Code Pink activists party in Cuba 'to break the blockade,' stay in 5-star hotels, hold concert as nation suffers island-wide blackout

Hundreds of foreign activists arrived in Havana this weekend as Cuba faced a worsening nationwide blackout, with much of the island dealing with power outages and shortages. The group traveled under the banner of the “Nuestra America Convoy,” which organizers claimed was aimed at delivering humanitarian aid and protesting US sanctions.

Participants came from North America and Europe by air, sea, and land. Many were seen staying at high-end accommodations, including the Gran Hotel Bristol Meliá Collection, where rooms range from roughly $130 to $520 per night. Others traveled in air-conditioned buses and attended official meetings in the capital.

The convoy included activist organizations such as Code Pink and The People’s Forum, as well as online commentator Hasan Piker, who broadcast from Havana to his social media audience. Also present was Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar. 

It was reported that authorities deployed armed security at the hotel, citing concerns that locals could attempt to storm the property amid anger over electricity use during ongoing blackouts.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel addressed attendees at the Palacio de Convenciones during the visit. The group also organized events, including a concert, while much of the country was experiencing extended power outages.

Cuban authorities confirmed the island has been dealing with widespread blackouts, with some areas reportedly without electricity for more than 20 hours at a time. The outages come as the country faces ongoing shortages of fuel, food, water, and medicine.

“While nearly the entire country is suffering from power outages lasting over 20 hours, the left is welcomed with air conditioning and wasteful electricity consumption,” said Mayra Dominguez, a Cuban living in exile in the US.

“More than 100 homes wouldn’t be without power today if the Castro regime didn’t spend on communist propaganda with the international left,” Dominguez said.

“This is a gigantic mockery of the entire Cuban people. The left visits Cuba as if it were a party at a zoo, and they go to admire the misery from a luxury hotel. It is outrageous,” she added.

The convoy was organized in part through Progressive International, a group linked to Cuban official Mariela Castro, the daughter of former president Raul Castro. Some aid was reportedly transported as part of the effort, though details about its distribution remain limited.

The visit has also drawn criticism from Cuban exiles. “After causing more than a million Cubans to leave in just five years and denying many the right to return to their own country, they are now open to a foreign humanitarian expedition,” said Cuban artist Salomé García Bacallao.