Tipsheet

Pro-Communist Streamer Hasan Piker Is Shocked by Cuba’s Poverty, but Blames the US Not Communism

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  April 01, 2026 2:00 PM

Radical leftist streamer Hasan Piker, known for once claiming the U.S. “deserved” the 9/11 attacks and praising communist leaders like Mao Zedong, got a firsthand look at the realities of communism during a visit to Cuba. 

In an interview with CNN, he sought to blame the country’s dire poverty, rolling blackouts, and wasted potential on the U.S. blockade rather than the failures of Cuba’s communist system. Critics noted the appalling irony that Piker’s tour was widely described as a regime propaganda trip, yet he continued to insist the hardships were caused by the United States, not Cuba’s experiment in communism.

"When I first landed in Cuba, I was taken aback by how beautiful everything was. You know, you got the 1950s cars and it's a tropical island destination, but very quickly thereafter, as soon as we got into Havana, the main city area where people congregate, I couldn't believe the sights that I was seeing," Piker said. "It was very sad. You had homes that looked like they were bombed out. Our tour guide at the time said that this was somewhat of a product of hurricane season and how difficult it is to repair these buildings."

"And I already had known about the rolling blackouts, and I experienced them later in the day. And it was definitely unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Everything's pitch black. There aren't any traffic lights on. It's crazy, right? But I was taken aback. I was very sad by all the poverty that I saw," he continued.

"It was very anger-inducing because I felt like there was a lot of potential on this island that we were just robbing the people of," Piker said. "And it's totally cruel and totally unnecessary. And it was part of the reason why I went to Cuba, because I've heard a lot about Cuban organizing, Cuban government. I'd read a lot about it. I knew about the island's history of developing sovereignty."

However, instead of blaming Cuba’s communist government, the leftist streamer tried to pin the country’s dire conditions on the near-total U.S. blockade of the country.

"But I'd also heard about this blockade. And I wanted to figure out exactly how this blockade was harming people directly," Piker said. "And in many ways that are indirect, because the blockade itself is designed to be invisible, it's a system of sanctions. It's this bureaucratic nightmare that basically renders it impossible for the island to do regular commerce, just like any other country. Banks can't take out loans from any other banks. And you, as an American citizen, as a matter of fact, have a lot of restrictions on what you can and can't do, both on the island, or if you want to even send money. If you have relatives on the island, it's a very difficult process to directly send cash payments to your relatives as well."

"It's totally unnecessary," he added. "These rules are so arbitrary. And yet they're so damaging to everyday Cuban existence."

While Piker blasted the U.S. for Cuba's condition, most of Cuba’s suffering comes from its own government. State-controlled prices create constant shortages, wages average under $30 a month, and constant mismanagement wastes resources. Strict limits on private business stifle innovation, leaving people dependent on a government that can’t even reliably provide food or electricity.

The U.S. has no doubt worsened its situation, but Havana can’t run its own government even without foreign pressure, a point Piker is happy to overlook.

This comes as the Trump administration continues to pressure Cuba to change its unfriendly regime, with the president aiming to ensure countries in the Western Hemisphere align with U.S. interests.