Translating Cuba – English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island

Silvano Pedroso, the First Black Bishop of the Church in Cuba, Has Died

The 73-year-old prelate of Guantánamo-Baracoa was remembered as a humble pastor who was close to the most vulnerable Cubans.

Pedroso had returned to Cuba on June 3 from Rome, where he had spent several months and undergone various medical tests. / Vida Nueva

14ymedio, Havana, 13 June 2026 / Monsignor Silvano Herminio Pedroso Montalvo, Bishop of Guantánamo-Baracoa and first Black prelate of the Cuban Catholic Church, died in the early hours of this Saturday in Havana, at the age of 73, after several weeks in a critical condition due to an oncological illness.

The Cuban Catholic Bishops’ Conference confirmed the death of the cleric and announced that his funeral would take place this same Saturday at the parish of Santa Catalina de Siena, located on the corner of 25th Street and Paseo, in the Havana neighbourhood of El Vedado. After the ceremony, the funeral cortège will make its way to the Colón Cemetery, where his remains will be interred.

Pedroso had returned to Cuba on 3 June, having come from Rome, where he spent several months undergoing various medical tests. During his stay in the Italian capital he received treatment at the Agostino Gemelli hospital and at the infirmary of the Society of Jesus.

The Cuban Church had initially announced, in February, that the bishop was suffering from severe gastritis, but subsequent examinations revealed the existence of an oncological illness. Last Thursday, two days before his death, the Episcopate communicated that his state of health was “very critical” and continue reading

asked for prayers for his recovery.

Born in Cárdenas, Matanzas, on 25 April 1953, Pedroso came to the priesthood after an unusual path among members of the Cuban clergy. He studied Geography at the University of Havana and worked from 1979 to 1982 at the Institute of Physical Planning in Las Tunas.

Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Guantánamo-Baracoa on 29 March 2018

He did not enter the San Carlos and San Ambrosio Major Seminary until 1987, when he was 34 years old. He was ordained a priest on 12 June 1995 by Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino at Havana Cathedral. From that point on he carried out his pastoral work in various communities in Havana and Mayabeque. He served as parish priest in Quivicán, Bejucal, Melena del Sur, and Güines, as well as being responsible for vocational ministry and director of the San Juan María Vianney Priests’ House. From 2013 he had been in charge of the parish of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, in the Havana municipality of Cerro.

His parishioners describe him as a priest of direct contact, accustomed to walking through neighbourhoods and entering the homes of families. Following his episcopal appointment, he was described as a “street priest” – an expression that summed up his way of understanding ministry and his preference for a Church close to ordinary people.

Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Guantánamo-Baracoa on 29 March 2018. His episcopal ordination took place on 27 May of that year at Havana Cathedral, and he took possession of the diocese on 9 June, during a ceremony held at the Cathedral of Santa Catalina de Ricci in Guantánamo.

His mission unfolded in one of the poorest and most isolated provinces of Cuba, with scattered rural settlements, transport difficulties, and a shortage of priests

He thus became the third holder of a diocese created in 1998 by John Paul II and the first Black bishop in the history of the Catholic Church in Cuba, a country where the ecclesiastical hierarchy has traditionally had a racial makeup that has reflected little of the composition of society.

On receiving the appointment, Pedroso stated that he wished to be close to the most needy communities, and chose as his episcopal motto a phrase from the Gospel of Saint John: “Love one another as I have loved you.” His mission unfolded in one of the poorest and most isolated provinces of Cuba, with scattered rural settlements, transport difficulties, a shortage of priests, and communities that suffer in an especially severe way from the deterioration of public services, the lack of food, and the energy crisis.

During his eight years at the head of the diocese, he maintained a discreet profile, removed from public confrontations with the authorities, but focused on pastoral and social care. His figure gained prominence through his support of vulnerable families and his visits to remote communities in the Guantánamo territory.

The United States Embassy in Havana expressed its condolences this Saturday to the Catholic Church and to those mourning his death. In its message, the diplomatic mission stated that Pedroso had dedicated his life “to the service of God and of ordinary Cubans.”

With his death, the diocese of Guantánamo-Baracoa, situated at the eastern tip of the country, falls vacant

“A humble and approachable pastor, he distinguished himself by accompanying those who suffered most and by walking alongside his communities in times of difficulty,” said the Embassy, which also highlighted his “deep love for Cuba” and his dedication to ensuring that citizens could live “with dignity and hope.”

Pedroso’s final journey to Rome was connected to the ad limina visit of the Cuban bishops, although the collective meeting had to be postponed due to the severe fuel shortage affecting the Island. The prelate nonetheless managed to meet with Pope Leo XIV on 20 February. The Holy See did not reveal the details of that conversation. By then, his health had begun to deteriorate and he had to remain in Italy to receive medical care.

With his death, the diocese of Guantánamo-Baracoa, situated at the eastern tip of the country, falls vacant. The Church will need to provisionally appoint a diocesan administrator until the Pope designates his successor.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,” wrote the US Embassy in its farewell to the bishop, quoting the Second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy.

Translated by GH.

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Díaz-Canel Creates False Expectations About Economic Reforms in Cuba

Only in tourism is there a possibility of change, still undefined, with “new approaches and new players” to exploit existing infrastructure.

Díaz-Canel speaks to the press about the approved changes. / cubadebate

14ymedio, Madrid, June 12 2026 / Cuba’s official press managed to create expectations for a few minutes by announcing that Miguel Díaz-Canel would make public this Friday a package of economic reforms that would include “new actors in tourism,” among other changes listed by the Cuban Television journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso.

Among the alleged new features were “direct import and export, elimination of prohibited activities, reduction of the state apparatus, removal of obstacles to the development of companies, use of land by those who can truly produce, entry of new actors into the management and production of energy, and the encouragement of electric mobility.”

“Without first resolving a moderately functional framework for international integration, nothing else could be effective.”

“Belated pragmatism with no apparent clear connections between the measures. Without first resolving a moderately functional framework for international integration, nothing else could be effective. We’ll see the details,” said Cuban economist Pedro Monreal in a swift reaction. He was not mistaken.

At least three of the changes mentioned were already known and had little or no impact on social demands. One is the reduction of the size of the state, which was announced in May and finalized with the bill published this week. The number of ministries is reduced from 27 to 20, and a new Ministry of Information and Social Communication is created, which promises to be another instrument of ideological control.

On the same day, the draft Law on Agricultural and Forestry Lands was released, which establishes state ownership of most lands, with the exception of 20% that already belong to cooperatives and private individuals. The law opens the door for foreign companies to lease land for production, explicitly prohibits the sale of land to non-Cubans, and imposes restrictions on the freedom of continue reading

agricultural producers, who will be penalized if they leave land idle.

Everything announced is part of the so-called Economic and Social Program for 2026

Nor is the legislation reforming exports new. It was published in April through two decrees that foreshadowed the eventual loss of Acopio’s monopoly, thanks to the entry of private companies, although the state-owned company will continue to have an advantage due to its infrastructure and its political and business clout. These provisions also opened up direct sales, but the State reserved the most profitable sectors for itself.

After so much media fanfare, the announcement amounted to nothing when Cubadebate published the president’s remarks from a lengthy press conference whose duration didn’t reflect the novelty. Everything announced is part of the so-called Economic and Social Program for 2026. Only in tourism is there a glimpse of a possibility, so vague that it can hardly be called an announcement.

Díaz-Canel said that it is necessary to move towards “new modalities, with new players” that will allow for the development of “all the infrastructure we have,” after admitting that the sector has been hit hard by Washington’s sanctions. “We cannot think, at this time, only about the large chains when many of them, due to pressure from the United States government, have withdrawn from the country.” The president said: “We are managing businesses in the real estate and tourism sectors, with new modalities and with other actors who are not those who have traditionally been involved in these areas.” Without more details.

Regarding energy, more of the same. Díaz-Canel insisted that the focus now is on advancing the energy mix and moving towards solar. “We are going to remove, as much as possible, the limitations on vehicle imports. We will always prioritize, in terms of tariffs and prices, the import of electric vehicles that are charged with solar energy,” he added.

More promises: the retention of human capital. The president stated that there are “actions and measures” aimed at attracting, above all, young people, especially through higher wages. He did not explain how better wages can be offered in a devastated economy like Cuba’s, with all sectors destroyed, which has led to the loss of up to 20% of the population in recent years.

Nor was it surprising, in a speech that was yet another exercise in wishful thinking, that he said trade would be promoted and that electronic invoicing would be implemented.

It was also unsurprising, in a speech that was yet another exercise in good intentions by the Cuban regime, that he said trade would be promoted and electronic invoicing would be implemented—given the current state of the telecommunications system and the failure of the banking reform. Furthermore, he “announced”—as Cubadebate explicitly states —that “prohibited activities will be limited,” making it clear that they will not be eliminated entirely, but rather that the corporate purpose “will be as broad as possible” and “the possibilities for shareholding will be expanded.”

Díaz-Canel again appealed to Cuban emigrants for help and said that measures are being taken for the use of bank accounts by foreigners and for the elimination of obstacles, though he did not specify what those measures were. “Also discussed are two particular forms of investment by Cubans: that of Cubans residing abroad and that of Cubans in Cuba; and that they can participate on equal terms as economic actors alongside foreign direct investment, alongside state-owned enterprises, alongside non-state entities and cooperatives in the country’s economic and productive framework,” he insists now.

Another of the topics discussed that was already known is the possibility of different types of business associations, such as the decentralization of certain decisions to municipalities or the ability of each company to design its own salary system.

The talk was preceded by Díaz-Canel’s reflections on the real reason that has led to this point: the tightening of US sanctions. “The United States cannot forgive itself for the fact that, at this stage, with all the maximum pressure they have exerted, the Revolution continues to exist and the country continues to function. And not even they themselves believe what they talk about and repeat so much about a failed State,” he asserted, also announcing that the option of a people’s war remains on the table should an aggression occur.

The president spoke of a “multidimensional aggression as part of a totally aggressive policy by the United States government toward Cuba, with utter contempt and an interventionist character,” and said that this presents an opportunity for new ideas and mechanisms, as happened—he compared—in Vietnam. Then, however, he not only failed to announce anything that could counter the latest decisions from the White House, but rather, on the contrary, seemed to make it clear that there is no economic transition in sight. At least, not under his control.

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New Cooking Gas Tariff in Havana Doubles Previous Price, According to Informal Notice to Residents

The price per cubic metre rises from 2.50 to 4.97 pesos, while prices for households without a meter range from 100 to 400 CUP depending on the number of occupants

14ymedio, Havana, 13 June 2026 / “Pass this on to the neighbours so everyone finds out in time.” That is the warning accompanying a new price table for manufactured gas – cooking gas – that has been circulating since this weekend through various WhatsApp groups in Havana. The table nearly doubles the current tariff and significantly increases the bill for customers who do not have a meter.

According to the message, the cubic metre will rise to 4.97 pesos, compared to the 2.50 established since January 2021. A household consuming 30 cubic metres a month, for example, will no longer pay 75 pesos but will instead owe 149.10.

The increase amounts to 98.8%, but the blow will be greater for so-called non-metered customers, whose bill does not depend on actual consumption but on a quantity of cubic metres assigned according to the number of residents in the dwelling.

The table being circulated sets a monthly payment of 99.40 pesos for households of one or two people, corresponding to 20 cubic metres. Households of between three and five residents will have to pay 298.20 pesos for 60 cubic metres, while dwellings with six or more occupants will be assigned 80 cubic metres and a bill of 397.60 pesos.

The informal document also sets the cost of a cut-off and reconnection at 370 pesos, far above the 50 pesos established in the regulations approved under the Tarea Ordenamiento. [Ordering Task].

The increase amounts to 98.8%, but the blow will be greater for so-called non-metered customers

As of this Saturday, neither the Manufactured Gas Company, nor Unión Cuba-Petróleo, nor the Ministry of Energy and Mines had published on their websites any communication confirming the new prices. Nor has the corresponding resolution been found in the Gaceta Oficial.

The message itself, as shared among customers, acknowledges that the information is still awaiting public release. “In any case, it will be announced through the company’s official channels,” states the text, which asks recipients to pass the warning on to their neighbours.

The absence of any official explanation has raised doubts about continue reading

the date of entry into force, the territorial scope of the measure, and the procedure for determining consumption in dwellings without a meter.

Manufactured gas is distributed primarily across several Havana municipalities through a pipeline network, unlike liquefied gas, which is sold in cylinders. Metered customers’ bills are calculated from the monthly meter reading, while non-metered customers are charged a fixed rate based on the composition of the household.

The most recent official tariff found appears in Extraordinary Official Gazette No. 68, published on 10 December 2020 as part of the monetary reform measures. The regulation set the retail price of manufactured gas at 2.50 CUP per cubic metre and that of liquefied gas at 21.30 pesos per kilogram.

The measure hits especially hard those dwellings that have no meter and cannot reduce their bill through conservation

The provision also established a maximum rate of 65 pesos per hour for new installation, renovation, modification, or equipment fitting work, and 50 pesos per hour for cut-off and reconnection services.

If the new table is confirmed, the price per cubic metre will have remained unchanged for more than five years before experiencing a near-100% rise. However, for some non-metered customers the total increase in the bill could be considerably greater, owing to the volume of consumption that will be automatically assigned to them.

A three-person household, for example, will have to pay for 60 cubic metres regardless of whether their actual consumption falls below that figure. The measure hits especially hard those dwellings that have no meter and cannot reduce their bill through conservation.

The informal circulation of such measures has become commonplace in Cuba, where users learn of price changes, service interruptions, and new regulations through neighbourhood groups before the authorities announce them publicly.

“Now we just need the bill to arrive,” commented a Havana resident after receiving the table in her building’s chat group. In a city subject to lengthy blackouts, manufactured gas remains one of the few relatively stable alternatives for cooking – but it may also be about to cease being one of the cheapest.

Translated by GH.

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Cuba is 4th Worst in the World in Inflation, Surpassed Only By Venezuela, North Korea and Iran

Official data for May indicates a year-on-year increase of 15.89%, while the rise in prices in the informal market skyrockets by 66%.
Due to the depreciation of the peso – 40% in one year – powdered milk went from 2,000 pesos per kilo on April 7 to 2,400 on May 26 and 3,200 on June 4

Prices continue their relentless climb in formal markets and, even worse, in informal ones. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, June 12, 2026 / “The price of a four-pound package of chicken went up to 2,000 pesos, 100 pesos more in just one day. And powdered milk went up to 3,200 pesos per kilo,” lamented a Havana resident last week as he left a small business. The price surge has regained momentum in recent months, and official data reflects this. So far this year, the consumer price index stood at 9.16% in May, two points higher than in the same month last year, and the year-on-year variation reached 15.89%.

This is in the formal market; if we look at the informal market, things get worse. As of June 7, US economist Steve Hanke, who regularly analyzes country-by-country data including the informal market, placed Cuba’s inflation at 66% year-on-year. Venezuela remains the world champion, with 574% despite economic changes, followed by North Korea (201%) and Iran (115%). Cuba ranks fourth, its national currency having depreciated by 40% in a year, according to the same author.

The accelerating loss of purchasing power for Cubans is the final straw in this situation. The peso is plummeting so drastically that even the freely convertible currency [MLC] is gaining strength by leaps and bounds. This Wednesday, the MLC was trading at 430 pesos on the informal currency market, and just one day later, on Thursday night, it was already trading at 488 pesos. The euro remains unattainable, trading at 730 CUP, while the most important currency, the dollar, is trading at 642, nine days after reaching a record high of continue reading

600.

This Wednesday, the MLC was trading at 430 pesos in the informal currency market, and just one day later, on Thursday night, it was already trading at 488 pesos.

The most serious aspect of the situation is that there seems to be no end in sight. Data published by the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) reflects considerable price increases in some food items, which 14ymedio has already observed in June. Powdered milk is one of the products that saw the largest price increase in May, according to ONEI, at 6.2%. This newspaper, which publishes weekly prices from various markets across the island, recorded a price of 2,000 pesos for this product on April 7, which rose to 2,400 pesos on May 26, and by June 4 had already reached 3,200 pesos.

Powdered milk has been identified by authorities as one of the products experiencing shortages— preventing its normal distribution to children, who are theoretically entitled to it by the state—due to the suspension of operations by several shipping companies for fear of US sanctions and because of fuel shortages. However, some traditionally domestic products, or even those currently exported, are also experiencing significant price increases.

This is the case with coffee, which in May—according to the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI)—rose 7.7%. Data from 14ymedio indicates that the price of coffee beans was 600 pesos on April 4, 750 on May 16, and 850 on May 30. As for sugar, once a mainstay of the Cuban economy and now a commodity that must be imported, the price increase recorded in May on the official market was 7.69%, and the rise continues, as this newspaper was able to verify. The price was 320 pesos per pound on April 26, 380 on May 30, and 450 on June 4.

Flour, salt, and all meats also saw price increases of between 2.5% and 9% in the CPI report. Furthermore, the restaurants and hotels division, which includes food cooked outside the home, rose 2.93% last month—only alcoholic beverages and tobacco, at 3.13%, exceeded this figure—and now represents a cumulative increase of 14.95% this year and 26.54% compared to last year.

Food is also almost 20% more expensive than in May 2025, the category that most affects the population. Transportation is not far behind; although it didn’t increase significantly in the last month analyzed, it is already officially 21.7% more expensive.

Food is also almost 20% more expensive than in May 2025, the category that most affects the population. Transportation is not far behind; although it didn’t increase significantly in the latest month analyzed, it is officially 21.7% more expensive.

The official press expressed annoyance at the attention given to this issue and dedicated an article to denouncing that the figure was “presented in a decontextualized and malicious way like the percentages of medicine shortages in Cuba.” According to the pro-government publication Razones de Cuba, this “destabilizing” content concealed a different reality: that it was “the deliberate consequence of a policy of economic strangulation designed precisely to generate this scenario of shortages and suffering among the Cuban population.”

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With the Exception of Baracoa and Maisí, There Has Been No Electricity in Guantánamo, Cuba Since Thursday

The Antonio Guiteras power plant is reconnected to the national electricity grid after a week-long shutdown for repairs.

The Antonio Guiteras CTE (Transit Commission) is “in line with the National Electric System and increasing its load,” the UNE (National Union of Electricity Workers) said in a brief statement. / Girón

14ymedio, Havana, Juan Diego Rodríguez, June 12, 2206 / This Friday, two days later than announced, the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas was finally connected to the national power grid. “In line with the National Electric System and increasing load,” the Cuban Electric Union (UNE) said in a brief but eagerly awaited statement, after a week of repair work.

User comments show just how accustomed Cubans are to the ups and downs of the thermoelectric plants. “Let’s see how long it lasts,” one said. “They’re playing the seesaw game, going in and out, what’s the name of the construction project?” said another. A third, with the same resigned humor, wrote: “We’ll see, because the little girl loves to party on the weekends.” The Guiteras plant went out last Friday due to a leak in the boiler.

The reconnection of the country’s most important power plant comes as Guantánamo province has been disconnected from the national electricity grid (SEN) for a day, with little to no news beyond the local area and a corner of social media. A brief post from Radio Guantánamo indicated that the eastern territory had gone offline “due to a fault in the 110 kV [kilovolt] transmission line that connects the province with Santiago de Cuba,” and assured that “work is underway to locate the fault and resolve it.”

“In my house we haven’t been able to cook anything because my wife and I are chronic asthmatics and charcoal makes us very sick.”

The report also stated that only the municipalities of Baracoa and Maisí had electricity service, supplied through Moa, in Holguín.

“In my house, we haven’t been able to cook anything because my wife and I have chronic asthma, and charcoal makes us very ill. We depend on the electric stove to cook, so since yesterday we haven’t even been able to make coffee,” a man from Guantánamo explained sadly to 14ymedio. He added that neither he nor his wife had been able to continue reading

go to work.

“My wife works in a polyclinic lab, but when there’s no electricity, they can’t pump water to the tanks, and practically all the clinics and services have to close,” he explains. “I work at a small business that makes aluminum windows and doors. Most of the machines we use run on electricity, so the workshop doesn’t open when there’s a power outage.”

None of this is mentioned in the UNE’s daily report, which had already predicted early this morning that the Guiteras plant would be incorporated into the National Electric System (SEN) during peak hours. A total of eight thermal units are out of service: units 5 and 6 of the Máximo Gómez plant in Mariel (Artemisa); units 2 and 3 of the Ernesto Guevara de la Serna thermal power plant in Santa Cruz del Norte (Mayabeque); unit 2 of the Lidio Ramón Pérez plant in Felton (Holguín); unit 5 of the Nuevitas plant (Cienfuegos); and units 5 and 6 of the Renté plant in Santiago de Cuba.

The projected deficit for Friday evening is slightly better than in previous days. With a demand of 3,000 megawatts (MW), a shortfall of 1,690 MW is expected, affecting 1,720 MW, or 57.3% of the required capacity.

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Cuba Should Close Its Old Power Plants and Refineries: “Sugar Cane Is the Energy of the Future” – A Must Read

Jorge Piñón, a researcher at the University of Texas, discusses the challenges and opportunities in a future island in terms of electricity and fuel.

Sergio Soto Refinery, in Cabaiguán, Sancti Spíritus. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Yaiza Santos, Madrid, June 12, 2026 / With a degree in Economics and Latin American Studies, Jorge Piñón (b. Cárdenas, Matanzas, 1947) worked for three decades in the oil sector—at companies like Shell, Amoco, and BP—traveling the world. This experience, coupled with his natural interest in the country of his birth—which he left as a young child—ultimately led him to head, at an age when others are already enjoying retirement, a specialized working group at the Energy Institute of the University of Texas at Austin. From there, in recent years, he has become the essential voice for understanding everything related to the energy crisis in Cuba.

The conversation, by phone, took place before Vanguard Energy’s agreement to export fuel to private companies was made public. This agreement, if ultimately confirmed, includes the use of Unión Cuba-Petróleo (Cupet) tanks for storage. It was also before Cupet, the state-owned oil company, was sanctioned by Washington , so it was necessary to follow up with them on the matter. “I see it as a future roadmap for supplying Cuba with fuel during an economic and political transition without Cupet’s monopoly,” he stated. He added an objection: “The challenge of this agreement doesn’t lie with Vanguard, but with the small businesses it will supply. Who will monitor and ensure that these micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) don’t sell or supply Vanguard’s barrels to state-owned companies?”

This is something he’s been warning about ever since the US allowed oil exports to the island’s MSMEs – Cuba also granted import permits, albeit in a more opaque manner with no way to verify the true destination of that fuel, and it could end up in state hands, as 14ymedio, in fact, documented. The interview began with this issue.

14ymedio: Are you aware whether the United States has this information about the fuel diversion and if they have commented on it, even unofficially?

Jorge Piñón: The problem with sanctions is that we can write all sorts of sanctions on a piece of paper, but then how do we verify them? And how do we enforce them? The United States doesn’t have hundreds of FBI agents in every small town and street in Cuba; it’s impossible to ensure that this fuel doesn’t pass through the hands of state-owned assets and companies. From the moment the exported tanker arrives in Mariel, Mariel is a government entity. This is the first step in establishing a connection between the state and the small business importing that fuel. Then, the best place to store the contents of the truck or trailer transporting the tanker is at gas stations, which are empty anyway. In other words, the future of Cuba’s fuel sector is in the hands of Cupet’s assets.

One of the points we advocate is the privatization of logistics, distribution, and marketing of the fuels.

One of the points we advocate is the privatization of logistics, distribution, and marketing of the fuels. The port of Nuevitas, for example, should be made available so that its two or three tanks of diesel and gasoline can be purchased by a distributor or a private logistics company. Trucks or tankers would then come to collect this fuel and transport it to Camagüey, from where it would be distributed to a small gas station, which should also be privately owned. In Cuba, the State should never be involved in the purchase, supply, logistics, or marketing of fuels, just as in Spain and other countries.

14ymedio: Rather, I was asking the question to find out if the United States officials are aware of the risks.

Jorge Piñón: I know they are.

14ymedio: And what do they say?

Jorge Piñón: They’re very quiet. From the questions they ask the experts, we can get a sense of the dilemma they face, the challenge they’re under, and the answer they’re truly seeking. But the question neither you nor I have an answer to, because we don’t have a crystal ball, is how continue reading

the transition will unfold. Until we have a roadmap, all we have are ideas that are difficult to clarify.

14ymedio: At the beginning of this crisis, after the US intervention in Venezuela, Kpler experts estimated that the island’s fuel would last four days. That seems to have been stretched. Aside from the relief provided by the Anatoly Kolodkin refinery —for a month, perhaps?—what allows the country to continue functioning, given that the diesel and gasoline imported by SMEs are barely enough for anything?

Jorge Piñón: Unfortunately, we’re doing that calculation almost blindfolded. What do we know? We know that Cuba was consuming around 100,000 barrels a day in the last year or year and a half. We know that Cuba produces 40,000 barrels a day of heavy crude oil, and we know—very importantly—that this crude oil is used

A Chilean Mural in Havana Cannot Hide the Words ‘Down With the Dictatorship’

This Wednesday, the trace of one of the “subversive” posters was still visible, despite the persistent black paint.

Mural by Sebastián E. in José Raúl Capablanca Park, in the Playa municipality of Havana. “What side of the blade are you on?” / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, June 11, 2026 / The Chilean “urban artist”Sebastián E., known professionally as Rata Virus, has attracted significant media attention, including from some international outlets, for the mural he created in José Raúl Capablanca Park in Havana’s Playa municipality. Covering a large wall with a black background, the mural depicts a male figure, with only half of his face and his chest visible, wielding a machete, beneath the caption: “Which side of the edge are you on?”

As the artist himself explained to EFE, he traveled to Cuba following a promise to the late Uruguayan president José Mujica, and with his work he seeks to reflect how “the people always lose” in scenarios of political confrontation. “Not everything can be seen in black and white,” he told the Spanish news agency, somewhat cryptically.

This Wednesday, the “down with the dictatorship” slogan was still visible, despite the persistent black paint. / 14ymedio

“Generally, the Cuban people are on the edge of the machete, they’re in the middle, and the powerful are on the handle of the machete, they’re the ones who control the blade.” He added: “The work is interesting because it makes you reflect on the fact that whichever side you choose will always end up cutting you.”

What wasn’t mentioned in those media interviews is the subversive slogans written on top of the mural, which were conveniently covered up by the authorities. This Wednesday, still visible in the outline of one of them was the “down” of “down with the dictatorship,” despite the persistent black paint.

Salvador E. during his interview with the EFE news agency in Havana. / EFE/Screenshot

“In Cuba, the fracture is mainly seen in a senstion of political tension that translates into fear, into uncertainty,” Sebastián E. explained in his conversation with EFE, in front of a Basque flag and Nietzsche’s words in German: “Gott ist tot” (“God is dead”).

In the same space, he added, unknowingly putting the finishing touch on the hidden message: “People don’t know what’s going to happen, especially when you add a little something extra that is censorship.”

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The Number of Political Prisoners in Cuba Reached a New Record of 1,281 in May

According to Prisoners Defenders, 28 new cases were recorded in May.

“Cuba is experiencing the biggest wave of repression in recent decades,” PD reported. / 14ymedio

EP (via 14ymedio), Madrid, June 11, 2026 / The number of political prisoners in Cuba reached a new record of 1,281 in May, according to the count by the organization Prisoners Defenders, which warns that this figure is only “the tip of the iceberg of the misfortune” in which the Island and its inhabitants are immersed and highlights the wave of repression being carried out by the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel.

According to this organization, during the month of May, 28 new cases of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience were recorded, many of them related to protests over blackouts, lack of water, food shortages and the extreme deterioration of living conditions on the island.

“Cuba reached a new record in May, which is only the tip of the iceberg of the misfortune that Cubans are experiencing,” denounced the president of Prisoners Defenders, Javier Larrondo, warning that “the international community cannot continue to look the other way.”

Javier Larrondo, warning that “the international community cannot continue to look the other way”

“While the country has been sinking into an unprecedented crisis since 2021, marked by blackouts, hunger, lack of water and the collapse of all basic services, the regime’s response has been to imprison, persecute and sow terror,” he lamented, stressing that “state terrorism has become the only policy practiced” by the Díaz-Canel regime “to maintain power.”

According to Larrondo, “among the new cases are women activists, citizens who denounced the situation on social media, and people arrested after peaceful protests.” The NGO’s latest report also includes “minors imprisoned in adult prisons and victims of torture, ill-treatment, and denial of medical care.” continue reading

In this regard, Prisoners Defenders has denounced the death in custody of Ernesto Brieva Sempé, who was arrested in connection with the protests of July 11, 2021, and died on May 13 after years of imprisonment, chronic kidney disease, malnutrition, and a lack of adequate medical care. His death brings the number of political prisoners who have died in the custody or under the direct responsibility of the regime since 2023 to six.

The organization’s president stressed that “these are not isolated cases; they are the result of a systematic policy of neglect, punishment, and dehumanization.”

Furthermore, he drew attention to the fact that there are 449 seriously ill political prisoners and another 52 with severe mental health disorders who are not receiving medical attention in Cuban prisons. “Every day they remain imprisoned increases the risk of further deaths,” he warned.

Furthermore, Prisoners Defenders has questioned the “alleged pardon of 2,010 prisoners” announced by the regime on May 25, after analyzing the list and finding that only one political prisoner has been released, emphasizing that it was nothing more than “another propaganda operation.” The other political prisoner included in the pardon remains incarcerated.

“Cuba is experiencing the biggest wave of repression in recent decades, and thousands of families continue to pay the price for demanding a dignified life, freedom, and fundamental rights,” Larrondo emphasized.

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Material and Moral Support from Europe to Cuba Multiplies

The regime expands its solar capacity with support from sympathetic organisations on the continent, which are also activating colloquia and mobilisation actions

Solar panels sent by European organisations on the roof of the ELAM. / Cubadebate

14ymedio, Madrid, 11 June 2026 / From this Wednesday, half the energy demand of the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) can be met by the new photovoltaic grid project installed at this university study centre for foreign students. The project was promoted by MediCuba Europa, headquartered in Switzerland, which has already carried out several schemes at the ELAM and other institutions in Cuba.

According to the official press, the panels have a total installed capacity of 208 kWp, and the polyclinic and a study courtyard are protected from power cuts by batteries that have been installed, “contributed by international solidarity to support this beautiful Cuban internationalist project”.

This project forms part of the programme known as Energy for Life, designed to provide electrical supply to health institutions on the Island and funded by donations made to a MediCuba Europa account at a Swiss bank. The official Cuban press states that the organisation has the participation of NGOs from 13 European states “that practise their solidarity with Cuba in the field of health”, and asserts that they are in “different regions”, mixing countries such as Germany, Switzerland, and Austria with autonomous regions such as the Canary Islands.

Brussels hosted a group of activists who called for an “end to the blockade”. / Cubadebate

Furthermore, the press mentions a territory that does not exist as such – Euskal Herria (Basque people or the people who speak Basque), a political-cultural entity that belongs to the imagination of Basque expansionist movements – including the terrorist organisation ETA and its milieu – whose goal is to bring continue reading

together in a single nation the inhabitants of the Basque Country, Navarra, and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques (France).

The MediCuba Europa website states that it is made up of some 18 organisations, eleven of them full members and seven as associates. In the first group are mediCuba-Switzerland, mediCuba-France, and mediCuba-Finland, together with the Spanish Sodepaz, the Italian Associazione Nazionale di Amicizia Italia-Cuba, the German Humanitäre Cuba Hilfe e.V., the Irish Cuba Support Group, the Swedish Svensk-Kubanska Föreningen, the Norwegian Cubaforeningen Norge, the Austrian Österreichisch-Kubanische Gesellschaft, and the Luxembourg Solidarité Luxembourg Cuba.

In the second group: Dansk-Cubansk Forening (Denmark), Cuba Solidarity Campaign UK (United Kingdom), CEESE-group Netherlands (the Netherlands), and the Spanish organisations Euskadi Cuba, Asociación Valenciana de Amistad con Cuba Jose Marti, Asociación Solidaridad y Cooperación Ernesto Guevara de Madrid, and the Asociación de Amistad Canario Cubana Antonio Pérez Monzón.

The ELAM project is broken down on the website into two stages: a large solar plant to be built with two companies – one German, one Swiss – of 60 kW, which has been producing since June 2015. The second stage, the current one, has been underway for a year and involves four companies from the same countries.

But the projects within the solar plan are far more numerous and have also made it possible to install capacity at the Finlay Vaccine Institute, the Faustino Pérez Provincial Hospital in Matanzas, the Cardiocentre and the William Soler polyclinic, the Borras Marfan paediatric hospital, and the outpatient maternity clinic in Matanzas. In addition, the website notes that more energy projects are forthcoming.

The organisation has also recently been involved in projects to secure locally produced sodium heparin for patients in Cuba, the purchase of paediatric antitumoural drugs, and pacemakers for the Cuban health system.

The organisation has also recently been involved in projects to secure locally produced sodium heparin for patients in Cuba, the purchase of paediatric antitumoural drugs, and pacemakers for the Cuban health system.

The activity of European associations close to the Cuban regime is currently buzzing. That same Cubadebate publishes this Thursday the mobilisation that took place at the Luxembourg Square, in front of the European Parliament, to support the start of activities of a solidarity convoy with Cuba that had arrived from Italy and will travel through several cities under the slogans “Let Cuba Breathe” and “Europe Wakes Up”.

In the rain and carrying placards, activists, Belgian and European parliamentarians, Cubans resident in the country, and others joined an event that the official press describes, cloyingly, as a demonstration of “the fact that distance does not cool legitimate commitments”. This was happening outside, while inside a European Parliament – which has already voted on numerous occasions for resolutions calling for the release of political prisoners or sanctions against the regime – an event was taking place organised by the left-wing parliamentary group, entitled Toward a New Internationalism in an Age of War, at which the role of the United States in conflicts such as those in Ukraine or Palestine, but also Sudan and Cuba, was discussed.

It is precisely these two countries that will be the destination of a €350,000 grant from the Basque Government, made up for the most part of right-wing Basque nationalists and socialists. The direct subsidy to the United Nations Development Programme in Cuba amounts to €250,000 and will support the project Havana’s Advance Towards Its Future: Comprehensive Implementation and Monitoring of the Havana Provincial Development Strategy. According to the report, this project aims to promote comprehensive development – energy, waste, and housing – on the Island, which faces “significant challenges”.

Translated by GH

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“Water and Power” – the Desperate Cry of the Cuban Women of Luyano, Ground Down by Constant Blackouts

In Santos Suarez, residents took over a street and set fire to the many open-air rubbish piles and an Etecsa installation

Luyano residents took to the streets with their cooking pots, exhausted by the many hours without services. / Screen capture / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 11 June 2026 / The banging of pots and pans in broad daylight is becoming a regular occurrence. It happened again this Wednesday in the Havana neighbourhood of Luyano, in full view of two police patrols that this time limited themselves to watching as residents beat their cookware to the chant of “water and power”.

Those who leaned out onto their balconies to see what was happening were invited to join in. “It’s not up there, it’s down here, in the street,” one resident shouted at the onlookers still holding back from the protest. Others beat their pans more discreetly from their balconies. By that point they had been without power for some 27 hours – which also meant no water.

The protest, which 14ymedio was able to witness, was not the only one to take place this Wednesday in the capital – or elsewhere in Cuba. The months the population has spent enduring blackouts of sometimes more than 48 hours straight are taking an even greater toll with the summer heat.

Watch video here “Water and Power”, the desperate shout of the women of Luyanó, exhausted by the constant outages.

In Santos Suarez, the night was less peaceful. The protest began after 8 pm and the intensity kept building until, according to an eyewitness account on social media, the crowd took over Calle General Serrano from one end to the other, setting fire to every one of the many rubbish piles until the situation spiralled out of control.

“They didn’t restore the electricity. They almost burned down the Las Estrellitas de Serrano children’s centre. The fire brigade had to come to stop it spreading further. Further along Calle General Serrano they couldn’t control the fire and it burned the Etecsa server – those cabinets on certain street corners – leaving more than half the neighbourhood without communications,” an eyewitness recounted. To cap it all, the state monopoly has said it has no spare parts to repair it and the blackout will not be short-lived.

“At one of the corners where they lit the rubbish piles, because it was night-time, the wind carried the smoke into the homes and a young girl ended up at the Raul Gomez polyclinic because she is asthmatic – and that’s without counting all the other residents breathing in those chemicals,” the resident lamented. In her post she reproaches the United States for the energy blockade and the regime for demanding continue reading

resistance “with no intention of proposing any positive change. And caught between these two governments, the Cuban people are strangling themselves with that rope”.

The night was a long one again. The forecast deficit was 2,040 megawatts: at peak hours the electricity system generates only 990 MW while demand stands at at least 3,000. The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant – the country’s main one – had been expected to come back online this Wednesday after three intensive days of repairs.

Firefighters attending one of the blazes in Santos Suarez. / Impactosdesde el Corazón

In the end, the situation has dragged on a little longer and, on Wednesday afternoon, workers were awaiting the start of the hydraulic test, which will determine when the restart can begin, following verification of all the weld seams and areas of concern in the boiler.

Engineer Roman Perez Castaneda, the plant’s director general, told the official press that the inspection would take around six hours – a “decisive moment to assess the work and correct any weak points”. If the results are favourable, the boiler is closed and fired up, after which a further six hours are needed to reach operating parameters, produce usable steam and begin turning the turbine – the steps required before reconnecting to the national electricity grid.

“We acknowledge it is a race against time, but we have confidence in the work that has been carried out,” said Perez Castaneda. The worst news is that at this stage the 200 MW the Guiteras plant can contribute barely matters when the shortfall is ten times that.

Translated by GH

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Where Are Our Children? Young Cubans in Dungeons and Silence From the Authorities

The cases of Eddy Ceballos, Jonais Antony Arenas, and the members of El4tico expose the opacity of the police and the use of fear against a rebellious generation.

The three episodes, each with its own distinct focus, depict the detention of citizens without clear information and without reliable institutional channels for their families. / 14ymedio

“Eddy Ceballos sends his greetings to everyone; he knows he is not alone,” wrote his mother, Marieta Pérez, after finally seeing him this Tuesday, following days of uncertainty. The message, brief and marked by the usual difficulties—power outages, poor internet connection, and the inability to record a video—confirms that the creator of the comedy channel Despingovery Channel remains under the control of the authorities.

Ceballos’s case is similar to that of Jonais Antony Arenas Fernández, a 23-year-old from Havana who was searched for by his family in hospitals and police stations while, according to Alas Tensas, based on reports circulating on social media , he was detained. It is also similar to that of Kamil Zayas Pérez, a member of the audiovisual project El4tico, who has been imprisoned for four months in Holguín. On Tuesday, the young man sent a letter from prison denouncing that Cuba lives under a regime that has suspended “the right to be happy” and “the full enjoyment of freedom.”

The three episodes, with distinct profiles, portray the detention of citizens without clear information, without reliable institutional channels for families, and with an opacity that turns any arrest or imprisonment into an area of uncertainty and anguish.

Ceballos’ mother bids farewell “from Despingolandia and Apagonia,” a reference to the humorous and critical universe created by her son.

Ceballos was arrested on June 1st after posting a video on his channel in which he toured an abandoned military installation. In the video , presented in his usual satirical style, as if it were a Discovery Channel documentary, he showed remnants of military infrastructure, radar systems, bunkers, and military scrap, without revealing the exact location. He was arrested shortly afterward near his home.

The version circulating among family members and activists points to an accusation of alleged “invasion of military property.” Independent legal organizations have warned that this offense is not recognized as a crime under Cuban criminal law, reinforcing the claim that the arrest was arbitrary. To date, the authorities have not offered continue reading

a transparent public explanation regarding the charges, the legal process, or the measure imposed on Ceballos.

His mother, who in recent days had promised to provide details in a video, explained that she hadn’t been able to do so due to electrical and internet connection problems. “Everyone here knows what’s happening with the power and the connection,” she wrote. Even so, she confirmed that she was able to see him and that he sent greetings to those who have been following the case. “And I, his mother, too,” she added, before signing off “from Despingolandia and Apagonia,” a reference to the humorous and critical universe created by her son.

The complaint described what happened as “a total lack of respect,” due to the family members’ ordeal going from place to place while the authorities denied or confused information about their whereabouts.

The case of Jonais Antony Arenas Fernández took another path, but ultimately pointed to the same problem. The young man, a resident of Santos Suárez and a cafeteria worker, had been reported missing since Friday. According to his mother’s initial testimony, he was detained near the Capri Hotel in Havana while looking for merchandise. The alleged reason was an unpaid fine.

The family received a call from Jonais at 12:20 a.m. from a police station. In that call, the young man said he had to pay 4,000 pesos for the fine. However, when his family went to look for him, they were told he had never been detained there. This contradiction turned the arrest into a de facto disappearance for the family, who began visiting hospitals and police stations without receiving a clear answer.

Journalist Niover Licea reported on his Facebook page that Jonais had indeed been detained and was recently released. The report described the situation as “a complete lack of respect,” citing the family’s ordeal of being sent from one place to another while authorities denied or provided confusing information about his whereabouts.

In the text, Zayas accuses the regime of having caused “a setback of 67 years for Cuba”

Kamil Zayas Pérez, however, remains imprisoned. A member of El4tico an independent audiovisual project based in Holguín, he was arrested on February 6 along with Ernesto Ricardo Medina in an operation that included raids and the seizure of equipment. Since then, his case has become another symbol of the offensive against young people who use social media to document the country’s crisis and challenge the government.

Four months after his imprisonment, Zayas released a declaration written from prison. In it, he accuses the regime of having set Cuba back 67 years and of perpetuating its hold on power “over a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.” The statement, released by people close to the activist, is accompanied by a logo* that, they explained, the young man had been thinking about before his incarceration.

“We, the youth, feel we are part of the present and will bear the consequences and assume the responsibilities of the time that belongs to us,” Zayas wrote. “If the right to be happy, the full enjoyment of freedom, the desire to gather, and the will to act and speak are suspended, we are becoming slaves,” he added.

The El4tico member concludes with a direct appeal to dignity and popular sovereignty: “Because a revolution is not only a right, but also a duty of citizens if circumstances require it.”

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Workers at Varadero’s Luxury Hotels: the Main Victims of Cuba’s Tourism Collapse

The crisis has produced a devastating domino effect on the surrounding communities

Workers in Varadero waiting for transport to Cárdenas / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Pablo Padilla Cruz, Varadero, 9 June 2026 / Though the blue of its waters grows more intense with the start of June, and its white fine sand shimmers under the relentless tropical sun, walking through the streets of Varadero’s tourist enclave today is an ode to nostalgia. What was once the goose that laid the golden egg of the Cuban economy now survives as a desert of broken promises for the handful of visitors who still arrive, for the marginalised residents, and for workers mired in absolute precariousness.

The debacle is not new, but it has reached a point of no return. A self-employed worker confirms as much as she weaves her electric mototaxi around the potholes along the peninsula’s scorching asphalt. “Things have been getting worse for about ten years now,” she says, eyes fixed on the road. “First came the decline in the quality of tourists. I know that well, because I was a waitress at the Princesa del Mar hotel at Paradisus. In those golden years we had lots of Canadian guests, but Europeans too – Germans, French, Italians, and of course Spaniards. I learned that you find kind and generous tourists everywhere, but some markets are better than others when it comes to what workers take home.”

The woman explains that a change of commercial strategy by the Ministry of Tourism marked the beginning of the end. “Then the Russians, Mexicans, and Argentinians arrived en masse, and with them the purchasing power of workers in the sector dropped sharply, because they left very few tips. Later came the Chinese, and that’s when we started to miss the Latin Americans,” she says with a bitter smile. “It’s not that they’re bad people – it’s that their model of tourism is different; they barely leave the hotel and spend almost nothing outside.” Overnight, she says, the craft fairs went from being coveted jobs to being the last card left to play.

Varadero beach at 45th Street. / 14ymedio

Covid-19 drove in the final nail. “After the pandemic, the reality became unsustainable,” the driver admits. “When I saw that my income depended on the domestic market, I decided to get out. I worked at whatever I could until they authorised passenger transport licences, and my daughter, from the United States, managed to buy me this electric motorbike. That’s how I survive. When I ferry the current hotel workers around and hear about their problems – which are endless – I know I made the right call.”

The picture painted on the streets is reflected with mathematical precision inside the hotel complexes themselves. Amed, a young man who until a few days ago worked at the Los Delfines hotel, confirms continue reading

the operational collapse of tourism. “They proposed I move to a security guard role because they shut down the hotel restaurant. Now they’re only giving access to the pool and the lobby, and everything is charged exclusively in dollars,” he explains, visibly frustrated.

The employees’ discontent stems from the disappearance of the black market and tips – the two historic pillars that compensated for the poverty-level state salaries. “Everyone in Cuba knows that in tourism you live either off tips or off the food each person manages to sneak out to resell. With no customers in the facilities, there’s neither one nor the other,” Amed laments. On top of that, the dollarisation imposed by the state trading company ITH has shut the door on the island’s own citizens: “ITH now only accepts dollars, so the hotels can’t offer anything in pesos to the same Cubans who get paid in that currency. How is there supposed to be any domestic tourism like that?”

Caffechino, in Varadero, was the busiest spot a year ago. / 14ymedio

For the young man, the decision to leave the sector was a matter of pure survival. “Today is my last day of work. I didn’t accept the security guard post. If the bus fare to get here costs me a minimum of a thousand pesos a day return, and can go up to four thousand, how am I supposed to work for a state salary of barely 4,800 pesos a month? There’s no calculator in the world that makes that add up,” he exclaims, before dropping his head and staring at his phone screen.

This near-total paralysis of tourism has produced a devastating domino effect on the communities surrounding the Hicacos peninsula, which have historically depended on the resort’s economic activity. Entire communities that fed off the informal flow of resources and the surpluses taken from the hotels are today completely stranded, stuck in the middle of nowhere and battered by the widespread energy crisis gripping the country.

“Santa Marta is a shadow of what it used to be,” laments a resident of this locality, situated so close to Varadero that its inhabitants consider themselves an inseparable part of it. “The rental properties are closed for lack of customers, the private businesses that were once thriving are falling deeper into decay every day, and food prices are through the roof because now we’re forced to die in the MSMEs*.”

The village of Santa Marta, near Varadero. / 14ymedio

Scarcity has transformed even the family survival networks. “The little that workers manage to take out of the hotels nowadays goes to feed their own families – it’s no longer sold on,” the resident explains, emphasizing her words with desperate gestures. “In Santa Marta there have been entire generations of people who spent their whole lives reselling the rum and drinks that employees from the cayo [the informal name Matanzas locals give to Varadero] gave or passed on to them. Now they’ve had to reinvent themselves, leave the country, or simply go hungry. Not everyone in Varadero and Santa Marta is rich – there are poor families, extremely poor families.”

On top of the lost income comes the ordeal of the blackouts. “What’s normal here now is three consecutive days without electricity, followed by barely two hours with power, before going back to three days in the dark. That destroys the few businesses still standing and wrecks the quality of life of anyone who doesn’t have thousands of dollars to buy solar panels. Right now, Santa Marta is not much different from a rural village in Las Tunas,” the woman concludes.

Despite this severe humanitarian and infrastructural crisis, the authorities pushed ahead with their political-commercial entertainment agenda. Under the Resonance Musique brand, on 29, 30, and 31 May, the official opening of summer in Varadero was celebrated. The festivities, however, turned into a social powder keg.

The event was marked by complete disorganisation, an alarming shortage of food and drink offerings, and, worst of all, serious episodes of physical violence between exhausted workers at the Resonance hotel (formerly the Fiesta Americana, then Sandals) and dissatisfied guests. “It wasn’t worth it at all,” says Rangel, a Cuban citizen who travelled from the capital with his family. “For us, saving up enough money to come here represents an entire year of sacrifice. The party was a complete disaster — the only redeeming features were the beach and the peace and quiet, two things we don’t have back in Centro Habana.”

Rangel lists the logistical failings without hesitation: “We arrived at the hotel at 11 in the morning and didn’t get our room until 9 at night. The general service and the food were dreadful. And the worst part was the party itself: you try to have a good time because you’ve already spent the money, but the performers showed up just to go through the motions and the sound was terrible. I’m never coming back at the start of summer again.”

*MSME – Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Translated by GH.

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US Secretary of Defense Travels to Guantanamo Bay to Meet Troops

There is no record of Hegseth having previously visited the Guantanamo Bay base since taking office in 2025, according to available information.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in an archive photo. / EFE

EFE (via 14ymedio), Washington, June 10, 2026 / The United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will travel this Wednesday to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to meet troops deployed at the base and with commanders from US Central Command (Centcom), amid tensions and a series of sanctions against Havana.

The trip is part of a tour to oversee military operations in the region and to make direct contact with deployed forces, at a time of reinforced US presence in the Caribbean and the Middle East, according to the Pentagon.

There is no record of the Secretary having previously visited the Guantanamo Bay base since taking office in 2025, according to continue reading

available information.

Following his visit to the base, Hegseth will travel to Florida, where he will hold meetings with senior Centcom commanders, amid a new round of exchanges of fire with Iran

Following his visit to the base, Hegseth will travel to Florida, where he will hold meetings with senior Centcom commanders, amid a new round of exchanges of fire with Iran in the Middle East and growing tension over Cuba.

This type of trip forms part of his regular troop oversight agenda, with periodic visits to military bases inside and outside the United States to maintain direct contact with commanders and deployed personnel.

The visit comes one week after the US Administration announced new sanctions against Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and other senior members of the Havana government, in response to the human rights situation on the island.

Since the start of the year, US President Donald Trump has hardened his policy toward Cuba, with new economic and diplomatic restrictions and increased pressure on the Cuban government, primarily through an oil blockade that began following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas on 3 January.

Translated by GH.

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A Transition in Cuba Could Involve Unpopular Decisions for the Exile Community in the U.S.

None of the experts consulted consider a U.S. military intervention with troops on the ground to be plausible, but they believe major economic changes are approaching.

Cubans in Miami protested against the measures of the Obama and Biden administrations on numerous occasions, as in this demonstration in 2023. / 14ymedio

EFE / 14ymedio, Washington, June 10, 2026 – An agreement between Cuba and the United States that opens the way to the political and economic changes demanded by Washington on the Island could include concessions from both sides, among them decisions that may prove unpopular within the Cuban exile community, several analysts warned on Tuesday.

Amid the escalation of pressure by the Trump administration on Havana, “there will likely be decisions made” by the Republican administration “that will not satisfy everyone within the Cuban-American community,” said political scientist José Cárdenas.

“Difficult decisions will have to be made and compromises accepted in order to achieve the ultimate goal: a stable and peaceful transition toward something much better,” said the former acting deputy administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean at the now-dismantled United States Agency for International Development.

“Difficult decisions will have to be made and compromises accepted in order to achieve the ultimate goal: a stable and peaceful transition toward something much better”

The veteran consultant added, during a discussion at the Inter-American Dialogue, that they are witnessing “a series of factors that continue to increase pressure on the Cuban regime, demonstrating that there is no way out.”

Foreign policy and immigration expert Emily Mendrala concurred continue reading

that an agreement between Cuba and the United States “could involve concessions by both sides.”

“The United States has long demanded the release of political prisoners, a reduction of Russia’s and China’s presence on the Island, whether in intelligence operations or other areas, and the opening of the Cuban economy so that citizens can actively participate in it,” Mendrala explained.

The former senior migration adviser in the White House of Democrat Joe Biden added that Washington could ease sanctions on Cuba and allow the resumption of oil flows that were cut off by Trump last January, which, while not the primary cause of the Island’s severe humanitarian crisis, have worsened it.

In recent weeks, the two neighboring countries have established contacts at the diplomatic, intelligence, and military levels, though these have not produced visible results, at least publicly.

Following the recent criminal accusation against former president Raúl Castro, 95, sanctions against Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel, and threats of reprisals against foreign investors in Cuba, Havana has intensified its rhetoric against its longtime adversary.

The economist insisted that “centralized economic systems do not work. Even Cuba’s allies, such as China and Vietnam, abandoned those systems a long time ago.”

Despite this escalation, and although they acknowledge that conditions on the Island are reaching a breaking point, none of the experts considers a U.S. military intervention with troops on the ground to be likely.

“I believe we are approaching a turning point with regard to Cuba,” warned Ricardo Torres, an associate researcher at the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies.

The Cuban economist reiterated that “centralized economic systems do not work. Even Cuba’s allies, such as China and Vietnam, abandoned those systems a long time ago.”

“I believe the Cuban people deserve to hear that from their government: this system does not work. Likewise, on the political level, we need a system that allows for accountability, where the government must answer to its own people,” he concluded.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The U.S. Authorizes the Shipment of 250,000 Barrels of Diesel and Gasoline to Cuba

The fuel, intended for the private sector, will be stored in Cupet tanks under the supervision of the company Vanguard Energy.
The Florida-based company spent months negotiating a long-term agreement with Washington and Havana for similar shipments “once a month or every 40 days.”

Line of cars waiting to buy fuel at a gas station in Havana / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, June 10, 2026 – The first significant agreement between Washington and Havana centers on Cuba’s most sought-after scarce commodity: fuel. The Vanguard Energy company, based in Coral Gables, has finalized a contract with a Cuban importing company to lease Cupet facilities and store fuel on a large scale, according to a report published Tuesday by the Miami Herald. In addition, according to Bloomberg, the company is preparing its first shipment of 250,000 barrels of diesel and gasoline, which the U.S. government estimates will cover about 11 days of Cuba’s normal demand.

The agreement is the result of months of discussions among Vanguard, Cuban authorities, and U.S. officials, the Miami Herald reported, citing a company statement. “It is the most significant commercial change in Cuba’s fuel sector in decades,” the statement said.

“We are looking to bring in a reasonably sized vessel, capable of carrying more than 250,000 barrels of diesel and regular 87-octane gasoline, to store them in a tank,” said Vanguard Energy president Matthew Klann, adding that shipments would arrive once a month or every 40 days. He noted that several initial customers have already been identified, including the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Matthew Aho, an adviser at the Miami-based law firm Akerman and a negotiator of the agreement, added that the arrangement will allow increasing amounts of fuel to reach the private sector and, in turn, lower prices.

“We are looking to bring in a reasonably sized vessel, capable of carrying more than 250,000 barrels of diesel and regular 87-octane gasoline, to store them in a tank” once a month or every 40 days

The idea is no longer a small-scale supply operation but rather the privatization of the sector. “As the process moves forward, appears to work, and can be audited, and as both the United States and Cuba see the benefits of privatization in their fuel market, you would expect further progress, more companies entering the market, gas stations selling to the private sector, and the energy and fuel markets beginning to flourish continue reading

again,” Klann added.

“This would be the first process of its kind in Cuba, demonstrating to both sides that privatizing the fuel market is the right way to manage this business,” the president said.

Vanguard Energy, which specializes in regional fuel trading in the Caribbean and Latin America, moved quickly to take advantage of the U.S. government’s authorization to sell gasoline to Cuba’s private sector, which the Cuban government, for its part, authorized to purchase fuel beginning in February. Until now, however, sales could only be made in small quantities. ISO tanks, with a capacity of just over 20,000 liters, must be returned by Cuba after being emptied, making the process costly and inefficient.

The new agreement changes that. “This is not about delivering fuel to Cupet; it is about establishing a physical presence on the Island, where a U.S. person, subject to U.S. law, has the right to inspect the fuel, retains ownership of it, and distributes it only after payment has been made in the United States,” Akerman attorney Augusto Maxwell told the Miami Herald. The arrangement represents a concession by the Cuban government, allowing U.S. audits on Cuban soil and ensuring that payments do not pass through the Island’s banking system. The latter also protects the company from sanctions related to the U.S. embargo.

Akerman affirmed that the contract complies with U.S. legal requirements. “We will be able to provide the U.S. government with complete traceability of sales,” Maxwell said, including guarantees that fuel cannot be sold to the Cuban government, the Armed Forces, or individuals subject to U.S. sanctions. According to the lawyer, the contract includes safeguards such as retaining ownership of the fuel, controlling who may purchase it, and maintaining the ability to monitor and inspect stored fuel.

“Sales will be limited to customers who successfully complete Vanguard’s due diligence program, ensuring transparency, accountability, and compliance with applicable U.S. regulations,” the company said in a statement. “To comply with U.S. law, Vanguard will also implement safeguards to ensure that the fuel is not diverted to the Cuban government or to U.S.-sanctioned state-owned enterprises.”

Initial reactions on social media have been skeptical, if not outright disappointed. “That’s what they’re after, business and money. And to hell with the people”

The challenges, however, remain considerable. Although the company has portrayed the agreement as a “major victory for U.S. policy,” the news has generated unease in some sectors. Early reactions on social media ranged from skepticism to disappointment.

Among the main concerns raised, mostly by Cuban Americans, are the lack of confidence that the Cuban government will not benefit, doubts about the existence of a truly independent private sector, fears that the fuel could be resold to the State, and suspicions that Vanguard Energy may have undisclosed ties to the Cuban regime. “Yet another sign that nothing is going to change in Cuba. It’s a damn joke,” one commenter summarized.

The U.S. State Department and Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to answer questions from the Miami Herald, which views the agreement as a first step toward broader participation by U.S. companies in Cuba’s energy sector and, eventually, the opening of other sectors to private enterprise.

“It opens the door to countless independent distributors and encourages companies much larger than Vanguard Energy to become interested and begin operating in Cuba. It also facilitates a potential transition. We will gain the expertise needed to supply oil to Cuba through the experience acquired with Vanguard,” University of Texas expert Jorge Piñón told the newspaper when asked about the matter.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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