Cuban doctors rushed a 2-month-old baby, dehydrated and suffering from malnutrition, to the intensive care unit.
asserted
doctors → rush → unit
He weighed less than 5 pounds and had been taken to William Soler Pediatric Hospital in Havana, Cuba, by protective services after being abandoned.
asserted
He → weigh → services
After he was stabilized, the 2-month-old boy needed specialized formulas, many of which come from the United States, according to Dr. Alejandro Chong, head of the ICU.
uncertain
many → stabilize → ICU
"We have to make do with formulas made from malanga — a starchy root vegetable — and chicken," Chong said.
asserted
Chong → have → malanga
Doctors in Cuba make compromises like that on every shift.
asserted
Doctors → make → shift
Just 90 miles from the U.S., Cuba has always imported much of what it needs — now new restrictions are making it harder to import food and medical supplies.
asserted
it → import → food
Cuba has been under a trade embargo with the U.S. for decades, but now President Trump has tightened the vice, threatening to sanction those who do business with the Cuban regime.
asserted
who → tighten → regime
Washington says it does not intend to restrict food and medical supplies, but many foreign companies,
, won't sell them to Cuba.
asserted
it → say → Cuba
Cuba's problems long predate the Trump administration's new sanctions.
asserted
problems → predate → sanctions
For decades, the U.S. says the regime mismanaged Cuba's economy and let its infrastructure crumble.
asserted
infrastructure → say → economy
But only a single tanker of oil has reached the Caribbean island since early January, according to Cuban officials, which has crippled the country's electrical grid.
uncertain
which → reach → grid
A generator quickly turns on at William Soler Pediatric Hospital, but the moment between when the
and the generator turns on
asserted
generator → turn → Hospital
"Those few seconds might seem insignificant to someone outside the medical field, but they're precious seconds when you're dealing with a patient under general anesthesia or a patient on a ventilator in the intensive care unit," Chong said.
uncertain
Chong → seem → unit
Doctors said when the generators fail, they've had to finish surgeries using the light from their cellphones.
asserted
they → say → cellphones
If ventilators stop working, they pump oxygen for critical patients by hand.
asserted
they → stop → hand
Because it's exhausting and poorly paid work, a huge number of doctors have left the profession or the country itself.
asserted
number → pay → profession
Many who've stayed have taken second jobs just to get by, including Chong.
asserted
who → stay → Chong
He makes more money at the food stand he owns than he does running the ICU.
asserted
he → make → ICU
Dr. Lórien Rodríguez, a second-year resident in pediatric surgery, supports herself by working as a radio announcer.
asserted
Rodríguez → support → announcer
"There are fewer personnel, fewer resources, and it makes all the work we're doing much more difficult," she said.
asserted
she → be → ?
Doctors told 60 Minutes cancer drugs, anesthetics and lab equipment are all in critically short supply.
asserted
drugs → tell → supply
Rodríguez said doctors are "constantly" forced to tell patients they're unable to help because of the issues.
asserted
they → say → issues
When 60 Minutes visited, doctors said a toddler had been waiting 68 days for an artificial lung machine component critical to surgery she needed, which normally had a wait time of two days.
asserted
which → visit → days
She said she trusts the doctors, but she's nervous about the lack of supplies.
asserted
she → say → supplies
Blanco said she has asked friends in the U.S. to send surgical supplies just in case she needs a cesarean section.
asserted
she → say → section
Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Cuba's deputy foreign minister and a main negotiator with the U.S., said he owes it to families "to do as much as we can to ease the situation that the population faces."
Conflict between U.S., Cuba goes back decades
Cuba has been under communist rule since the 1960s.
asserted
Cuba → say → 1960s
The government employs most of the country's workers and runs the hospitals and schools.
asserted
government → employ → hospitals
Cuba's leaders have jailed critics, limited free speech and Washington says the regime has hoarded billions of dollars.
asserted
regime → jail → dollars
Since former leader
seized power back in 1959, nearly every American administration has tried to force change in Havana.
asserted
administration → seize → Havana
For decades, a U.S. embargo has cut the island off from American trade.
asserted
embargo → cut → trade
Washington blames the crisis in Cuba on Havana, saying a corrupt communist regime has mismanaged the country for decades.
asserted
regime → blame → decades
Havana blames Washington, saying U.S. policies are designed to turn Cuba into a failed state.
asserted
policies → blame → state
"The United States has no legitimacy to what they're claiming.
asserted
they → have → what
They just have brutal power against the whole population of another country.
asserted
They → have → country
That is criminal," de Cossío said.
asserted
Cossío → say → ?
In his second term, Mr. Trump has turned up the rhetoric.
asserted
Trump → turn → rhetoric
His administration wants Havana to know there are "no escape valves," as Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously told Axios, and has even threatened potential in Cuba.
asserted
Rubio → want → Cuba
"Actually, what we're gonna do with Cuba is we're gonna come back from Iran, those beautiful ships will pass Cuba.
asserted
ships → go → Cuba
We'll have one of them stop about 50 yards off the coast.
asserted
one → have → coast
They'll raise up their hands and then we're gonna send Marco Rubio in to finish up the deal," Mr. Trump said at an event last month.
asserted
Trump → raise → event
…and 23 more, not listed.
The Aporia
