Duration - 7:06 

[a video on Peertube about Cuba from the news collective Belly Of The Beast]

The Trump administration’s oil blockade has plunged Cuba into darkness, leaving millions to face blackouts that last more than 20 hours, forcing hospitals to postpone surgeries and bringing public transportation to a halt.

Now, Democratic lawmakers are challenging Trump’s authority to impose it.

Reps. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY) have introduced a War Powers Resolution challenging Trump's authority to use military force to cut off Cuba's oil supplies. The lawmakers argue that enforcing the blockade constitutes an act of war that requires congressional authorization.

Belly of the Beast journalist Charlie Cabrera spoke with Erik Sperling, executive director of Just Foreign Policy, about the legislation to end the oil blockade, the stakes of the upcoming midterm elections and whether Congress can change the course of U.S. policy toward Cuba.