The Cuban Revolution has survived two-thirds of a century under US blockade but is today under greater pressure than ever. US government actions including the January 3 kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro, assaults on Caribbean sea-lanes, and a January 29 executive order imposing steep tariffs on states that supply oil to Cuba are all aimed at cutting off Cuba’s fuel supply and bringing the country to its knees.

Many reports tell of a dire humanitarian situation, with now-frequent power cuts and widespread shortages, worse even than in past crisis moments. Donald Trump and anti-communist ideologues like Secretary of State Marco Rubio seem determined to push Cuba into chaos. Threats against Cuba’s trade partners are designed to give the United States the final say over the island’s fate.

Still, Cuba does not stand alone. The Nuestra América Convoy has called for an international solidarity effort to bring humanitarian aid to the island on March 21. One of the organizers is David Adler, co–general coordinator of the Progressive International, and a veteran of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. He spoke to Jacobin’s David Broder about the US pressure on Cuba, its ripping up of international law, and the need for practical solidarity with the Cuban people.