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Hasan Piker, a progressive news anchor and broadcaster, downplayed the severity of the blackout in Cuba during a recent trip to the communist island, telling viewers that people were “partying.”
“There are power outages all day, every day, all over the country. But today is a beautiful day out here. People are having fun. People are partying in the f—— streets. I don't know if it's an island mentality,” Piker said.
The comments come as US officials warn the island is facing an ongoing energy crisis, highlighting a wide gap between first-hand accounts and government assessments.
Piker, who has supported people who call themselves progressive like Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vt., and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, praised the Cuban people for their resilience.
“The resilience of people is amazing. There are blackouts happening all day, every day, all over the country, right? 11 million people.”
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Internet host Hasan Piker attends Mamdani's election viewing party on Nov. 4, 2025, New York City, United States. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Piker's comments come as Cuba's communist regime finds itself increasingly squeezed for foreign aid after the US operation in Venezuela led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
According to the State Department, Cuba began experiencing power shortages shortly thereafter.
“Understand that Cuba has survived a lot on the basis of subsidies. The Maduro regime was providing them with fuel,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a press conference at the White House.
“So, the reason why the Cuban electricity grid has already collapsed – before Maduro was arrested, it has already collapsed – the reason why things are as bad as they are because they have an economic model that doesn't work. It doesn't work,” said Rubio.
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People walk in a street during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, Monday, March 16, 2026. (Ramon Espinosa/AP)
President Donald Trump has described the energy crisis as dire and said he believes the civil unrest has strengthened American influence on the island.
“I believe I will be honored to take Cuba… That is a great honor. They are a very weak nation right now. They have been for a long time,” Trump told reporters last week.
Trump did not expand on what he said about “taking” the island.
Piker's signs, however, are in stark contrast to how the administration has planned the current conditions on the island.
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Hasan Piker speaks on stage during Politicon 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Oct. 20, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Politicon)
“A lot of the information you see and hear on the island seems to come directly, most of the time, from people supported by the National Endowment for Democracy-Foundation, State Department propaganda, things like that,” Piker said, referring to the pro-democracy group.
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“It is very difficult to extract information here. Although it is very close,” he added. “Just relax. Cubans are shaking,”
Piker did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
