Translating Cuba – English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island

Cuban General ‘Mandarria’, Who Went So Far as To Call for the Execution of His Own Son, Has Died

Gustavo Fleitas Ramírez belonged to Fidel Castro’s old military guard, and his death continues to reduce the ranks of the “historic generation.”

One of his sons recalled that the military officer had even asked for his execution for being a “traitor to the homeland” / Jorge Fleitas/Facebook

14ymedio, Havana, November 14, 2026 / The death of Brigadier General (Ret.) Gustavo Fleitas Ramírez, known as Mandarria, has left two epitaphs that are difficult to reconcile. The Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces bid farewell to one of its veteran combatants this Friday, while one of his sons recalled that the officer had even asked for his execution by firing squad for “betraying the homeland.”

Between these two versions emerges the story of a man whose loyalty to the Revolution, according to family testimony, was above even blood ties.

“He dedicated his entire life to that damned Revolution, abandoning his family. When I was imprisoned, he asked that I be shot for treason,” wrote his son, Jorge Fleitas.

“He dedicated his entire life to that damned Revolution, abandoning his family. When I was imprisoned, he asked that I be shot for treason. But he was my father. Rest in peace, General,” wrote his son, Jorge Fleitas, identified on Facebook as Guitera Antonio. This serious accusation is a revealing testament to the family fractures caused by the subordination of private life to ideology in Cuba.

Fleitas Ramírez belonged to the generation of military officers whose careers began fighting against Fulgencio Batista and ended intertwined with the survival of the regime established by Fidel Castro. In February 1958, he joined the “Doctor Mario Muñoz,” Third Front commanded by Juan Almeida Bosque, after participating in clandestine activities of the 26th of July Movement.

After 1959, he received the rank of first lieutenant and began a rise through the ranks that led him to command armored units, infantry divisions, and territorial structures of the Armed Forces. He was head of the Holguín Army Corps, the Central Army, and second-in-command of the Western Army. He also participated in the Bay of Pigs invasion and in the operations against the insurgents in the Escambray Mountains, officially called the “fight against bandits.” continue reading

His military record includes four missions in Africa. In Angola, he was head of the Southern Troops Group and deputy head of the Cuban mission. In Ethiopia, he led a tank brigade and later the military mission. All of these were responsibilities reserved for officers who enjoyed the confidence of the political and military command structure headed by Fidel Castro.

That confidence did not necessarily translate into effectiveness. Testimonies from former military personnel, gathered in investigations into the case of General Arnaldo Ochoa, maintain that Mandarria was replaced in Angola by Leopoldo Cintra Frías, known as Polo, due to the deteriorating military situation prior to the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. Ochoa would later assume command of the mission.

‘Mandarria’ was replaced in Angola by Leopoldo Cintra Frías, known as ‘Polo’, due to the deteriorating military situation prior to the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale

A founder of the Communist Party, Fleitas received numerous decorations, including the Antonio Maceo, Camilo Cienfuegos, and Ernesto Che Guevara Orders. His son had previously denounced that, despite so many years of service, the general ended up living in conditions of neglect.

His death adds to a string of fatalities among former revolutionary leaders. During 2026, Ramiro Valdés, William Gálvez Rodríguez, and Alcibíades Wilmer Pérez Rivero, among other veterans, also passed away. Biology is accomplishing what no political renewal could: definitively removing from the stage the initial protagonists of the Revolution.

In 2019, journalist Reinaldo Escobar warned in an article that belonging to the “historical generation” required more than just having fought against Batista : it required embracing communism and demonstrating loyalty to the ruling elite. Mandarria embodied that condition to its most intimate consequences.

The Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces announced that his ashes will initially remain in the Colón Cemetery before being transferred to the Mausoleum of the Third Front in Santiago de Cuba. There he will receive military honors. His son, meanwhile, offered a much less ceremonial farewell: the acknowledgment of a father whom, despite everything, he could not bring himself to hate.

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Video of the Trial of General Ochoa in 1988, Subtitled in English

Cuba’s “Granma” Newspaper Doesn’t Bring Fresh News, But it Costs 20 Pesos

A street vendor offers copies of Tuesday’s newspaper this Saturday in a city where even advertising arrives late.

“Read the newspapers!” he insisted with conviction. Each one cost 20 pesos and they all bore the same date: November 10, 2026. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, November 14, 2026 / The freshest news on a Havana street this Saturday was four days late. “Read the newspaper!” called out an old man sitting on a wall, with several copies of the Granma newspaper arranged on a makeshift cart. Each one cost 20 pesos and they all bore the same date: November 10, 2026. In a country where almost everything arrives late, from electricity to bread, even the official press isn’t in much of a hurry.

The vendor, one of the few remaining in Havana selling newspapers, wore a dark, long-sleeved shirt and held an open copy in his hands. Beside him, a cardboard box overflowed with neatly folded copies of the Communist Party’s official publication. “A pack of 20 is 400 pesos,” he added loudly, on the corner of Infanta and Carlos III, as if announcing a unique opportunity. continue reading

The pages of ‘Granma’ have a commercial advantage: they don’t age because they hardly change and they are not subject to the corrosive acid of reality.

“Grandpa, I thought Granma* didn’t exist anymore,” joked a young man who approached to look at the date printed on the front page. The remark was amusing. The island’s main newspaper has become a rarity in its printed format. Between the paper shortage, distribution difficulties, and the growing interest of Cubans in getting their news online, finding a copy is almost as surprising as stumbling across an empty bus at rush hour.

The strangest thing was that the old man wasn’t advertising a clearance sale of back issues of newspapers, nor was he offering the stock as material for wrapping avocados. “Read the newspapers!” he insisted, with the conviction of someone selling information fresh off the press. His hawker’s cries made no mention of the subtleties of the calendar.

Although the price, 20 pesos for a newspaper, may seem insignificant compared to the inflation that devours wages, it is still payment for news that is already outdated. However, the speeches, slogans, and promises of the future that usually fill the pages of Granma have a commercial advantage: they don’t age because they barely change and are not subject to the corrosive acid of reality.

Translator’s note: The source of the name “Granma”

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A Cuban Journalist Is Kidnapped and Held at Gunpoint To Force Him To Resign From ‘CubaNet’

Vladimir Turró Páez recounts that State Security agents took him to a wooded area and tried to force him to record a video.

Vladimir Turró was held in police custody for about ten hours and received threats of imprisonment if he continued practicing journalism. / Cubanet

14ymedio, Havana, November 13, 2026 / Independent journalist Vladimir Turró Páez reported on Friday that three State Security agents forcibly took him to a remote area of Havana, where they threatened him with a gun while trying to force him to record a video announcing his resignation from CubaNet. The reporter remained in police custody for about ten hours before being released, after receiving further threats of imprisonment if he continued practicing journalism.

The events occurred this Thursday, when Turró was visiting his mother in the Havana municipality of La Lisa. According to his account, three officers arrived at the house and ordered him to accompany them. They forced him into an unmarked car and, during the drive, made him keep his head down between his legs.

The vehicle eventually stopped in a wooded area, far from the usual city activity. There, one of the officers pulled out a pistol while another prepared a phone to record the statement they intended to extract from the journalist.

“They pointed a gun at me and demanded I resign from CubaNet,” Turró reported. According to his testimony, the armed man repeatedly manipulated the magazine and pulled the trigger. The reporter stated that he didn’t know if the gun was loaded and that he feared for his life. continue reading

According to Turró’s testimony, the armed man repeatedly manipulated the magazine and pulled the trigger.

The agents insisted he publicly announce his departure from the independent media outlet, but Turró remained silent. Two days earlier, the journalist had received an informal summons to appear at Villa Marista, the State Security headquarters in Havana, but he decided not to attend.

After the episode, he was taken to the Sixth Police Unit, where an officer who said he was from Villa Marista gave him a warning. The officer accused him of “usurpation of legal capacity” and maintained that the practice of independent journalism was not permitted in Cuba.

Turró rejected that argument and reiterated his decision to continue working. He was finally released around 9:00 p.m. “I’m going to keep doing journalism,” he stated in his testimony published by CubaNet.

The incident comes amid a new wave of arrests and threats against independent reporters. On November 5, Yoani Sánchez, director of 14ymedio, was detained for nine hours after being stopped as she left her home in Nuevo Vedado. During her detention, agents of the political police threatened to prosecute her for propaganda against the constitutional order.

Reporters Without Borders denounced on November 9 that these three arrests in just four days constituted a new offensive against press freedom.

Two days earlier, Camila Acosta, a contributor to CubaNet, was arrested while taking her cat to the veterinarian. She spent several hours at a police station and received a 3,000-peso fine, in addition to further threats of imprisonment. On November 2, Adelth Bonne Gamboa, another journalist linked to the same media outlet, had also been arrested.

Reporters Without Borders denounced on November 9 that these three arrests in just four days constituted a new offensive against press freedom. Its director for Latin America, Artur Romeu, demanded an end to the harassment and reiterated that reporting on matters of public interest is not a crime.

The situation is especially serious for Henry Constantín, director of La Hora de Cuba, who has been imprisoned in Camagüey since September and is being held in pretrial detention on charges of disobedience . His case has been denounced by international organizations that are demanding his release.

Intimidation against reporters also includes house surveillance, travel bans, and threats. On November 6, several journalists woke up to find police patrols outside their homes, preventing them from attending a cultural event organized by the U.S. Embassy in Havana.

In Turró’s case, the complaint introduces a particularly alarming element: the use of a firearm to try to obtain a public resignation. His testimony describes an operation designed not only to prevent journalistic coverage, but also to force the reporter to permanently abandon his profession.

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‘elTOQUE’ and ‘Café Fuerte’ Join Forces to Create a New Spanish-Language Media Outlet

The project seeks to bring back journalists laid off from local newsrooms and has $75,000 in initial funding.

Journalist José Jasán Nieves, editor-in-chief of elTOQUE / Facebook/José Jasán Nieves

14ymedio, Havana, November 14, 2026 – Cuban independent media outlets elTOQUE and Café Fuerte announced this Saturday the launch of elTOQUE USA, a journalistic initiative aimed at covering current events in immigrant communities in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties in South Florida. The project is emerging amid a deep crisis in the region’s Spanish-language media, marked by closures, layoffs, and a significant reduction in local newsrooms.

The new platform aims to take advantage of the experience of journalists who have lost their jobs in recent months and combine it with digital content distribution tools. Its goal is to restore coverage that has been weakened in areas such as housing, the cost of living, immigration laws, public services, and decisions made by local governments.

The initiative has financial backing from the Knight Foundation and Press Forward South Florida, which have committed $75,000 in matching funds. To reach the $100,000 needed to sustain the first year of operations, the organizers will have to raise another $25,000 through community donations before December 31. For every dollar contributed, the funding organizations will add another three dollars.

The launch comes after a succession of blows to Miami’s Hispanic press. América TeVé, Channel 41, ended its live production after three decades of broadcasting; Univision 23 reduced its local news team, and the McClatchy company recently eliminated 32 jobs in Miami, a decision that left El Nuevo Herald with virtually no Spanish-language reporters. continue reading

The new platform aims to take advantage of the experience of journalists who have lost their jobs in recent months

The elimination of those positions has particularly affected journalism devoted to monitoring municipal and county institutions, following the courts, and explaining administrative decisions that affect immigrants’ daily lives. At the same time, numerous professionals with decades of experience, sources, and knowledge of the community have been left out of newsrooms.

elTOQUE USA will operate through a collaboration between the two publications. Wilfredo Cancio Isla, founder of Café Fuerte and a former El Nuevo Herald journalist, will oversee the work of a team of independent contributors. elTOQUE, for its part, will contribute its experience in audiovisual production, social media, and audience development to distribute reports through videos, newsletters, and messaging services such as WhatsApp.

“We don’t want to build a smaller version of El Nuevo Herald,” explained José Jasán Nieves, executive director of Mas Voces Foundation, the organization that operates elTOQUE. The intention, he added, is to get the work of experienced journalists onto the platforms where a large part of the community currently gets its information.

The announcement comes just four days after Nieves, elTOQUE’s editor-in-chief, received the 2026 Knight International Journalism Award in Washington, presented by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ). The recognition particularly highlighted the exchange-rate monitor for Cuba’s informal market and the La Travesía project, dedicated to documenting missing Cuban migrants.

With this expansion, elTOQUE, which began as a news project aimed at Cubans both on and off the Island, is broadening its scope to include American local journalism

The fundraising campaign will begin with Give Miami Day, an annual donation event organized by The Miami Foundation. Between November 14 and 19, the organizers hope to initially raise $5,000, while the overall campaign will remain open until the end of the year.

With this expansion, elTOQUE, which began as a news project aimed at Cubans both on and off the Island, is broadening its scope to include American local journalism. The initiative comes at a time when South Florida’s Hispanic community is losing traditional media outlets but still has a large pool of professionals capable of telling its own stories.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Without Gas or Electricity, Kitchens in Old Havana Go Dark

“Paladares” and cafés in the historic center remain closed this Saturday or offer only drinks and bread.

14ymedio, Darío Hernández, Havana, November 14, 2026 – Finding a place to have lunch in the historic center of the Cuban capital has become another obstacle course. In addition to the increasingly frequent blackouts in an area that for years enjoyed the advantages of underground electrical circuits, because it is a heritage and tourist district, this Saturday there is also a shortage of manufactured gas, whose supply has suffered new interruptions since the previous day.

According to 14ymedio’s observations, numerous restaurants and cafés had their stoves turned off. Some were selling only drinks or sandwiches, while many others had not even opened.

In addition to the increasingly frequent blackouts in an area that for years enjoyed the advantages of underground electrical circuits, this Saturday there is also a shortage of manufactured gas.

In the picturesque Peluqueros Alley, businesses kept their doors open, although their kitchens were missing an essential ingredient: gas. The shortage was hampering service at establishments in the area, located on Aguiar Street, between Peña Pobre and Avenida de las Misiones, in the Santo Ángel neighborhood, as well as at other nearby businesses.

Having been accustomed for years to a more stable electricity supply than other neighborhoods, they had not needed to invest in alternatives to keep their services running during blackouts. / 14ymedio

Among those affected were Paladar La Lore, Café Fortuna Joe, and the Cuba 54 restaurant, which traditionally offer a diverse menu that includes Cuban and international food.

The search for a hot lunch was also unsuccessful just a few blocks away. El Ateneo, on Prado, between Refugio and Genios, was without gas or electricity. Farther south, the always-crowded Venamí pizzeria on Avenida Bélgica, between Lamparilla and Teniente Rey, remained closed.

The Manufactured Gas Company reported this Friday a reduction in natural gas deliveries to its production plants. The reduction caused low pressure and partial or total disruptions in different areas of the distribution networks. The statement, released by the Havana government, did not identify the affected municipalities or specify when service would be restored. continue reading

Having been accustomed for years to a more stable electricity supply than other neighborhoods, many businesses in Old Havana and Central Havana had not needed to invest in generators, batteries, or other alternatives to keep their services running during blackouts. Now, with power cuts becoming increasingly frequent, this lack of preparation has become an additional problem.

Installing solar panels is also not easy in these neighborhoods. The deterioration of buildings and the characteristics of their roofs and rooftops complicate a solution that may be more accessible in other parts of the city.

Installing solar panels is also not easy in these neighborhoods. The age of the buildings, the deterioration of many properties, and the characteristics of their roofs and rooftops complicate a solution that may be more accessible in other parts of the city. But while blackouts can be overcome with alternatives of one’s own, the lack of gas is more difficult to resolve because it depends on the restoration of supply through the distribution network.

Even the underground network is no longer immune to breakdowns. Last August 29, eight circuits in Old Havana were left without service. A month earlier, residents of the municipality had warned that frequent blackouts could cause further damage to the installations. The infrastructure was already showing signs of deterioration more than a decade ago: in September 2015, 14ymedio reported a breakdown that affected 23 city blocks in Central Havana and required repairs to a century-old network.

The electricity crisis itself has contributed to worsening the difficulties with gas. / 14ymedio

The electricity crisis itself has contributed to worsening the difficulties with gas. In October, the Manufactured Gas Company explained that the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras and Ernesto Guevara thermoelectric plants had forced it to use more natural gas to sustain electricity generation at the Energas power stations, reducing the raw material available to the production plants in Havana and Marianao.

As early as August, a breakdown at the Canasí collection center had affected seven municipalities in the capital, including Old Havana and Central Havana. At food establishments in El Vedado, images very similar to those now spreading throughout Old Havana were seen at the time.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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U.S. Sales to Cuba Are Twice China’s, but Beijing Remains Havana’s Leading Partner

The Island purchased barely $523 million worth of goods from its Asian ally from January to September, while sales from the northern “enemy” have exceeded $1 billion.

VEDCA assembly plant, a joint venture between China’s Tianjin Dongxing and Cuba’s Minerva, in Boyeros. / Cubadebate

14ymedio, Madrid, November 13, 2026 – Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez has flown to Vietnam after concluding a visit to China, from which he obtained no more concrete results than Beijing’s customary expressions of solidarity against U.S. sanctions on the regime. It was the Island’s foreign minister’s second trip to the Asian giant, but both visits have yielded little more than statements about the “potential of bilateral economic cooperation and the willingness of Chinese companies to expand their ties with Cuba.”

This Thursday, Rodríguez participated in a trade and investment forum in Beijing alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga. At the forum, Ren Hongbin, president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, “highlighted progress in Chinese exports of electromechanical products to Cuba, as well as the presence of Cuban goods in the Chinese market, including rum, honey, and fishery products.” But the trade balance is so heavily tilted in China’s favor that it is impossible to imagine anything remotely resembling an equal partnership.

Chinese export figures to Cuba show that the Asian country shipped $523 million worth of products between January and September of this year. Figures from China’s General Administration of Customs reflect a 35.5% decline compared with the same period in 2025. That year ended with a total of $1.08 billion, most of it consisting of electrical equipment—primarily panels, batteries, and telephones—worth $445.88 million. This was followed by vehicles and parts—cars, electric motorcycles, and transportation equipment—at $187.11 million; machinery and mechanical appliances at $123.8 million; iron and steel products at $59.41 million; and a varied group of other products—including aluminum, plastics, and optical and medical equipment—at $263.8 million. continue reading

Chinese export figures to Cuba show that the Asian country shipped $523 million worth of products between January and September of this year

Cuba, meanwhile, sent barely $229 million worth of goods to the Asian country, leaving the bilateral trade deficit at approximately $854 million. What was unusual about last year was that the vast majority of those sales ($136.1 million) consisted of metals—zinc, nickel, cobalt, and other metals—along with another $24.6 million in copper scrap. Currently, however, the Island cannot export these products because of the collapse of its mining industry and the departure of several foreign companies as a consequence of U.S. sanctions.

Tobacco ($42 million) and lobster ($12 million) remain at the top of the list. Chemical and pharmaceutical products, to which Cuba attaches so much importance, barely reached $2 million, only slightly more than rum, at $1.94 million. The Island lost one of its major exports to China with the collapse of its sugar harvest, which in 2023 brought Havana $13.5 million before subsequently disappearing from the records, just as it disappeared from the sugar mills and store shelves themselves.

To understand the seriousness of the situation, it is enough to review the historical figures for sugar exports to China. In 2019, Cuba exported $134 million worth of sugar and even in 2020, $130 million. In both years, sugar was the country’s leading export to Beijing, although shortages were already beginning to affect the Island.

Cuba continues to consider China its leading trading partner, ahead of the United States, despite the fact that its neighboring country has managed to move far ahead of its major international rival this year. Between January and September 2026, the United States sold $1.0965 billion worth of goods to the Island, an increase of 91% compared with the same period the previous year ($572.8 million), according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Compared with China’s January-to-September figure—the $523 million cited above—the difference is nearly twofold ($573.5 million).

The jump is spectacular when compared with previous years. In 2024, China sold Cuba $644 million worth of goods, compared with $585.2 million from the United States. In 2025, Beijing surpassed Washington by an even wider margin: $1.08 billion versus $809.6 million. The major change is driven primarily by U.S. fuel sales. Through August alone, trade in fuel between American suppliers and Cuban private businesses amounted to $231,744,309, a category that previously did not exist.

In 2024, China sold Cuba $644 million worth of goods, compared with $585.2 million from the United States. In 2025, Beijing surpassed Washington by an even wider margin: $1.08 billion versus $809.6 million

In addition, $314.3 million came from sales of agricultural products, an exception to the embargo that has been in effect since 2000 and has turned the United States into one of Cuba’s main food suppliers. This role has become more firmly established since the approval of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in 2021. These businesses import enormous quantities of food from Miami while the Cuban state lacks the resources to do anything comparable.

Nevertheless, the United States cannot be considered a trading partner of Cuba in terms of international trade, since that designation implies a two-way flow of goods that is impossible for both legal and practical reasons. According to official U.S. Census Bureau records, total exports of goods from Cuba to the United States barely reach between $1 million and $5 million annually, permitted under very specific authorizations. The products cited include works of art, research samples, and goods produced by the private sector, such as coffee, charcoal, and honey.

Through its shipments, the United States is a supplier of food and authorized goods, but not an economic cooperation partner in the same way as China, which also carries out strategic projects on the Island and provides financial assistance, including debt forgiveness and restructuring.

A geopolitical paradox: Beijing remains the Havana regime’s leading partner, while the Cuban population increasingly depends on food and fuel shipments from the Empire.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuban National Handball Team Goalkeeper Breaks His Silence After Staying Behind

Luis Alazales helped his team qualify for the Under-21 World Championship; now he recounts how he escaped and discusses his plans to settle in Quebec.

Alazales’ immediate priority will be to obtain legal status in Canada. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Andy Lans, Matanzas, November 12, 2026 – Many handball fans will remember last November 1 as the day Cuba secured its qualification for its second Under-21 World Championship in 2027, defeating Mexico 38-30 in the final of the IHF Junior Trophy for North America and the Caribbean. But for Luis Alazales, that day meant something more: it changed his life forever.

The 20-year-old Cuban goalkeeper had grown tired of stopping shots from the Mexican players, but after the match and the celebration of the title and qualification for the World Championship, he continued with his plan to remain in Quebec, Canada. “When we returned to the accommodations, I already had my suitcases packed because we had to leave for the airport, and there was an exit door right in front of my room. I took advantage of the fact that my roommate had gone out and left immediately. From there, I went to a nearby church,” he told 14ymedio.

The Cuban national team dominated the tournament. They began the group stage with victories of 32-28 over the United States and 33-21 over Puerto Rico, as well as a 38-38 draw against Canada. Then, in the semifinals, they defeated Guadeloupe 28-24 before going on to beat the Mexican team. For Luis Alazales, this was his fourth international competition and perhaps his best individual performance. continue reading

“When we returned to the accommodations, I already had my suitcases packed because we had to leave for the airport, and there was an exit door right in front of my room”

At just 16 years old, the 6’1.5″ tall player from Artemisa had competed in the 2023 Under-21 World Championship, held in Germany and Greece. Despite his young age, he was undaunted and stopped eight of the 26 shots he faced, achieving a 31% save rate. In 2024, he participated in the IHF Junior Trophy for North America and the Caribbean, held in Mexico, where Cuba qualified for the 2025 Under-21 World Championship in Poland. However, the Island’s team did not attend the event due to a lack of funding. Last year, Alazales once again represented the Island at the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, where he recorded a 26% save rate, stopping 44 of 171 shots.

“Before leaving Cuba, I had considered the possibility of defecting because of certain personal circumstances. Nevertheless, I decided to put my responsibility to participate in the entire tournament first. My goal was to do my job and win the gold medal for the Cuban people, my family, and my teammates, who work hard every day. I had to fulfill my responsibility to the team during the competition before making any decision, because those guys are like my brothers,” Luis explains.

Alazales’ immediate priority will be to obtain legal status in Canada. Later, to join that country’s handball system, his new club will most likely have to negotiate his transfer with the Cuban Handball Federation. This is what international regulations for the sport establish in cases like these.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights Urges an Investigation into the Medical Mission in Italy

The NGO is calling for a labor inspection that would, at a minimum, ask healthcare workers to present their passports to verify whether they have them in their possession or someone is withholding them.

Roberto Occhiuto, president of the Calabria region in Italy, and the first contingent of 50 healthcare workers who arrived there in January 2022. / Facebook/Roberto Occhiuto

14ymedio, Madrid, November 12, 2026 – The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) is pressing to ensure that the medical mission in Calabria, Italy, is at least investigated. The Madrid-based organization is urging Rome and Brussels to “activate and evaluate” a series of mechanisms to determine the conditions under which healthcare workers perform their jobs and whether those conditions could be considered “forced labor.”

Cuban doctors working in this region of southern Italy have been hired directly by the Calabrian healthcare system since the initial agreement with Havana, signed in 2022, was modified. The decision was made in response to accusations of slavery that have pursued these brigades for years, primarily because of the appropriation of up to 90% of each professional’s salary and the withholding of their passports. Although the current contractual conditions are not known, the healthcare workers themselves have disclosed that they receive their full salaries but donate up to half to the State, supposedly voluntarily.

The report, which is more cautious than the Observatory’s press release, does not assume that the Calabrian authorities are committing any type of crime. On the contrary, it suspects that the contracts comply with the law. Nevertheless, it repeatedly points out that the obligation of Italian and European authorities is to ensure compliance with their international commitments to prevent, detect early, and prosecute human trafficking and forced labor. To that end, it emphasizes that “the signing of a contract or initial consent does not validate the subsequent loss of freedom to leave the service.” continue reading

The report recalls that the Cuban regime subjects doctors to exhaustive control, threatening them with prison if they abandon missions abroad

The report recalls that the Cuban regime subjects doctors to exhaustive control, threatening them with prison if they abandon missions abroad. Although the doctors in Calabria are not technically carrying out that assignment, intimidation and coercion remain latent. The OCDH is urging labor inspectors to, at a minimum, ask the individuals concerned to present their passports to verify whether they have them in their possession or someone is withholding them.

The Observatory cites several legal and institutional instruments applicable within the European sphere, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the directive on human trafficking, which provide a legal framework for these cases. It also names existing courts, the Group of Experts on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA group), and Italian Justice and Interior institutions that could be approached to report any possible violation of rights, although in practice all of them require proof of specific coercion.

“Abusive working conditions do not automatically constitute human trafficking or forced labor, although they may provide relevant indications warranting an investigation into whether either exists,” the report insists. It also provides a telephone number through which potential victims can file an initial complaint that could trigger an investigation.

“To substantiate complaints, it is essential to provide individual testimonies, contracts, cooperation agreements, salary receipts, disciplinary instructions, communications, resignation requests, and evidence of threats or reprisals. The documentation must make it possible to establish the actual working conditions, the professionals’ effective freedom to leave the missions, and the possible coercive mechanisms used to prevent them from doing so,” it explains.

The Observatory’s report is presumably intended to pressure Italy into taking action just ahead of the arrival in Rome of the Council of Europe’s GRETA group, which will visit the country in early 2027 for its technical follow-up evaluation on combating human trafficking. To that end, it is urging authorities to launch, on their own initiative, “formal and independent investigations into the terms of the agreements signed, verify the voluntary nature of the doctors’ participation, and guarantee effective avenues of protection to shield doctors from possible reprisals.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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“If You Want To Be Like Me, Work”: The Bitter Irony of a ‘Diver’ Searching Through Havana’s Garbage

A man rummages through mountains of waste while displaying on his cart a phrase that captures the contradictions of present-day Cuba

Entre tanta miseria, aparece una frase capaz de detener al transeúnte más apurado. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, November 12, 2026 / The man bends over a mountain of garbage and rummages among food scraps, plastic containers, damp cardboard and torn bags. The scene could be mistaken for so many others that are repeated every day in Havana, where the buzos [literally “divers,” Cuban slang for people who scavenge through garbage] have become part of the landscape. But this time, amid so much misery, there appears a phrase capable of stopping even the most hurried passerby.

“If you want to be like me, work,” reads the black lettering on the red board of a four-wheeled cart. The message has something of fatherly advice, of street defiance and of a slap in the face to a society where work long ago stopped guaranteeing a decent life.

The message has something of fatherly advice, of street defiance and of a slap in the face to a society where work long ago stopped guaranteeing a decent life

Its author does not wear a tie, does not occupy an air-conditioned office, nor does he appear on television explaining the virtues of collective effort. He works among waste, separating out whatever can still be put to use. His office is a garbage dump and his means of transport, a cart cobbled together from pieces of wood, scraps of iron and wheels of various origins. continue reading

The phrase lends itself to several readings. It may be a declaration of pride from someone who earns a living without asking anyone’s permission. Or else a jibe aimed at those who expect to receive something without making any effort at all. Or perhaps a warning: to end up like him, all it takes is to work hard in a country where wages evaporate before the first week of the month is over.

The sign does not seem to have been written from a place of defeat. It has the insolence of someone who still keeps his dignity and refuses to be looked at only with pity

Nevertheless, the sign does not seem to have been written from a place of defeat. It has the insolence of someone who still keeps his dignity and refuses to be looked at only with pity. While others give speeches about the culture of work, this Havana man bends down, sorts, loads and pushes.

In the Cuba of unfulfilled plans and recycled slogans, few phrases are as uncomfortable as his. Because this man with the cart works – boy, does he work. The saddest thing is that he has to search in the garbage for what the economy will not let him find outside of it.

Translated by GH.

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At Havana’s Chinese Ten Cent, the Only Thing They Don’t Charge for in Dollars Is Looking

The store at 23rd and 10th reopens under the name Sumai, with electric motorbikes, cars and a scant variety of products, but it accepts neither Cuban pesos nor Clásica cards

Outside, onlookers take turns pressing their faces against the glass to try and figure out what’s inside. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, Darío Hernández, November 12, 2026 /Sumai’s green sign stands out on the facade of the old Ten Cent at 23rd and 10th, in El Vedado. The building, which for decades was a landmark of Havana commerce, has regained some of its outward luster. But this Wednesday, barely 24 hours after the new Chinese-managed market opened, customers were met with a surprise: the store was closed “for inventory.”

Behind the glass doors, the cash registers, the decorative lamps and a few shelves can be made out. Outside, curious onlookers take turns pressing their faces against the glass to find out what’s inside. A man shields himself from the glare of the sun with one hand as he tries to peer into the interior. The scene seems more fitting for an exhibition than for a retail business.

“Is the same thing going to happen to it as to the other Chinese store that was shut down a few days after it opened?” asks a woman who came from Centro Habana. Her concern is not unfounded. The experience of other businesses launched amid high expectations and later brought to a standstill feeds consumer distrust.

In August 2024, China Import, popularly known as the “Chinese Costco,” closed its doors at Manglar and Oquendo, in the Cerro neighborhood, just as it was starting to become famous for its competitive prices. The business, housed in former industrial warehouses linked to the Sabatés soap factory, was subjected to an audit. Shoppers who turned up at the time found a sign announcing it was closed “until further notice” and explanations that were far from reassuring. There was no further notice. continue reading

The new Ten Cent, run by the Cuban-Chinese joint venture Sumai S.A., opened this Tuesday with a long line. At ten in the morning, those interested began going in, ten at a time. But the excitement was short-lived. One customer who came out among the first warned that there was no food or toiletries, precisely two of the goods that Cuban families need most.

On Wednesday, by contrast, there was no line. Visitors arrived, asked questions, looked through the windows and ended up leaving. On one of the doors, a sheet of paper stuck on with tape announced opening hours from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., accompanied by the phrase “trial process.” The makeshift nature of the notice contrasted with the renovation of the building, painted an intense green that is impossible to ignore.

Through the glass, one could make out shelves with merchandise, gleaming counters and several spherical lamps that give the interior the air of a modern store. Also visible were fairly empty spaces, with wide expanses of shiny floor and a layout that still seemed far from making use of the building’s full capacity.

Through the glass, shelves of merchandise, gleaming counters, and several spherical lamps could be seen, giving the interior a modern shop feel. / 14ymedio

Among the products on sale are electric motorcycles and cars of little-known brands. One of the cars, black and gleaming, was on display with its trunk open, as if waiting for someone to make up their mind to load their purchases. The image had something extravagant about it in a city where getting hold of a packet of detergent can be a good deal more urgent than driving off in a brand-new vehicle.

But the biggest surprise lay in the payment terms. The establishment does not accept the Clásica card, used in other dollarized stores on the island. Purchases must be paid for exclusively in U.S. dollars in cash. It is a requirement that considerably shrinks the pool of potential buyers, especially among those who receive wages and pensions in Cuban pesos.

The commercial promise was ambitious. Sumai had announced back in July a range of goods that would cover food, household appliances, hardware, construction materials and renewable-energy equipment, in addition to retail and wholesale operations. That is why the reopening of such a well-known building raised expectations that went far beyond curiosity about seeing a new store.

On the sidewalk, meanwhile, life went on as usual this Wednesday. A homeless man was resting, sitting against the green wall next to the store’s exit door, which was covered by curtains with blue and red stripes. Further along, other passersby stopped for a few minutes in front of the windows. The old shopping corner had regained its ability to draw people’s gaze, but it had not yet managed to turn that into purchases.

Among the products being sold are electric motorcycles and cars from little-known brands. / 14ymedio

For several generations of Havana residents, the Ten Cent at 23rd and 10th represents a memory of display windows, merchandise and family outings through El Vedado. The popular stores belonged to the U.S. chain F. W. Woolworth Company, which arrived on the island in 1924 and opened outlets in Havana and other cities. Famous for their variety of merchandise and their affordable prices, they were nationalized by Fidel Castro in October 1960, although their name has survived for decades in popular memory.

So the reopening of this centrally located store, after such a long wait, had all the ingredients to become good news. However, between the absence of essential products, the requirement for cash dollars and the closure “for inventory” just one day after the opening, the initial enthusiasm is beginning to cool.

For now, the Chinese market has achieved something that seemed difficult: getting Havana residents to stop once again in front of the doors of the old Ten Cent. What it has not yet managed to do is give them enough reasons to cross the threshold.

Translated by GH.

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For the First Time, the Cadecas Offer a Dollar Better Exchange Rate Than on the Street

There is a line this Wednesday outside the Centro Habana Currency Exchange House, where they are buying foreign currency at 917 pesos, while the informal market offers 915.

At the Cadeca on Belascoaín and Neptuno streets, in Centro Habana, people were crowded into a line. / 14ymedio. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Darío Hernández, Havana, November 11, 2026 — Something unusual is happening in the currency market this week: for the first time, official establishments are competing with the informal foreign exchange market. This Wednesday, at the Currency Exchange House (Cadeca) on Belascoaín and Neptuno streets, in Centro Habana, people were crowded into a line: the dollar was being purchased at 917 pesos, a better rate than on the black market. Everyone there was “selling,” taking advantage of the fact that it was the only Cadeca in the area buying U.S. currency.

“I get a better rate here than on the street, where right now it’s going for 900,” a woman tells 14ymedio. In dollar-buying and selling groups, the dollar was being offered at 895 CUP this Wednesday. Another retiree argued: “Even if it’s the same as on the street, exchanging money at a Cadeca gives you the security of knowing you won’t be cheated, robbed, or given counterfeit bills, as has happened to me.”

The Cadeca on 23rd and J streets, in El Vedado, was closed, supposedly because of construction work. The one on Neptuno Street was not buying dollars, and at the Habana Libre Hotel the line was not moving, so people were leaving.

The official “floating” exchange rate rose sharply from Monday to Tuesday, surpassing the informal rate at the currency exchange houses. While the banks remained well below the street price (886 for the euro and 791 for the dollar), at the Cadeca branches the U.S. currency was being purchased at 919 pesos on Tuesday, just one peso less than on the black market. This Wednesday, the dollar fell in general, except at the Cadeca branches, where for the first time the street rate was surpassed: 917 compared with 915. continue reading

The euro, meanwhile, also experienced a comparable increase: at the same establishments, it was being sold for as much as 1,025 pesos, 108 pesos more than the previous day, and purchased at 1,003.

Although the increase in the banks’ exchange rates was smaller, they also went up: 823 pesos at the Banco Popular de Ahorro (BPA) and the Banco de Crédito y Comercio (Bandec), 7 more than on Monday, and 783 pesos at Banco Metropolitano (779 pesos for transfers, 10 pesos more than the previous day).

This Wednesday, the dollar fell in general, except at the Cadeca branches, where for the first time the street rate was surpassed: 917 compared with 915. / 14ymedio

At these banking institutions, the exchange rate was the same this Wednesday, while it moderated very slightly at the Cadeca branches, where the dollar was being purchased at 917 pesos and the euro at 999 (the selling rates were 922 pesos and 926, respectively). These rates remain exceptionally high.

After unsuccessfully fighting the unofficial exchange of dollars, a campaign that included an effort to demonize El Toque, the media outlet that for years has reported the informal exchange rate based on information gathered from buying and selling advertisements published on social media and classified-ad websites, the Government created a new formal “floating” exchange rate in late December 2025.

That rate, initially set at 410 pesos, just 30 pesos below the informal market rate, became the third exchange rate operating in the country: the rate of 24 pesos per dollar governing state-owned companies, and the rate of 120 per dollar for individuals, tourism, and other “foreign currency-generating entities.” The measure was intended to “organize” the economy and move toward monetary unification, but a year later, that has yet to happen.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Some of Cuba’s 16,000 State Transport Workers Fear Losing Their Jobs in the Restructuring

The Automotive Business Group has recorded a 47.9% decline in passenger transportation and a 31.5% drop in freight transportation.

The number of bus tickets has fallen by more than 80%. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, November 12, 2026 – The survival of Cuba’s state transportation sector will depend, to a large extent, on the two-thirds of its workforce that must be sacrificed to make 17 companies belonging to the Automotive Transportation Services Business Group (GEA), with 16,487 employees, financially viable. According to its director general, Oscar Alberto Carbajal Serrano, the organizational structure had 90 employees, a number that was reduced to 70 and will eventually fall to 29.

These cuts at the Higher Business Management Organization (Osde), the state entity that groups together all companies linked to transportation, affect office personnel, from executives to specialists, technicians, and administrative staff. But the changes “also extend to the 17 basic business units, many of which will begin operating as state-owned micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) or will be established as subsidiary companies of the entities to which they belong,” Carbajal predicted. The warning has raised fears about the fate of many workers who do not know whether they will be absorbed by the newly announced entities.

Carbajal said Wednesday on the television program Mesa Redonda that, given the current crisis, “the business group should have gone bankrupt and closed down,” but he attributed its survival to decisions made under the 176 economic reforms approved by the Government in June. The group recorded a 47.9% decline in passenger transportation and a 31.5% drop in freight. The figures are even worse when looking at the sector as a whole, as Transport Minister Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila revealed last month in an interview with Reuters: a 75% decrease in trips compared to last year.

Carbajal said Wednesday on the television program Mesa Redonda that, given the current crisis, “the business group should have gone bankrupt and closed down”

The National Bus Company, Carbajal explained, is in the worst condition. It was already experiencing a very negative trend, but in 2026, the limited availability of fuel has caused a sharp decline in travel, with daily trips on interprovincial routes falling from 5,000 to just 844. According to the official, freight distribution is another major concern, affecting all types of products, whether medicines, food imports, or even parts and components for solar power facilities. continue reading

“Multimodal transportation requires more than 9,000 liters of fuel per day to guarantee its operations throughout the country,” he warned. This has affected hemodialysis patients, sometimes forcing hospitals to admit them to avoid costly, or even impossible, transportation, while also creating difficulties for their relatives. Other groups affected, according to the broadcast, include school transportation, which has required adjustments to routes and schedules, as well as taxis and other vehicles. He also included the 900 three-wheeled vehicles used for short trips, whose availability has likewise been limited.

To address the situation, executives analyzed solutions across the 17 companies, which cover all kinds of related activities, including advertising, technology, logistics, and software. These are the areas where workforce reductions have been concentrated.

Leasing vehicles, warehouses, and premises at transportation terminals to private operators has become a source of income that the group plans to capitalize on. It will begin with more than 600 transportation units, out of the total of 12,650 owned by the group’s 17 companies that are now in the hands of “new non-state economic actors.”

“That is precisely what this is about: making assets productive,” Carbajal said, arguing that all of this will ultimately lead to better quality and more affordable prices. To date, however, citizens are far from seeing such improvements: state transportation is scarce; corruption and unofficial fares are widespread; and the private alternative, when available, is priced beyond the reach of much of the population.

The official mentioned the state-owned companies currently responsible for transporting personnel: Transmetro and the new MSME Transmed, which plan to expand their services for healthcare workers and patients.

The official mentioned the state-owned companies currently responsible for transporting personnel: Transmetro and the new MSME Transmed, which plan to expand their services for healthcare workers and patients

Carbajal elaborated on the idea of charging stations, which Rodríguez Dávila had also announced in his interview with Reuters. The group has 120 charging stations acquired with state funding and manufactured with the participation of the domestic industry, he said. That is twice the 60 stations previously announced by the minister, corresponding to those that, according to the executive’s statement yesterday, are at the distribution company and ready to be sent to other provinces. “It is one way of taking advantage of local energy for local transportation,” he said.

This would help begin supporting the circulation of the increasingly numerous electric vehicle fleet. Cuba currently has 150,000 vehicles of this type, including cars, motorcycles, and three-wheeled vehicles, representing 15% of the total. Taxi Cuba has just received 200 cars, Carbajal explained, 160 of which are already in service, and is awaiting another 200.

At a time when transportation for ordinary users is in complete collapse, it was striking to hear the executive say that, at least, the administrative situation remains afloat, even if it does not solve the population’s problems. “None of the 17 companies is currently operating at a loss,” he stated, explaining that although revenues are not yet satisfactory, none will end the year in the red.

“The group’s primary social responsibility is precisely to guarantee the transportation services that citizens need, especially those connected with essential services,” he concluded. In reality, however, this is not being fulfilled.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Resignation of the Governor of Camagüey Points to a Corruption Scheme

An independent journalist exposes serious irregularities, and readers of ‘Cubadebate’ demand explanations about Jorge Enrique Sutil Sarabia’s “mistakes.”

Sutil Sarabia had held the position since May 28, 2023. / Radio Agramonte

14ymedio, Madrid, November 11, 2026 – Jorge Enrique Sutil Sarabia, governor of Camagüey, submitted his resignation, which was accepted by Miguel Díaz-Canel on Tuesday, according to a statement published in official media. According to the official version, the resignation came “after acknowledging mistakes made in the performance of his duties, incompatible with his responsibilities,” an addition that has not proven sufficient for public opinion.

The public knows so well that the euphemism conceals the word “corruption” that even some comments on the government-aligned Cubadebate are demanding transparency. Everyone still vividly remembers the dismissal of former Minister of Economy and Planning Alejandro Gil in February 2024, which was initially presented as a “reassignment of officials,” but a few days later was announced as the result of “serious mistakes made in the performance of his duties.” The former senior official was sentenced in December 2025 to life imprisonment for espionage and to 20 years in prison in a second trial for economic and administrative crimes.

The former senior official was sentenced in December 2025 to life imprisonment for espionage and to 20 years in prison in a second trial for economic and administrative crimes.

With that memory probably in their minds, citizens have not hesitated to demand clarity in order to prevent speculation. “The reason for the resignation, without euphemisms or shadows. We are not in the 1970s. Now everything is known and will become known in the coming days, but I would prefer to hear the Government’s version,” one reader wrote. “Why isn’t the full story being reported, including the reasons he resigned, so that speculation, lies, etc., from other media outlets can be avoided?” another asked. Another commenter was more direct: “Some time ago, the Social Communication Law was approved, and among its principles it guaranteed citizens the right to informational transparency. However, there is increasingly more secrecy. For some time now, corruption by this official has been denounced on social media. Once again, we are losing the communications war. Credibility remains in crisis,” the commenter lamented. continue reading

On social media, independent journalist José Luis Tan Estrada, from Camagüey, has claimed the governor’s dismissal as a success resulting from his investigations, which he attributes to the reports he has published about the official. The reporter, now exiled in Mexico, says that a colonel from the province went to Havana to participate in the investigation of Sutil, based on his allegations. “Why was it necessary to bring an investigator from outside the province to join an investigation of this magnitude? Was there distrust about the possibility of independently investigating these events from within Camagüey? Now they will try to prevent all this from turning into a public scandal,” he says.

Tan Estrada maintains that “among the matters under investigation is the fuel allocated to several MSMEs in quantities exceeding established limits,” which was allegedly diverted from public services, including ambulances and taxis for hemodialysis patients. “Amid this scandal, and because of other acts of corruption under investigation that we exposed, the director of Taxis Cuba in Camagüey is also being removed. Another act of corruption uncovered by the commission involves resources belonging to state-owned companies dedicated to producing food and beverages. Certain contracts favored some MSMEs, which ended up purchasing practically the entire production,” he adds.

Tan Estrada identifies the Beverage and Soft Drink Company, the La Vaquita Dairy Industry, and the Meat Industry as entities under investigation. They produced food and beverages but diverted them to private businesses

Tan Estrada identifies the Beverage and Soft Drink Company, the La Vaquita Dairy Industry, and the Meat Industry as entities under investigation. They produced food and beverages but diverted them to private businesses. He also adds that construction materials were diverted, as well as a specific item that “involves the Provincial Department of Community Services. Huge budgets allocated to repairing the vehicle fleet, purchasing spare parts and fuel, as well as resources used to support the private MSME Almaley, linked to that entity, are under investigation.”

The journalist directly names several executives from a variety of sectors, including the cultural sector, through a project of the Provincial Book Center that served to divert “millions of pesos.” “Thanks to my sources for their courage. Several years of investigation and risk, and in the end we achieved it,” he concludes.

According to the official statement, Sutil Sarabia will be replaced by the current vice governor until a new one is elected, a decision that the public seems unable to understand, judging by the comments. “I don’t understand anything. The vice governors, who are the governor’s right-hand people, are somehow supposedly unconnected to the mistakes.”

Sutil Sarabia had held the position since May 28, 2023.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The UN Says It Provides ‘Daily Support’ in Cuba to More Than One Million People

Last week, UNICEF donated seven water pumping units to the province of Granma, which will benefit more than 100,000 residents.

Some 341,648 people have benefited in all municipalities of the eastern provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo, the areas most affected by Melissa. / Facebook

14ymedio, EFE, Havana, November 11, 2026 / The United Nations (UN) highlighted on Wednesday the organization’s support in Cuba to more than one million people on issues such as “food security, drinking water and health,” in the current context of deep crisis on the Island.

“The United Nations in Cuba is supporting, in this difficult time for the country, need in areas such as food security, drinking water, and health. More than one million people are benefiting from this daily support,” said Pablo Ruiz, the UN Resident Coordinator in Cuba, in a video shared today on the social media platform X.

According to recent data from the organization, as of September it had managed to mobilize resources and support actions benefiting 1.7 million inhabitants of the Island, out of a target population of two million people contemplated in its Action Plan.

The different United Nations agencies have reached some 46 Cuban municipalities, amid blackouts and after extreme weather events such as Hurricane Melissa, which hit the island in October 2025. continue reading

The different United Nations agencies have reached some 46 Cuban municipalities, amid blackouts and following extreme weather events such as Hurricane Melissa.

According to figures from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), some 341,648 people have benefited in all the municipalities of the eastern provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo – those most affected by Melissa – with the delivery of 6,415 roof modules and 20,548 mattresses; and other supplies such as rechargeable lamps and equipment for medical laboratories.

For its part, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) donated seven water pumping units last week to the province of Granma, which will benefit more than 100,000 inhabitants, amid the serious crisis in providing this vital service in the country and which continues to affect more than 2.4 million Cubans.

The UN Action Plan to provide vital assistance was launched last March, and has already received some $47.6 million of the $94 million planned.

The UN has repeatedly expressed “its concern” about the impact of the severe energy crisis suffered in Cuba and its consequences in all areas of life.

For the past six years, Cuba has been suffering one of the worst economic and social crises in its history, with shortages of food, fuel and medicine, an inflationary spiral and partial dollarization.

Washington’s current oil blockade, described by the UN as contrary to international law, and a new battery of economic and financial sanctions have intensified the pressure on the island, ravaged by years of poor management by the Havana regime.

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