Cuban Americans in Palm Beach Rally for US Intervention in Cuba

Protesters call on President Trump to help as Cuba faces power grid collapse

Mar. 17, 2026 at 10:19pm

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Cuban Americans living in West Palm Beach, Florida are organizing rallies along Southern Boulevard, urging President Trump to intervene as Cuba faces a total collapse of its electric grid, leaving millions without power. The protesters say the situation in Cuba is dire, with hospitals lacking medicine, water, and basic necessities. They plan to gather every Sunday until they see change in Cuba and are calling on more supporters to join them.

Why it matters

The plight of Cubans on the island has long been a political issue for Cuban Americans, many of whom fled the communist regime. This latest crisis highlights the ongoing tensions between the US and Cuba, as well as the desire of the Cuban diaspora to see political change in their home country.

The details

Yarelis Martinez and Yasmina Silva, Cuban Americans living in West Palm Beach, helped organize a rally on Sunday where more than 100 local Cubans lined the streets along Southern Boulevard outside a Publix grocery store. They are calling on President Trump to help Cuba, which is facing a total collapse of its electric grid. Martinez says her family back home is struggling, while Silva says hospitals in Cuba are without medicine, water and basic necessities, and her family has limited power with the threat of being disconnected indefinitely.

  • The rally took place on Sunday, March 17, 2026.
  • President Trump was seen driving by the rally and later addressed the situation in an interview.

The players

Yarelis Martinez

A Cuban American living in West Palm Beach who helped organize the rally and says her family back home is struggling.

Yasmina Silva

A Cuban American living in West Palm Beach who helped organize the rally and says the situation in Cuba is dire, with hospitals lacking medicine, water and basic necessities.

President Donald Trump

The former US president who was seen driving by the rally and later addressed the situation in an interview.

Marco Rubio

The US Secretary of State who has Cuban heritage and said the Cuban government "needs new people in charge" to repair the country.

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What they’re saying

“My family is doing really bad, like everyone else in Cuba.”

— Yarelis Martinez

“The situation in Cuba right now is critical.”

— Yasmina Silva

“I've been hearing about the United States and Cuba, and when will the United States do it? I do believe I'll have the honor. I think I can do anything I want with it.”

— President Donald Trump

“The Cuban government needs new people in charge to repair it.”

— Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State

What’s next

The protesters plan to gather along Southern Boulevard every Sunday until they see change in Cuba, and are calling on more supporters to join them.

The takeaway

This rally highlights the ongoing struggle of the Cuban American community to see political change in their home country, and the desire for US intervention to help alleviate the dire situation facing the Cuban people.