By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - A group of 50 US lawmakers on Thursday condemned the administration’s ongoing blockade of Cuba and called for a shift in US policy.

The lawmakers, led by Rep. Gregory W. Meeks and Sen. Tim Kaine, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, warning that current measures are worsening a deepening humanitarian crisis on the island.

"We write with great urgency to express our alarm at the dire humanitarian crisis in Cuba, a crisis your administration is actively worsening through its expansion of a policy that has failed for more than six decades," they wrote, adding that reliance on “maximum pressure” over more than 60 years has not achieved its intended goals.

The group criticized recent restrictions affecting access to energy and health care, arguing that such measures are contributing to widespread blackouts, shortages of essential goods, and the deterioration of critical infrastructure.

They warned that the situation is placing significant strain on vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses.

"The only U.S. policy that can help Cuba chart a brighter future is one that empowers its people, not uses them as pawns in a strategy that has consistently fallen short.

"Cuba has signaled its willingness to cooperate on issues you have claimed to be priorities, namely migration and drug trafficking, and we urge you to pursue diplomacy over failed pressure tactics," they wrote.

US President Donald Trump reiterated Sunday that Cuba is "next" after the military operation against Iran and that the Caribbean island nation will fail soon.