Ivette García González, a distinguished doctor in Historical Sciences and former professor at the University of Havana, has put forth a provocative proposal this week. She suggests flipping the official narrative of the Cuban regime by advocating for a citizen-created resolution that documents the impact of the regime's own "blockade" against its people. This comes as a counter to the Cuban government's annual presentation to the United Nations concerning the damages caused by the U.S. embargo.
García González bases her argument on the regime's own figures. According to the Cuban government's latest update submitted to the U.N., the embargo between March 2025 and February 2026 caused an estimated $8.083 billion in damages, marking a 7% increase from the previous year and setting a record for annual costs. Since 1962, these numbers have accumulated to over $178.7 billion in current prices, as stated by official sources.
“But those figures represent the government’s perspective. We need to consider an alternative resolution from us, the citizens,” García González expressed on her Facebook page. She proposed the title for this citizen document: "The Need to End the Economic, Commercial, Financial, and Existential Blockade of the Cuban Regime Against the People of Cuba."
Calculating the Cost of the Regime's Blockade
García González suggests evaluating the cost of 67 years of dictatorship, starting from 1959, using at least 12 quantifiable indicators. These include the value of properties expropriated between 1959 and 1967, businesses confiscated during Fidel Castro's 1968 "Revolutionary Offensive," and properties promised but never delivered.
The assessment also covers unpaid wages to Cuban doctors and professionals sent on missions abroad, lost income of those unjustly imprisoned, unpaid "voluntary" labor of workers and students over decades, funds lost in the 1961 currency exchange and recent monetary reforms, and compensations never paid for work accidents or transport disasters.
“There are many other things that cannot be measured in monetary terms, like human lives,” García González acknowledged, though she emphasized that the list of quantifiable indicators could expand significantly with public contributions.
Diplomatic and Internal Context
Her proposal emerges amidst significant diplomatic developments. Just two days after García González’s publication, the U.N. General Assembly approved the resolution against the embargo with 130 votes in favor, 17 against, and 25 abstentions—the worst outcome for Cuba in recent years, with a decrease of 35 votes compared to 2025. While the regime labeled the results as a victory, the trend points to a steady diplomatic decline.
Internally, conditions are deteriorating further. As of October 1, Prisoners Defenders reported a historic high of 1,372 political prisoners; the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) forecasts a 10.3% contraction in Cuba's GDP this year; and a negative migration balance in 2025 saw 245,264 Cubans leaving, marking the most significant exodus in recent history.
This reflection is part of a series of public interventions by García González throughout 2026. In May, she proposed a National Civic Movement based on non-violent resistance; in September, she advocated transforming protests into organized strategies; and in October, she argued that “anyone supporting the cause, inside or outside, Cuban or foreigner, is useful and necessary.”
“Even with ten laws on recovering embezzled assets, they cannot compensate for the damage inflicted on the Cuban people,” García González concluded.
Understanding the Impact of the Cuban Regime's Blockade
What is Ivette García González's proposal?
Ivette García González proposes a citizen-driven resolution to document the costs of the Cuban regime's blockade against its own people, as opposed to the government's focus on the U.S. embargo.
What are some indicators García González suggests using to measure the blockade's impact?
She suggests using indicators such as the value of expropriated properties, unpaid wages for professionals sent abroad, and funds lost in monetary reforms, among others.
How has the international community responded to Cuba's U.N. resolution on the embargo?
The U.N. General Assembly passed the resolution with 130 votes in favor, but this represents a decline in support, with 35 fewer votes than the previous year, indicating a diplomatic setback for Cuba.