Left-wing streamer Hasan Piker has defended his decision to stay in an upscale Havana hotel during a humanitarian mission to Cuba, where he and other activists delivered food, medicine, and solar panels to Cubans facing severe fuel shortages and blackouts. The mission, organized as the Nuestra América Convoy, aims to deliver thousands of pounds of aid to Cubans suffering under U.S. economic sanctions that have contributed to the island's economic collapse.

Piker and his group stayed at the Iberostar Marques de la Torre, which maintained power through a generator when Cuba experienced its second nationwide blackout in a week. Critics, including Cuban exiles and right-wing commentators, accused the activists of hypocrisy for enjoying luxury accommodations while ordinary Cubans endured electricity rationing and garbage piling up in streets. Some Cubans on the island, including journalist Yoani Sánchez, questioned the group's legitimacy after they met with President Miguel Díaz-Canel, whom Sánchez accused of ordering repression during the 2021 protests.

The convoy includes prominent figures like British politician Jeremy Corbyn, labor leader Christian Smalls, and Rep. Ilhan Omar's daughter Isra Hirsi. Organizers say the mission responds to what they call a "ridiculous embargo" that has isolated Cuba and caused suffering. While some participants stayed in hotels, others lodged in private homes. The controversy highlights tensions between humanitarian intentions and perceptions of privilege when Western activists engage with politically sensitive regions under economic distress.