US Democrats visit Cuba and call on Trump to ease rhetoric as tensions and sanctions intensify

Two Democratic lawmakers from the United States have visited Cuba, urging President Donald Trump to ease tensions and reconsider current policies towards the island.

Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Jonathan Jackson said the visit aimed to assess humanitarian conditions following what they described as a tightening of US restrictions, including limits on fuel supplies and remittances.

Speaking to reporters in Havana, Jackson said, per Reuters: "This is the most sanctioned part of Planet Earth right now, just 90 miles off our shores.”

"Let´s bring the rhetoric down. People are suffering. And they are suffering for no good reason," he added.

The five-day visit included meetings with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, lawmakers and foreign ministry officials. Jayapal said there had been early discussions between both countries, noting: "There has been dialogue - the beginnings of dialogue," but added that negotiations had not yet fully developed.

The visit comes amid heightened tensions between the two nations, with the Trump administration imposing sanctions and placing Cuba on a list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Lawmakers said conditions in hospitals they visited reflected the strain of long-standing economic challenges, worsened by recent restrictions.

Jayapal also pointed to signs of possible progress, saying: "There are a number of things that indicate that the moment is here for us to have a real negotiation between our two countries."

Jackson warned that without change, migration pressures could increase, stating: "People will not simply stay here, suffer and die."