One of the migrants showed signs of severe dehydration, and some said they were from Isla de la Juventud and Pinar del Río.
The Cuban rafters asked not to be returned to the island. “We want asylum,” said one of the men. / Marina
14ymedio, Mexico City, Angel Salinas, October 25, 2026 / The National Migration Institute (INM) is holding 10 Cuban rafters who were rescued this Saturday 12 nautical miles south of Isla Mujeres. According to a source who requested anonymity, “some are from Isla de la Juventud and Pinar del Río.” This group joins the other 11 migrants who arrived in Cancún in the last month on two boats.
The migrants asked not to be returned to the island. “We want asylum,” said one of the men as he was transferred from the Fifth Naval Region and later to the Advanced Naval Station in Puerto Juárez.
The same source confirmed that the Cubans will receive assistance for the process this Monday, although it warned, “it will be handled and will depend on the internal processes of Migration.”
The group made up of men claimed to have been “adrift for four days” and it is thanks to a cruise ship that spotted them that they survived. The Fifth Naval Region received an alert about a wooden raft with several people in danger. continue reading
The group of men claimed to have been adrift for four days and that they were only able to survive thanks to a cruise ship that spotted them. / Marina
The Ministry of the Navy coordinated the rescue operation and sent a speedboat from the Search and Rescue Station to the location. At the site they found “one person suffering from severe dehydration and nine others who received medical assistance.”
Fisherman Javier Robles tells 14ymedio that these arrivals make “a wave of clandestine arrivals possible. A few days ago it was revealed that there were 28 abandoned boats, some used by Cubans in the Nichupté Lagoon, but there have been many more.”
Robles recalled that in 2024 a fishing boat with registration PR5348F5a was abandoned on Playa de Mascotas; it remained there, and traces of that vessel can still be found. That same year, in the area known as El Riíto, “some Cubans, upon seeing the beach nearby, jumped ashore and disappeared into the streets.”
To this are added other Cubans who arrive through coyotes. Graviel García, a Cuban originally from Havana, confirmed to this newspaper in 2022 the clandestine departures from Pinar del Río. “I never contacted the smuggler, but I do know they charged $7,000, a lot for that danger,” he said at the time.
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
After persecuting believers for decades, the Cuban Government turns to the Vatican in search of a political miracle
Miguel Díaz-Canel and other leaders of the Communist Party during a mass in memory of Pope Francis, in Havana. / Facebook/Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba / Facebook/Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Cuba
14ymedio, Madrid, Yunior García Aguilera, October 25, 2026 / After 67 years of die-hard Marxism, the Cuban Revolution seems determined to ask the Pope for a miracle. It is not about turning water into wine, although getting running water in Havana would already be a marvel. Nor about multiplying the loaves, which would come in quite handy. The miracle Cuba’s leaders need is far more complicated: getting their political system to survive. And since Marx isn’t answering, Lenin has been embalmed for too long and Che was never a specialist in resurrections, they have decided to try their luck with the Vatican.
The Cuban ambassador to the Holy See, Leyde Rodríguez Hernández, has just repeated the official invitation to Leo XIV to visit the island. They have been inviting him, without much luck, ever since the white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. But, for now, the Pope does not seem in any hurry to pack his bags for Havana.
The insistence comes in the midst of the worst economic crisis and growing tensions with Washington. The Communist Party, which for decades preached dialectical and historical materialism, seems to have discovered the practical advantages of divine intercession. Of course, it is not asking forgiveness for its sins. It is desperately asking for a favor. continue reading
In 1992 the State stopped declaring itself atheist. The move coincided, not at all by chance, with the collapse of the communist altars in Europe
It is worth recalling a few details of this sudden religious vocation. In the early years of the Revolution, the Government confiscated Catholic schools, expelled priests and turned faith into an obstacle to getting ahead professionally. Believers were discriminated against in universities, workplaces and political organizations. Some even ended up in the sadly notorious Military Units to Aid Production (UMAP), those forced labor camps where the aim was to correct, by dint of the machete, the ideological, sexual and spiritual deviations of Cubans.
Over time, official atheism softened. In 1991, the Party finally admitted believers, and in 1992 the State stopped declaring itself atheist. The move coincided, not at all by chance, with the collapse of the communist altars in Europe. There was no need to prove the existence of God by means of a scientific treatise. It was enough to realize that religion could be very useful in international relations.
In 1998 John Paul II arrived; then came Benedict XVI and Francis. Cuba’s leaders learned to take off their combat fatigues and receive pontiffs with smiles, ties, ceremonies and speeches about peace. They suddenly discovered the diplomatic advantages of appearing alongside the successor of Saint Peter.
The Government wants the Pope to talk about the embargo, but does not seem to show the same devotion when the bishops mention pluralism and freedoms
Vatican diplomacy has already intervened in prisoner releases and in negotiations with the United States. But the most recent episode deserves special attention. In March, Havana announced the release of 51 prisoners as a goodwill gesture toward the Holy See. According to later investigations by Prisoners Defenders, the beneficiaries included common criminals and only a tiny fraction were political prisoners. It was a veritable “Operation Barabbas.” Moreover, several of those released kept their sentences and restrictions.
It would be unfair, however, to confuse the intentions of the Vatican with those of the Palace of the Revolution. The Church has legitimate reasons to be concerned about the suffering of Cubans, to call for an end to the measures that worsen their hardships and to promote peaceful solutions. Leo XIV himself joined, in February, the appeal of the island’s bishops, who warned of the urgent need for profound changes. Curiously, that last part of the message tends to arouse considerably less enthusiasm in official offices. The Government wants the Pope to talk about the embargo, but does not seem to show the same devotion when the bishops mention pluralism and freedoms.
The Hermanos Saíz Association awards its Master of Youth prize to Frei Betto, a Brazilian friar whose loyalty to the Revolution has survived even its economic failures and its orders of combat
The question is what exactly Havana expects from a new papal visit. Mediation with Trump or with Marco Rubio, as Catholic as he is anti-Castro? An easing of sanctions? A photograph that would let the Government present itself to the world as a respectable interlocutor? Any of those possibilities is understandable in terms of political calculation. The trouble with inviting the Pope is that he might come with the inconvenient habit of also listening to his bishops.
And while the Foreign Ministry invites Leo XIV, the Hermanos Saíz Association awards its Master of Youth prize to Frei Betto, a Brazilian friar whose loyalty to the Revolution has survived even its economic failures and its orders of combat. We don’t know whether Cuban communism has finally found God, but it seems to have discovered that some foreign clerics turn out to be more deserving of tributes than troublesome local artists. For purely utilitarian reasons, mind you.
In the Catholic tradition, absolution requires repentance and a firm purpose of amendment. The Revolution seems very interested in absolution (and not only the historical kind, as the bearded one dreamed [a reference to Fidel Castro’s “History will absolve me”], but also the divine kind). It wants its debts forgiven, its sanctions lifted and another chance granted, but without renouncing any of the commandments of its own peculiar political catechism: a single party, blind obedience and prison for heretics.
Translated by GH
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
Authorities will push back the start of school and work by 30 minutes between November 1, 2026 and March 14, 2027
Imagen de archivo de los trabajos de mantenimiento del reloj de Quinta Avenida, en Miramar, La Habana. / Cubadebate
14ymedio, Havana, October 25, 2026 / Cubans will not have to set their clocks back an hour on November 1. The Government announced this Saturday that it will keep daylight saving time until November 7, 2027, with the aim of reducing electricity consumption during peak demand hours and easing the prolonged blackouts the country is suffering. The decision will also mean pushing back the start of school and work by half an hour over the coming months.
The measure was announced jointly by the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, which estimate that keeping clocks forward will avoid a 126-megawatt (MW) increase in power outages during the evening hours, when one of the consumption peaks occurs.
According to the authorities, 76 MW correspond to the savings from making longer use of natural light, without the need to resort to artificial lighting, while the other 50 MW are attributed to the solar photovoltaic generation available at that time of day.
The statement, however, does not explain how those calculations were made or how much electricity consumption could rise during the early morning hours, when artificial lighting will have to be used for longer. continue reading
To offset the difficulties this change will cause at the start of the day, the authorities have ordered the start of school and work to be pushed back by 30 minutes
With the decision, Cuba will remain on UTC−4 throughout the winter, instead of returning to UTC−5, as usually happens when daylight saving time ends. This means that sunrise and sunset will occur an hour later by the clock, although the actual length of the day will remain exactly the same.
To offset the difficulties this change will cause at the start of the day, the authorities have ordered the start of school and work to be pushed back by 30 minutes between November 1, 2026 and March 14, 2027, the period during which standard winter time would normally have been in effect.
The adjustment will not, however, prevent many students and workers from having to set out before sunrise. In Havana, for example, during the weeks around the December solstice, sunrise will come shortly after eight in the morning under the current time, which will force many families to carry out much of their morning routine still in the dark.
The ministries specified that the heads of workplaces must agree on the new schedules with the trade union organizations, in accordance with article 223.2 of Law 189, the Labor Code, of July 30, 2026. The change, they stated, may not result in any reduction in employees’ wages.
To justify the decision, the Government once again blamed Washington for the energy crisis. According to the official note, the tightening of the US embargo and what it calls an “energy siege” have caused a shortage of the fuel needed for electricity generation.
The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the country’s largest generating unit, dropped off the SEN again this Saturday at 8:11 p.m., due to vibrations in the turbine
The fuel shortage, however, comes on top of the deterioration of the thermoelectric plants, the frequent breakdowns and the insufficient generating capacity that have plagued the national electricity system (SEN) for years. The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the country’s largest generating unit, dropped off the SEN again this Saturday at 8:11 p.m., due to vibrations in the turbine. The Matanzas plant had been running for barely three days, having come back online on Wednesday after several breakdowns and failed synchronization attempts.
Nor has the addition of solar photovoltaic parks managed to eliminate the large deficits recorded every day, especially when solar radiation drops.
Keeping daylight saving time is intended to make better use of the overlap between natural light, photovoltaic output and peak consumption hours. However, moving the clocks forward does not in itself increase the amount of electricity generated by solar panels, whose output depends on the radiation they receive.
Nor have the authorities specified what proportion of the electricity deficit projected for the coming months the announced 126 MW represents, or whether they have calculated the effect of shifting part of the consumption to the mornings.
The decision comes in the midst of an electricity crisis that keeps numerous towns on the island subjected to daily blackouts of more than 20 hours, while the Government looks for ways to reduce demand without having sufficient generating capacity.
Translated by GH.
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
Water rushes into a deep cavity at Amenidad and Cruz del Padre, carrying with it the garbage accumulated in the street.
A woman lifts her shopping cart to cross the flooded area, while other pedestrians look for places to put their feet. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, October 24, 2026 / A massive sinkhole at the intersection of Amenidad and Cruz del Padre, in Havana’s Cerro municipality, has become a dangerous trap for pedestrians and vehicles. The pavement has a large opening through which rainwater pours down like a waterfall. Around the hole, sewer grates are displaced, the asphalt is broken up, and trash accumulates among the debris.
Barely meters away, several pedestrians try to cross the street, which has become a series of puddles and potholes. A woman lifts her shopping cart to cross the flooded area, while other passersby look for somewhere to put their feet without ending up in the water.
The danger is not hypothetical. In February 2025, Jonathan Oliva, a 12-year-old boy, died after being pulled into a sewer during floods that affected Havana. The boy was returning from school when he was swept away by the water in the Villanueva and Vía Blanca area of Luyanó, near the Miguel Enríquez Hospital. His body was found the next day.
Jonathan Oliva was 12 years old and was returning from school when he was sucked into a sewer. / Facebook
The tragedy shocked the capital and once again highlighted the deteriorating state of the sewage system. During a tour of the flooded areas, this newspaper observed numerous accumulations of garbage clogging the drains, while the water reached over a meter in some places.
Just a few steps away, everyday life tries to go on. / 14ymedio
Another fatal incident occurred in September 2022, when a girl was swept away by the current while trying to cross a flooded street with her cousin in the municipality of Cotorro. A man managed to rescue one of the girls, but was unable to save the other. Some witnesses claimed at the time that both had been swept into a storm drain. continue reading
Vehicles have also become trapped in Havana’s enormous potholes. In June 2024, a motorcycle and a car fell into a deep, water-filled crater at the intersection of Infanta and Ayestarán streets, also in the Cerro neighborhood. Neighbors helped recover the motorcycle, and no injuries were reported.
In April of that same year, another enormous pothole in the same municipality had become an impromptu swimming pool where several children were bathing. According to residents, it had been open for about five years without the authorities addressing the problem. The hole was so large that it prevented larger vehicles from passing.
The problem resurfaced with particular severity in July of this year, when rains and clogged drains created a river of sewage in Cuatro Caminos, in Central Havana. A neighbor expressed her fear at the time that another child would be swept away by the current, as had happened to Jonathan Oliva.
In Amenidad and Cruz del Padre, meanwhile, water drips into the sinkhole, amidst debris, displaced grates, and broken pavement edges. Just a few steps away, daily life tries to go on, as if resigned to the fact that this and other disasters are an unavoidable part of normality.
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
A State Department spokesperson maintains that the Havana government “must now resort to subterfuge and illegality” to obtain fuel.
The U.S. State Department celebrates that Washington’s policy toward the Island “has broken the Cuban regime’s monopoly on fuel.” / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Madrid, October 24, 2026 — The U.S. government acknowledges that some of the fuel it exports to Cuba’s private sector may end up in the hands of the regime. This is stated by a State Department spokesperson in a statement sent to journalist David Adams, to which 14ymedio obtained access.
“We cannot rule out some diversion to figures or entities linked to the regime, but we will continue cracking down on its efforts to evade sanctions, targeting any company that knowingly supplies the regime,” the spokesperson states, adding that “the regime must now resort to subterfuge and illegality just to obtain a small portion of the fuel entering the country, instead of controlling the entire market.”
The statement celebrates that Washington’s policy toward the Island “has already brought about the greatest privatization in the history of the Cuban economy,” and recalls that after Venezuela cut off its free oil supplies to the regime, some of which was resold abroad for foreign currency, the spokesperson notes, the Trump administration maintained fuel exports to Cuban private business owners. These, the spokesperson says, “now import and sell to other private businesses, humanitarian NGOs, and diplomatic establishments,” meaning that “the regime’s monopoly on fuel has been broken.” continue reading
“The Trump administration continues to target key sources of revenue for the illegitimate Cuban regime by imposing sanctions. We are also combating the regime’s evasion of sanctions,” the State Department emphasizes.
The regime must now resort to subterfuge and illegality just to obtain a small portion of the fuel entering the country, instead of controlling the entire market.
This statement was issued in the context of Washington’s offensive against fuel shipments intended for the state sector. On October 7, agencies of the Department of Homeland Security announced the seizure of 90 shipments of biodiesel, 71 at Port Everglades, Florida, and 19 in Houston, Texas. Their value was around $2.8 million, and their destination was the state-owned company Enetec, which was added to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list on July 13.
Washington’s acknowledgment confirms what this newspaper has been documenting since April, when the authorities began leasing state-owned gas stations to MSMEs*like Acapulco, in Nuevo Vedado, to dispense fuel purchased in the United States. It had been possible to establish since then that the Ticket platform, managed by Cimex, a corporation belonging to the Gaesa military conglomerate and sanctioned by OFAC, was already selling gasoline and diesel in dollars in Havana when only private businesses were permitted to import them from the United States.
A month later, this newspaper confirmed that Transmed vehicles and those of other state-owned companies were refueling at the former Shell station in Guanabacoa, using pumps leased by private operators, which U.S. regulations expressly prohibit.
In September, 14ymedio revealed this connection in a more disturbing way: the El Eficiente gas station, one block from Villa Marista, was supplying vehicles belonging to the state-owned Sepsa, trucks operated by the so-called Black Berets—special brigades of the Ministry of the Interior—and Suzuki motorcycles belonging to State Security. More than five months had passed since the last oil tanker carrying hydrocarbons had arrived in Cuba—the Anatoly Kolodkin, from Russia—and since the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, had publicly declared: “We have absolutely no fuel oil; we have absolutely no diesel.”
Among the documents demonstrating this connection is an invoice dated September 21 from Cimex-Mariel to an Oro Negro service station for more than 23,000 liters of gasoline
Just a few weeks ago, an incident once again exposed this connection: a fire in a fuel tank at Azutecnia, a subsidiary of the state-owned Azcuba company, in Granma province. The official information does not specify what type of fuel burned or where it came from, but Cuba lacks the capacity to produce refined fuel from its domestic crude oil.
As of today, the Ticket platform, which continues to sell fuel at state-owned service stations, remains the most visible indication. Not only are gasoline and diesel sales still taking place in the provinces, but prices have also fallen over the past several months.
An investigation by ADN Cuba and Martí Noticias, published this Friday, has confirmed that Cimex purchases fuel from 21 suppliers, at least 16 of them MSMEs*, and resells it through its network of service stations, in addition to supplying the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. Among the documents demonstrating this connection is an invoice dated September 21 from Cimex-Mariel to an Oro Negro service station for more than 23,000 liters of gasoline. Cimex does not appear as a direct importer, but rather as a purchaser of fuel supplied by Cuban MSMEs.
From January through August of this year, the total value of petroleum products exported from the United States to the Island reached $231.74 million, an unprecedented figure in the entire history of trade relations between the two countries.
These specific figures did not prevent De la O Levy from stating in a recent interview with Reuters about those imports: “I would venture to say that the quantity entering the country does not even cover 3% of its fuel needs.”
“No Cuban state-owned company has managed to secure a fuel contract, whether for small or large quantities,” the minister said at the time.
*Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises
Translated by Regina Anavy
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
A pro-government account claims that 37 devices were confiscated and threatens to apply the law to buyers, transporters, and distributors.
““Legalize other companies that compete with Etecsa’s terrible service, and you’ll see that no one will risk losing so much money,” a user claims./ 14ymedio
14ymedio, Havana, October 24, 2026 – Several citizens of Santa Clara were sentenced to between four and five years in prison for selling Starlink antennas, according to a post circulated by the pro-government account Alejandro Noticias Cuba in the Facebook group Mipymes Santa Clara/ Motorcycle Parts. The message claims that 37 satellite internet connection devices were confiscated and threatens to extend the sanctions to everyone involved in this clandestine market, including transporters and buyers.
According to the post, the detainees were part of a network dedicated to illegally bringing in and selling these antennas. During searches conducted at the homes of those involved and the buyers, the authorities seized all 37 devices. The text states that the transporters were also sanctioned, while those who received the equipment were fined 100,000 pesos and had their antennas confiscated.
However, the account does not identify the convicted individuals, specify which court issued the sentences, or present judicial documents that would make it possible to verify the events. The information attributes the convictions to alleged “sources close to the defendants’ families.”
The account demands that citizens report anyone attempting to bring in, transport, sell, or buy Starlink antennas
The message goes beyond reporting a police operation. “Let no one be under any illusions; this is not an isolated confiscation or a theoretical warning,” it states, before asserting that the sentences are final. It then demands that citizens report anyone attempting to bring in, transport, sell, or buy Starlink antennas. “Don’t become the next case,” it concludes.
The warning is circulating at a time of growing tension between Havana and Washington. This Friday, U.S. President Trump said during a rally in Florida that the military ships deployed in the war against Iran would pass along the Cuban coast on their return. He even spoke of stopping one of them about 45 meters from the Island and then sending Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “close the deal.”
Rubio, for his part, encouraged those seeking political change in Cuba to cooperate discreetly with the CIA. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez rejected Trump’s statements and warned that the Cuban coast would be an “inhospitable” territory for anyone arriving with hostile intentions.
In this climate of confrontation, the pro-government camp has repeatedly sought to associate independent satellite communications with possible operations against the Government. The Santa Clara post explicitly mentions the armed incident in Corralillo, Villa Clara, which occurred last February, when the authorities intercepted a vessel coming from the United States, killing half of its crew. According to the official account, a Starlink terminal was among the equipment seized.
The Starlink devices sold to private individuals in Cuba and other countries are not the specialized Starshield systems that SpaceX develops for defense applications
The message uses that precedent to justify the crackdown on commercial antennas. However, it omits a fundamental distinction: the Starlink devices sold to private individuals in Cuba and other countries are not the specialized Starshield systems that SpaceX develops for defense applications and that Ukraine uses in certain drone operations. Although they share technological infrastructure, Starshield is designed for government and military missions, while Starlink is simply a commercial satellite internet service.
The Cuban authorities’ offensive against Starlink did not begin now. In April 2025, the Cuban Government confiscated 20 satellite kits and 85 routers through Customs, after official agencies warned of fines and confiscations. In May 2026, the Ministry of Communications updated import regulations and maintained restrictions on satellite terminals operating without agreements with the Government.
Article 295 of the Penal Code establishes prison sentences of three to eight years for those who organize, distribute, finance, or profit from unauthorized telecommunications services, as well as for those who sell equipment intended for such activities.
“If Etecsa doesn’t work, then you get a Starlink and that’s that”
Despite the prohibitions, the clandestine market continues. In April, this newspaper documented the presence of these antennas in Havana, Matanzas, and Santa Clara, with prices ranging from $1,300 to $1,800. Some owners also redistribute the connection to neighbors through small private networks. Another report published in July collected accounts from users who paid between $50 and $80 per month to access these connections.
The publication of Alejandro Noticias Cuba has prompted numerous expressions of disapproval. “The real crime is being outside the State’s control,” comments Josué Castillo. Other users believe the authorities should improve Etecsa’s service instead of pursuing alternatives.
“Legalize other companies that compete with Etecsa’s terrible service, and you’ll see that no one will risk losing so much money,” demands Edel Gálvez.
An anonymous participant sums up the frustration with a comparison: “If Cupet can’t sell you gasoline, you find another option; if UNE doesn’t provide you with electricity, you look for renewable energy, and if Etecsa doesn’t work, then you get a Starlink and that’s that.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
The intelligence agency publishes a guide to help contact it anonymously from Cuba, and Bruno Rodríguez issues threats against the U.S.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in an archival photograph. / EFE/Ricardo Maldonado Rozo
EFE/14ymedio, Washington/Havana, October 24, 2026 — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged on Friday those who want to bring about a change of government in Cuba to embark on “discreet collaboration with the CIA.”
Rubio published the message on X: “For those seeking to bring about positive change in Cuba, this is the moment. Faced with disappointment over unfulfilled promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of a few, seize this opportunity to create the change you want through discreet collaboration with the CIA.”
This Saturday, the CIA published a seven-step guide on its official Instagram account, aimed at Cubans who want to contact the agency safely and anonymously. The text accompanying the post is explicit: “The CIA wants to know the truth about Cuba, and we are looking for trustworthy people who know the truth and can communicate it to us. Your information may be more valuable than you think.” continue reading
The guide directs users to the intelligence agency’s official website and recommends that those who want to make contact use a new device and email address unconnected to their identity, as well as a VPN with a server outside Cuba and other countries that Washington considers hostile.
Rubio’s message came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump declared, during a rally in Florida, that once the war against Iran was over, the U.S. Navy would navigate to the Island. According to Trump, following its arrival, representatives of the Cuban Government would “raise their hands,” and he would send “Marco Rubio there to close the deal.” The president maintained that Washington would “simply put” Rubio in Cuba and that “he’ll get it done.”
“The CIA wants to know the truth about Cuba, and we are looking for trustworthy people who know the truth and can communicate it to us”
Trump’s statements come amid the election campaign in Florida, Rubio’s home state and the location of the largest Cuban American community in the country.
For his part, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel reacted on Friday by accusing the U.S. of harboring “ambitions of domination” over the Island. He also reiterated the official government narrative that “it is good to remember that we Cubans achieved our true independence on January 1, 1959, and we are determined to defend it.”
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez also lashed out on social media against what he called “any threat involving U.S. ambitions” toward the Island. In a belligerent tone, the foreign minister stated that Cuba’s shores have “beautiful beaches,” but warned that they also have “dog’s teeth”: inhospitable terrain for those who arrive with hostile intentions and a desire for domination.
On Thursday, the Cuban Government had already taken advantage of a meeting with journalists at the Holy See to invite Pope Leo XIV to visit the Island and once again demand the lifting of the U.S. embargo. Cuba’s ambassador to the Vatican, Leyde Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández, conveyed the invitation to the pontiff during a meeting with journalists. The diplomat repeated the official message: “Cuba is not a threat; the blockade is.”
His statements come just days before the United Nations General Assembly debates, on October 27 and 28, the resolution that calls every year for an end to the embargo against Cuba. The Vatican has not commented on the invitation, so there has been no public acceptance by the pontiff and no date has been set for a possible visit.
This exchange of messages is taking place amid a climate of confrontation that has intensified since January, when the U.S. imposed an oil blockade on the Island. Since then, Washington has progressively added “maximum pressure” measures targeting vital sectors of the economy and companies doing business with the Cuban regime, seeking political change in Cuba.
Translated by Regina Anavy
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
Delcos Marine, linked to a Spanish company, offers products for maritime activities, a sector closely monitored by the regime.
The new Delcos Marine nautical store, next to the Almendares River in Havana. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, October 22, 2026 – Alongside the Iron Bridge over the Almendares River, at the boundary separating Havana’s El Vedado and Miramar neighborhoods, several men have been working for weeks to renovate an industrial warehouse. This is the location Delcos Marine has chosen to open its first nautical store in Cuba, a country surrounded by water where all maritime activities are considered matters of national security.
What was once an abandoned, shabby warehouse is now a freshly painted light-blue building, equipped with several solar panels and decorated with eye-catching advertising signs: a smiling woman splashing in the sea, a man on a paddleboard, a hand holding an immaculate fishing rod, two divers in full gear, and the railing of a boat, all set against crystal-clear waters.
The opening of a private business on the Island is not news, but Delcos Marine’s specialty is an event in itself: it offers “everything for sailing, fishing, diving, or simply enjoying a great day at the beach” in a country where sailing, fishing, and diving are subject to strict controls. On its website, which still lists neither prices nor sales, Delcos Marine features several sections offering every type of sea-related product, from water sports equipment to marine hardware and recreational items. Rods, hooks, fishing line, snorkeling equipment, swimsuits, wetsuits, masks, fins, and outboard motor spare parts are among the items on the list, at least on paper. continue reading
Delcos Marine offers “everything for sailing, fishing, diving, or simply enjoying a great day at the beach.” / 14ymedio
“Your next catch starts here” is the slogan the store uses on its social media accounts to announce its upcoming opening, which, nevertheless, has yet to take place. The store’s Facebook account has been active for almost three years, and the first post introducing it as a “nautical marketplace” is dated April 15, 2024.
The signatories of the document call, as a priority, for the “total release of all political prisoners and the decriminalization of dissent”
El documento fue presentado este jueves en el Museo de la Brigada 2506, en Miami. / Captura/ Telemundo
14ymedio, Madrid, October 23, 2026 / Former political prisoner Ángel de Fana, leader of the group Plantados hasta la Libertad y la Democracia en Cuba [Holdouts until Freedom and Democracy in Cuba], presented in Miami this Thursday a letter sent to the State Department and backed by more than 140 former Cuban prisoners of conscience, in which he asks the US Government to make dialogue conditional on the release of all those who remain in the island’s prisons for ideological reasons.
“We don’t want there to be negotiations with those who are to blame for the dramatic situation of the Cuban people, with the murderers of our people; with them there is no trust, nor is it honorable to negotiate,” De Fana told CubaNet after the press conference at which the document was presented. The event took place this Thursday at the Brigade 2506 Museum in Miami and was attended by several of the signatories.
“There are other Cubans, including military officers and officials, who don’t have blood on their hands, with whom we are willing to negotiate the democratic future of our country,” he added. continue reading
“There are other Cubans, including military officers and officials, who don’t have blood on their hands, with whom we are willing to negotiate the democratic future of our country”
It is a statement in line with what was expressed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the end of September, when he told the media at UN headquarters in New York: “there are some individuals in that regime with whom we can never work because they have blood on their hands. But there are people there with whom I believe we could work if they are willing to steer the country toward political and economic freedom and toward the process that will lead us to that final goal.”
De Fana confirmed this Thursday that the letter, dated October 10, had been sent to the State Department, but they have not received a response. The former political prisoner stated that in order to talk with anyone linked to the regime, “the first condition is the total release of all Cuban political prisoners and the decriminalization of dissent.”
“The situation in Cuba and the uncertainty about possible negotiations with the United States made it urgent to publish the document,” said De Fana, who defended as the declaration’s objective reflecting the stance of those who have paid with prison for their fight against the regime, as well as giving a voice to those who lost their lives “in combat for freedom.”
The signatories argue that they are not seeking “revenge, but justice for the demands of the people,” and that the release of prisoners and the decriminalization of dissent are “non-negotiable” conditions prior to dialogue. Without them, no rapprochement can take place, they believe. “During our ordeal in prison we refused to be used as bargaining chips so that the regime could obtain international concessions,” they contend. Therefore, they stress, “any negotiation can only take place after the political prisoners are released. It is not permissible to monetize their ordeal.” Only after this “could progress be made toward a transition leading to the establishment of a new Republic.”
“It is one thing to provisionally welcome a technocratic and mixed transitional government, made up of military officers and officials of the previous regime with an acceptable track record together with other Cubans from the island and the diaspora. It is quite another to agree to the continuity of the current political system under the hegemony of the power elite,” it adds.
Another of the document’s key points is the identification of two distinct kinds of problem: the one that exists between the governments of the US and Cuba, and the one between the regime and the population.
Washington should “directly” support the Cubans’ struggle against the current political system if the population’s safety were put at risk through repression. This backing should include “all the means at its disposal” and, eventually, the support of any other nation so that the citizenry may recover national sovereignty.
On the other hand, the declaration adds that if the Cuban leadership agreed to leave power in order to avoid personal risks, there should be channels allowing the participation of Cubans in the negotiations.
On the other hand, the declaration adds that if the Cuban leadership agreed to leave power in order to avoid personal risks, there should be channels allowing the participation of Cubans in the negotiations.
Some of those attending made statements to the media present at the gathering. Among them was former political prisoner José Rolando Cáceres Soto, imprisoned on several occasions until his last release, in 2021, who praised the historic exile community. “For us they represent experience; they are the ones who have shown us the steps to follow, necessary steps that we young people have to take. We see how the youth inside Cuba are already taking part in the future of our country. We are fighting against a dictatorship that (…) has mutated. But that mutation doesn’t mean we shouldn’t draw on the experience and the lived experience of these people,” he told Cubanet.
For his part, academic Eduardo Zayas-Bazán noted that “to forge a new Cuba we need honest people who want a future for Cuba, a democratic Cuba, and who have no blood on their hands.”
The document has been signed by 146 people to date, among them Yamilka Abascal, Sissi Abascal, Eduardo Cardet, Pedro Corzo, Guillermo Fariñas, Angélica Garrido and Luis Zúñiga.
Translated by GH.
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
Those responsible for protecting the 46 installations of 21.8 MW and other smaller ones receive monthly salaries of about six dollars
the theft of a solar panel affects the complete circuit. / X @MMarreroCruz
14ymedio, Madrid, October 23, 2026 / The guards, called upon to protect solar energy, are, precisely, among the main collaborators enabling thefts that often render the entire infrastructure of a solar park useless. That was the main conclusion drawn this Thursday on the television program Hacemos Cuba, which airs on Canal Caribe and which addressed the prevention of and fight against crimes targeting renewable sources.
At present, at least 24 guards are under arrest for acts such as these, which are tried as crimes of sabotage and carry potential sentences of four to ten years in prison in their mildest form, but can reach 30 – or life imprisonment or death – if the consequences are serious or affect anyone’s personal safety.
Among those currently being prosecuted, “23 of them have already been permanently dismissed from the organization. We have one left who is under a precautionary measure because he is in the process of being investigated,” said Argelis Lescay Martínez, head of the renewable energy investment group of the Unión Eléctrica [Electric Union]. Throughout the program, the official emphasized the importance of careful personnel selection in order to have committed guards. continue reading
“I believe the best people have to be guarding the park. The most responsible, most serious people, the people with the most appropriate civic conduct”
“I believe the best people have to be guarding the park. The most responsible, most serious people, the people with the most appropriate civic conduct. But also, it’s not just the salary, you have to show those people some affection; they need to feel that they are in the most important place, that it is providing energy for the people. It’s not just the salary,” he insisted.
The figures, of course, leave no room for doubt. These workers, he specified, are on support staff scale six, which according to official regulations means a base salary of 4,065 CUP, to which would be added a supplement that, according to Lescay Martínez’s estimates, would be around 877 pesos. In total, with the data provided, the employee earns about 5,000 pesos a month, which at the informal exchange rate amounts to around six dollars.
Although Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo Ábalo Mendoza, deputy department head in the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation of the Ministry of the Interior, agreed – “selective personnel with conviction must be sought to protect these installations” – there was a dissenting opinion in the room.
“We have… let’s say, a high level of salary demotivation. Ours are among the lowest salaries in the country’s business systems today. The salary of one of our guards doesn’t exceed 4,000 pesos, or 3,700-something,” stated Junior González Núñez, first vice president of the Water and Sanitation Business Group of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources.
Humberto López, the program’s host, interrupted the executive: “This is a matter that has to improve immediately because we are talking about the place on which a community’s water depends,” he rebuked.
“We have… let’s say, a high level of salary demotivation. Ours are among the lowest salaries in the country’s business systems today. The salary of one of our guards doesn’t exceed 4,000 pesos, or 3,700-something”
González Núñez elaborated that the water situation is substantially different from that of the large electric parks and even the installations on community buildings, because, since the panels are installed in small communities to which water is to be brought, the crime remains within a small circle where the neighbors themselves help resolve the situation and even point out the culprit.
According to his explanation, there are some 856 communities with these resources, out of the more than 1,300 that are intended to be covered, but any one of these thefts can leave more than 20 families without running water. In the case of the hydraulic companies, it is not specifically guards – except at night – who are in charge of watching over the panels, but specialized operators.
In the case of the solar parks, said Lescay Martínez – where there are the most cases of vandalism, because they are isolated out in the fields – the installation is carried out first, along with training in operational and security matters. “Many of these institutions have their own security and protection force and we take part in the preparation we provide them,” he noted. Once the assembly is finished, responsibility rests in the hands of these workers.
Lescay Martínez said that the 46 parks already installed in the country have about 26 or 28 panels on each table (metal structure), but stealing just one is enough to put the whole circuit out of action. “When a photovoltaic panel is removed, it leaves the energy of the entire table useless,” he explained. This means, he calculated, around 15.5 kilowatts per hour that go ungenerated. Many of the thefts even precede the commissioning of the park, when the parts are stored inside the fence awaiting installation. Neither the fence nor the security cameras have prevented the vandalism, precisely because of the cooperation of those who are supposed to supervise it.
“A large percentage of incidents of this kind have been cleared up and others are now in the investigation phase”
“A large percentage of incidents of this kind have been cleared up and others are now in the investigation phase,” stated Ábalo Mendoza, who lamented that there is also violence on many occasions, including stone-throwing resulting in injuries to those guards who risk their lives for such a low salary.
The lieutenant colonel warned that the panels can be identified one by one, making it easier to detect the origin of one that has been stolen. “It’s very easy, when carrying out an investigative process, to go to a home, see the panels and the number, look up the number and you know where the panel comes from. In addition, the panel has a plate on the back with a set of data, which makes it evident that it comes from such-and-such photovoltaic park, from such-and-such project,” he added.
Meanwhile, the guests argued, although there is an extra 5% of resources provided for in the contract to replace parts that may break – which makes it possible to have reserves in case of theft – what is needed is not always covered. And, while waiting for it to arrive, “a community is left, as the comrade was saying, eight or ten days without drinking water. Plus the replacement of the panels that has to be done, the consequences are high.”
Translated by GH.
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
The Cuban Government reports that passenger transportation has declined by 75%, and by as much as 90% in the case of buses for workers.
Cuba’s fleet of electric vehicles has doubled in just one year. / Radio Cadena Agramonte
14ymedio, Madrid, October 22, 2026 – Cuba’s fleet of electric vehicles has doubled in just one year, says Transport Minister Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila. In an interview with the British news agency Reuters, the head of one of the sectors hardest hit by the fuel shortage puts the number of these vehicles on the Island at 150,000, including cars, motorcycles, and electric tricycles.
According to his figures, one million vehicles circulate throughout the country, meaning that officially, electric vehicles account for 15% of those operating in Cuba, although Rodríguez Dávila believes the number could be much higher, since a large number are thought to be unregistered.
The minister has provided a considerable amount of data that clearly illustrates the bleak outlook for mobility on the Island. Among the most disastrous figures is the number of passenger journeys, which has fallen by around 75%. Last year, statistics recorded 781.8 million trips, meaning that, after this decline, the number of journeys made by people using public transportation would stand at around 195.45 million. continue reading
Passenger journeys in Cuba have fallen by 75%, from the 781.8 million recorded in 2025 to an estimated 195.45 million this year
Even worse is the decline in journeys on buses for workers, which has reached 90% and takes on particularly serious significance when considered alongside figures from the National Office of Statistics and Information. In 2025, there were only 32.6 million such trips, following a sharp decline from just over 37 million the previous year. This year, the figure would fall to barely 3.2 million. Daily trips from Havana to the other provinces have dropped from 419 to just 11, while the number of national bus routes has fallen from 100 to only 21.
“Traditional public transportation is at one of the lowest points in its history,” Rodríguez Dávila summarized. He is one of the current government’s most highly regarded ministers because of his interactions with users on social media. The official told Reuters that the Island is working “at full speed on the construction of solar charging stations”—known as solineras—to change the energy source as quickly as possible. He said that 60 such facilities are expected to be established throughout the country.
The Island is working “at full speed on the construction of solar charging stations”—known as solineras—to change the energy source as quickly as possible
In the midst of the energy blockade, which began when the U.S. president prohibited shipments of crude oil to Cuba from any country in January 2026, the only fuel reaching the Island is precisely the fuel that private businesses purchase in the neighboring United States and that the State obtains in violation of export regulations. Under these circumstances, gasoline is a scarce commodity and, moreover, extremely expensive for individual consumers.
“These are families who cannot travel, people who cannot visit sick loved ones, and others who cannot get to a hospital. The underlying human drama of these shortages is complex,” Rodríguez Dávila said in the days leading up to the United Nations General Assembly vote on the resolution against the embargo, which the regime promotes every year and for which the United States is trying, more forcefully than ever, to secure a less unfavorable outcome than usual. This has triggered an exchange of accusations and propaganda campaigns on both sides that are more intense than in previous years.
Domestic freight transportation is expected to fall to around 20 million tons this year, slightly more than one-third of the 70 million tons transported in 2025
The minister also said that domestic freight transportation is expected to fall to around 20 million tons this year, slightly more than one-third of the 70 million tons transported in 2025.
The British news agency reported that the minister took journalists on a tour to present yellow electric tricycles owned by a state-run company that were sitting idle in a parking lot because there was no electricity available to charge them. “The frustrated taxi drivers expressed their dissatisfaction,” the report says, concluding with an account of Rodríguez Dávila grimacing as he acknowledged the situation. “These are the problems we have,” he said.
Translated by Regina Anavy
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
Small and medium-sized private businesses are becoming lifelines for state-owned companies throughout the country.
The hotels were already on their last legs since the pandemic and are now closed. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Madrid, October 22, 2026 / Soroa has long been buried in oblivion because of the decline in tourism. The coronavirus pandemic devastated one of the Island’s most privileged areas. Its location, just 80 kilometers from Havana, and the beauty of its natural landscapes had earned it, quite deservedly, the nickname “The Rainbow of Cuba.” But its case perfectly illustrates the blow dealt to an industry that has never been able to recover since COVID-19 and that recent U.S. sanctions have finally finished off.
For the past four months, the tourist complex has been firmly shut, with the exception of the six security guards and 15 workers who, according to a report in the local press, “are dedicated to maintaining the place, at least keeping it free of weeds, dust, and other predictable effects, as they bring even the hands of the clock to a halt.” El Artemiseñostates that, in addition to the shortcomings of the electrical system, there is an “absence of drinking water.”
The article notes that a “No Entry” sign warns of the situation at the complex, located in Artemisa—in the Sierra del Rosario and very close to Candelaria—and comprised of a hotel, an orchid garden, several lodging villas, and the picturesque Castle in the Clouds. Hurricane Rafael, which struck the province nearly two years ago, left “damage that has yet to be repaired,” the outlet acknowledges, although it remains optimistic. continue reading
“We learned from the Artemisa Tourism Delegation that there are non-state economic actors interested in taking over management of the complex,” it states confidently, while also acknowledging that “in fact, when speaking with some of the workers at the Soroa hotel, they have no clear idea of where the negotiations stand.”
“We learned from the Artemisa Tourism Delegation that there are non-state economic actors interested in taking over management of the complex”
The article devotes numerous paragraphs to encouraging investors to take an interest in an area with specific potential for ecotourism because of its natural attributes, a sector that offers tax and fiscal benefits to business owners. “The changes make it possible both to add new options to the business models already in place (joint ventures and management contracts) for tourism activities and to lease properties to foreign investors, Cubans residing abroad, and those living in the country,” El Artemiseño states, warning of the risks posed by the authorities’ inaction if they fail to implement the much-publicized 176 measures to transform the economy.
The article emphasizes the importance of restoring Soroa for the more than one hundred workers who have now had to be reassigned to other destinations, the new opportunities for tour guides and other tourism professionals who have received new authorizations to work independently of the State, and a series of other advantages. There are so many that they raise doubts about the private sector’s purported interest in managing the complex.
“If there is no prompt action on the established timetable to approve the model to be followed at the appropriate levels; if workers are kept in the dark about what is happening and how it will be done; if the property lacks the essential maintenance needed to prevent deterioration; and if the decision is pushed beyond the immediate present, the cost of reviving it will be high,” the report adds.
Soroa’s abandonment is far from recent. Although El Artemiseño indicates that the deterioration affects “the facilities that once offered unique experiences in those parts,” the turning point dates back to 2020. That year, 14ymedio visited the region to report on how a population that until then had depended on tourism, both directly and indirectly, had been profoundly disrupted by the closure of the borders.
Those who rented rooms, offered excursions or horseback rides, prepared meals, or even sold orchids—the result of widespread illegal cultivation—were then forced to reinvent themselves to the point of turning their land into vegetable gardens. This newspaper even interviewed a woman who had lost her job after the hotel closed and could not even find work cleaning houses. None of those interviewed was optimistic about escaping a predicament they had never faced before.
And they were not wrong. Despite the very slow and modest recovery in tourism following the reopening of the borders, visitor numbers plummeted, especially beginning in 2023. This continued until the final collapse in 2026, when only 450,353 international tourists arrived on the Island between January and August, 64.4% fewer than during the same period in 2025, which had already been a very bad year. The September figures will be released in a few days
As long as problems such as the lack of flights due to fuel shortages remain unresolved, along with shortages of electricity, water, and food supplies, which hotels can circumvent through investment, and the absence of managers for the facilities since most foreigners left because of the sanctions, the incentives that the press highlights for Cuban or foreign investors will do little good.
“The complexity of securing financing kept postponing the project until, in coordination with the small and medium-sized private company VitallCons, with which working ties already existed, it was decided to begin the project”
Nevertheless, the private sector is beginning to become, albeit on a very small scale for now, the national economy’s only lifeline. On Wednesday, the Las Tunas press reported on the restoration of the old railway station, which will be brought back to life as an intermodal terminal for trains, buses, and trucks, complete with a fuel station. “The complexity of securing financing kept postponing the project until, in coordination with the small and medium-sized private company VitallCons, with which working ties already existed, it was decided to begin the project,” the report explains.
The same has happened in the food sector with the Artemisa Poultry Company and Don Pereda, a medium-sized private company, which have joined forces in an association to reestablish the José Antonio Labrador farm. The facility recently suffered a shortage of animal feed, and after 29 days with no feed at all, it lost most of its poultry stock, while production fell from 28,000 eggs a day to just 38.
“With the guarantee of importing animal feed, the new management model takes responsibility for more than 80,000 laying hens, nearly 42,000 of them already adults, with the remainder being young hens awaiting their first laying cycle,” the report states. According to the article, wages have doubled, and incentive payments can reach 15,000 pesos, three times the monthly salary.
Translated by Regina Anavy
___________________________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
From Nuevo Vedado to Carlos III, a journey through blackouts, ruined buildings, and people searching for a connection or something to eat.
From several blocks around, people arrive looking for something that is becoming as scarce as electricity: an internet connection. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Havana, October 21, 2026 / Just having left my house, on the outskirts of the Ministry of Agriculture, I came across a group of people sitting on the curb, as if waiting for a bus that never comes. But no one was looking toward nearby Rancho Boyeros Avenue for a bus. They all had their heads bent over a cell phone screen. Some were typing rapidly, others were holding the device close to their face, and a woman was straining to hear a voice message over the noise of the traffic.
The proximity of a telecommunications tower has transformed this stretch of sidewalk into an improvised internet café. People arrive from several blocks around, seeking something that is becoming as scarce as electricity: an internet connection. In much of Nuevo Vedado, mobile data has become an intermittent luxury. The signal appears, disappears, and forces people to pursue it through the streets.
This Wednesday morning the sky is overcast and a cool breeze relieves the wait. Other days, those who sit in front of the enormous building end up with sunburnt skin, as if they’d spent hours at the beach. Except they haven’t seen the sea or enjoyed a vacation. They’ve remained in the open air trying to send an email, talk to a relative who’s emigrated, or download a document. continue reading
“Things are so bad that, between the sacks of cement and the bricks I move, I also have to work as a taxi driver.”
I continue toward Ayestarán. Recent rains have converted the sidewalks into a series of puddles and mud. One wrong step could leave my shoe sinking in a mixture of mud and dirty water. I decide to hop on an electric tricycle. The driver is an older man with weathered arms and an easygoing manner. He explains that he doesn’t usually pick up passengers. His business consists of transporting goods from a few private hardware stores to customers’ homes. But these aren’t times for specialization.
“Things are so bad that, between the sacks of cement and the bricks I move, I also have to act as a taxi driver,” he tells me while trying to dodge a van whose driver seems convinced that the size of his vehicle gives him priority on the road.
At the intersection of Ayestarán and 20 de Mayo, the traffic light is out. It’s not the first one we’ve found not working. The power outage extends across large areas of Havana, and intersections have become places where each driver calculates for themselves when to proceed, stop, or simply rely on luck.
“Looks like they’re going to take Díaz-Canel for a walk,” my driver quips as he looks towards the nearby tower of the Plaza of the Revolution
Here, however, a policewoman tries to bring order to the cars, motorcycles, and tricycles. Two officers, in their impecable uniforms, join the operation.
“Looks like they’re going to take Díaz-Canel for a stroll,” my driver quips, glancing at the nearby tower in the Plaza of the Revolution. “Now they’re taking him to a place where everything looks spic and span,” he adds sarcastically.
A little further on, the landscape belies any pretense of a polished city. In the dilapidated doorway of a building that lost part of its roof years ago, a couple has set up their makeshift home. Bags, wood, and plastic sheeting define a dwelling without doors or walls. Trees sprout from the balconies and eaves, seemingly determined to finish the demolition. No one dares to pass beneath that structure for fear of collapse, but they live there.
We turn right onto Carlos III Avenue. In front of the commercial center, a woman is selling trinkets on a blanket spread out on the sidewalk. The tricycle stops, and the driver takes the opportunity to wipe his sweat. “That’s in dollars. I haven’t lost anything there because I don’t have any,” he says, pointing at the establishment.
I glance toward the gates of the Plaza. A old woman hunched over raises her hand every time someone approaches and asks for “something to eat.” Her voice barely manages to cut through the noise of the engines and the bustle of the street. Havana has become a city where we all desperately chase after something: an internet signal, a roof, even if it threatens to collapse, a few dollars, or simply something as basic as being able to eat every day.
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
The draft bill opens space for the private sector in educational services and financing, but keeps schools in the hands of the State.
The draft bill also includes ideological obligations for teachers. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Havana, October 2026 / Cuban students will have, on paper, the right to express their opinions freely, but they will also be required to “defend the principles of the Revolution.” This is one of the contradictions in the draft bill for the new Education Law, with which the Government intends to replace Law 680 of 1959 and bring together, within a single legal framework, numerous provisions that until now have been scattered across different regulations. The document, comprising 243 articles, incorporates guarantees for students and teachers and opens up new opportunities for private-sector participation, but preserves one of the fundamental characteristics of the Cuban education system: its total subordination to the official ideology.
Economic openness is one of the most interesting new features of the proposal. Although Article 41 keeps the administration and financing of educational institutions in the hands of the State, it allows resources from non-state management models and national and international cooperation to be incorporated. Article 239 also authorizes educational institutions to establish mechanisms for generating supplementary income, including the creation of foundations, interface companies, mipymes (micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises), and other authorized structures.
This is not a possibility entirely foreign to the current reality. At the end of August, several private companies committed to sponsoring more than 50 schools in the municipality of Florida, Camagüey, to help with repairs, painting, cleaning, and maintenance. The initiative, promoted by local authorities, was a response to the State’s difficulties in ensuring adequate material conditions for the school year. continue reading
The Cuban draft bill keeps school administration in the hands of the State
This does not amount to authorizing the general opening of private schools. The Cuban draft bill keeps school administration in the hands of the State. The reform allows greater non-state economic participation around the education system, but does not establish general freedom to create independent schools.
In the political sphere, the provisions are equally explicit. Article 11 recognizes students’ right to form and freely express their opinions, to be heard, and to participate in decisions that affect them. However, the following article, which addresses their duties, requires them to “defend the principles of the Revolution, preserving national independence and security.” The document does not clarify how a conflict between these two provisions would be resolved or what would happen to a student who openly advocated political ideas opposed to socialism.
The draft bill also establishes ideological obligations for teachers. Article 14 stipulates that teaching and non-teaching staff must “defend the Socialist Homeland, the principles of the Revolution, and the values of Cuban society.” It also requires them to maintain their political and ideological preparation and systematically keep up to date on national and international events that affect their educational work. Another provision requires them to maintain ethical conduct on social media, without precisely defining the scope of that obligation.
The requirement of political loyalty has explicit precedents. In 2019, the then Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Martha del Carmen Mesa Valenciano, argued that university professors should act as activists for revolutionary policy. In her statement, published on the Ministry’s official website, she invoked Fidel Castro’s definition of the ideological role of educators and maintained that anyone who did not share that commitment should resign from university teaching.
For more than six decades, curricula, student organizations, and school activities have been linked to defending the regime
The new regulation also specifies its doctrinal foundations. Article 6 stipulates that the educational process will promote national values and ideals based on “Martíist, Fidelist, Marxist, and Leninist” thought. Article 50 also includes the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba among the bodies to which certain higher education institutions are subordinate.
This is not a case of political indoctrination only now arriving in Cuban schools. For more than six decades, curricula, student organizations, and school activities have been linked to defending the regime. The new draft bill performs a balancing act to bring these ideological requirements together in new legislation that also proclaims supposed individual rights and the “democratic and participatory” nature of education.
A comparison with other Latin American laws highlights the differences. In Argentina, Article 67 of the National Education Law recognizes teachers’ right to teach on the basis of academic freedom and freedom of instruction. In Uruguay, Article 11 of the General Education Law requires teachers to facilitate access to different sources of information, presenting a broad and balanced range of viewpoints so that students can form their own judgments.
Uruguayan legislation also stipulates that a plurality of opinions and the rational and democratic confrontation of knowledge and beliefs must be guaranteed. The Cuban draft bill, by contrast, does not establish an equivalent general guarantee of academic freedom, although it recognizes a degree of “academic autonomy” in specific activities, such as tutoring and academic supervision.
Another difference from much of Latin America concerns compulsory schooling. While Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay extend it through the completion of secondary education, the Cuban proposal maintains compulsory schooling from preschool through ninth grade. Subsequent levels are presented as a social aspiration that the State should promote, but not as an obligation for everyone.
Universities are not exempt from ideological requirements either. The proposal recognizes students’ right to participate in institutional management, but only within “agreed-upon degrees of relative autonomy.” Another provision makes that autonomy conditional on its consistency with “the principles of socialist society.”
The energy crisis has also endangered the day-to-day operation of educational institutions
In March of this year, the Technological University of Havana (Cujae) decided not to renew Professor Abel Tablada’s contract after he published critical comments about the Government’s economic decisions, according to the professor’s account. His departure sparked protests among students and professors in Cujae’s Faculty of Architecture.
Among the provisions favoring student rights are safeguards against school violence, reporting mechanisms, and protection against retaliation. However, many of these rights were already recognized in the 2025 Code of Children, Adolescents, and Youth. The future law develops the procedures and institutional responsibilities associated with these rights rather than establishing them for the first time.
The document also promises decent working conditions for teachers, school meals, teaching materials, accessibility, and technological resources, although it sets no quantified budgetary commitments to make these guarantees effective. The possibility of turning to business income and supplementary funding sources takes on particular importance in this context. In August, the Education Minister herself acknowledged that only 73% of teaching positions were filled and that in-person attendance throughout the school year could not be guaranteed.
The energy crisis has also endangered the day-to-day operation of educational institutions. In May, UNESCO warned that power outages, fuel shortages, and the deterioration of basic services threatened Cuban education by making it more difficult for students and teachers to attend school and for classes to proceed normally.
Translated by Regina Anavy
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
It is estimated that of the more than 1,000 athletes who have left the Island over the past decade, at least 700 are baseball players.
Alayn Daniel Blanco has already recorded a pitching speed of over 90 miles per hour / Facebook
14ymedio, Havana, October 21, 2026 / Alayn Daniel Blanco, 18, is the latest Cuban baseball prospect to defect. The young man is following the path taken by players from the Island who are seeking to reach Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States: traveling to the Dominican Republic. The pitcher’s departure was reported by expert Francys Romero, who noted on Monday that the athlete is seeking to sign a contract with an MLB organization.
The player, who was born in Matanzas and stands 1.92 meters tall, has already recorded a pitching speed of over 90 miles per hour, Romero points out, the average speed needed to compete in Major League Baseball.
The drain of talent is beginning to take its toll on Cuban sports. As journalist Yasel Porto recalls, “one of the keys to this defeat is that the largest percentage of Cuba’s top-level baseball players, aged 14 and 15, are in the Dominican Republic, in academies run by Major League teams or in private academies, seeking a contract.” continue reading
Alayn Daniel Blanco’s defection is the second reported this month and the third in less than 30 days. The previous reported defection was that of Carlos Adrián Hernández, who was part of the preliminary roster of the Cuban team that competed in the Under-15 World Cup held in Mexico during the first week of October. The pitcher also arrived in the Dominican Republic to begin training.
The previous reported defection was that of Carlos Adrián Hernández, who was part of the preliminary roster of the Cuban team that competed in the Under-15 World Cup
At the end of September, the departure of Leandro Forteza García, 19, was also reported. The pitcher from Sancti Spíritus was a member of the Cuban team that competed in the 2025 Under-18 World Cup in Japan. In three games in the tournament, he recorded two wins and one loss, with an earned run average of 3.36, in addition to striking out seven batters in 8.1 innings.
According to Francys Romero’s records, Forteza García is the eighth member of the World Cup team to have left the Island.
Another case was that of Richard Bouquet, a 17-year-old right-handed pitcher from Holguín, who left Cuba last July and came under the guidance of Bailli Baseball, an academy in the Dominican Republic founded by former Cuban baseball player Kenen Bailli, who played in the National Series and in the Major Leagues with Toronto.
Of that Cuban youth team that competed in Japan, the first to leave the country was left-handed pitcher César Morales, from Villa Clara, in July 2025. He began training in Santo Domingo under representation by the Wasserman agency. Marcos Fuentes, Alejandro Cairo, and Cristian Rojas followed in August of last year, while Javier Zambrano left in November.
One of the reasons is the low salaries, which amount to 3,500 pesos for a player competing in the National Series
The departure of these young players adds to the problems Cuban baseball has faced for years. On the one hand, it is estimated that of the more than 1,000 athletes who have left the Island over the past decade, at least 700 are young baseball players with promising futures. To a large extent, the lack of opportunities for growth and the limited prospects of achieving a better life force athletes to seek opportunities far from the Island. One reason is the low salaries, which amount to 3,500 pesos for players competing in the National Series and 8,500 for those in the Elite League, in a country where a carton of eggs can cost as much as 4,300 pesos.
Furthermore, sporting results are getting progressively worse. In the most recent World Baseball Classic, the team known as Team Asere delivered the worst performance in its history, failing even to qualify for the second round after being eliminated with two wins and two losses.
Previously, apart from the unexpected fourth-place finish achieved by the Cuban team in the most recent World Baseball Classic in 2023, the national team has recorded nothing but failures in the various international events in which it has competed. In the Premier 12 tournament, which brings together the world’s best teams, the team fell from sixth place in 2015 to second-to-last place (11th), tied with Puerto Rico, in 2024.
Translated by Regina Anavy
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
14ymedio, Mexico City, Angel Salinas, October 25, 2026 / The National Migration Institute (INM) is holding 10 Cuban rafters who were rescued this Saturday 12 nautical miles south of Isla Mujeres. According to a source who requested anonymity, “some are from Isla de la Juventud and Pinar del Río.” This group joins the other 11 migrants who arrived in Cancún in the last month on two boats.
