Victor Dimaio.

We recently spoke with him about Cuba at this crossroad.

DiMaio is the president of the Hillsborough County Democratic Hispanic Caucus, and this is what he had to say.

So many in South Florida and even here in Tampa are asking, is this the moment where the Castro regime, the communist regime, falls?

Right?

But and then others say, we've heard that before, right?

What what is what are you hearing?

- Well, do we have an hour?

Because we don't, you know, we we you know, you and I both have Cuban roots.

We have, you know, we came from families who were born and raised in Cuba.

Um, and what I tell people is Cuba is very complicated.

And this ties into what we want to discuss, because I guess the overriding fact is, Will Cuba become the next?

What happened in Venezuela?

Will they go in and pluck out whoever?

And actually, Mr.

Gonzalez is a new head of Cuba because Fidel Castro passed away.

His brother Raul is no longer, you know, running the government, although some people say he.

- Was appointed by the Cuban parliament.

It wasn't an election, but he was appointed president.

- Right by the parliament.

So I and, you know, they've had their special period when Russia fell, they were supporting Cuba.

Um, and things were very, very bad in Cuba.

Things were very tight, uh, for a lot of people suffered a lot in Cuba.

People are suffering today.

- And the images of Cuba now are very disturbing, right, with trash on the streets, because there's no fuel for the trash collection.

Trash collection trucks.

Right.

Um, so is the question some people are asking.

Many people are asking is should we take action, um, and just end it and go in, and others are saying, no, we should let the Cuban people decide for themselves.

- I think the biggest mistake people make about Hispanics, Latinos and comparing countries, whether it's Puerto Rico to Cuba or Venezuela, to Cuba or Colombia or Mexico to Cuba, we are every one of those countries are vastly different from the other.

They all have their own different uniqueness.

Uh, Cuba is not Venezuela.

Yes, they were friends.

The presidents were friends.

But Venezuela enjoyed a lot more property, prosperous because of the vast oil that they had in Venezuela.

And frankly, I still don't understand what happened in Venezuela, because they cut the tail of the snake off.

But the snake is still there.

The same people that raped and pillaged Venezuela are still running the country.

So the people I don't know what the Venezuelans are can even celebrate now.

And we made it perfectly clear we're in there to grab their oil, which is what we've done, sadly, for 100 years.

- So not everyone would agree with that statement.

- I'm serious, but that's that's what's going on.

I mean, is there freedom?

No.

Is there is there elections coming on?

No.

Who's running the country?

Well number two, that was underneath Maduro.

So what does that mean?

You know Venezuela is a mess.

Now we're talking about Cuba.

How does that translate to Cuba.

I don't see I think, you know, we've talked we have talked.

I say we the people in the United States, people the people of Cuba that have come here, they've talked nausea for six.

We you know, Cuba has suffered the longest embargo, right, for 65 years.

They've had an embargo.

And what has it done?

Have they changed the government?

No.

Has has you know, they've maintained this sort of communist if you want to call it that Marxist, you want to call it that, a type of government which which China does well under, I guess, if you want to call it that, except for their freedoms.

But financially they're doing better.

So Cuba is very unique.

- We want to thank you for joining us on this special edition of Florida This Week.

Cuba at a crossroads.

It certainly feels as if the U.S.

Cuba relations continue to change by the day.

In the past week alone, tensions have flared in Cuban waters for people on a Florida registered boat were killed by Cuban border guards.

The Cuban government says those on board were heavily armed and planned terrorist actions.

The U.S.

is investigating.

Meanwhile, Canada and Mexico have pledged food aid as the U.S.

blockade continues and South Florida Republican lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to reopen a criminal investigation into Raul Castro.

As we process all the geopolitical news, let's not forget the people living in Cuba.

While preparing for this show, we received two emails from Cuban citizens.

They are verified to be authentic.

One was written at 2:40am in the morning, the other just before 6:00 a.m.

the first one reads we are living extreme hard times in our country.

For many years we had seen Cuba, U.S.

relations over several ups and downs, but we never felt this kind of treatment.

We are being treated like enemies.

Cubans feel that some people want us to live with no food, no medicines, unable to get proper medical services, no schools, no transportation to our daily activities, and no fuel for our basic everyday duties to survive.

They are trying to suffocate the Cuban people in here.

End quote.

And the second message reads in part.

What have we done to deserve this?

Are we a plausible threat to the mere existence of the United States?

It continues on to say that my people are suffering the unthinkable with no oil.

Tourism is declining.

Industries are not working.

People are losing their livelihoods.

And worse than that, we will be losing our sovereignty.

End quote.

It's a lot to think about.

Thank you for joining us on Florida This Week.

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