English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
The Elecric Union (UNE) Forecasts a Record 2,380-Megawatt Shortfall During Peak Hours. 14ymedio, Darío Hernández, Havana, July 29, 2026 – Cuba’s Electric Union (UNE) forecast a record shortfall of 2,380 megawatts (MW) during peak hours this Wednesday, a figure that, if realized, would further deepen the paralysis of a country battered by blackouts, the lack … Continue reading “Havana, a Dead City, Faces an Unprecedented Blackout Today”
“Viva Cuba Libre” and “D-C singao” feature prominently on the back of the protagonist 14ymedio, Darío Hernández, Havana, 15 March 2026 — Nothing suggested that the Lienzo Vivo event this Saturday at Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC) would be anything more than a gathering devoted to the art of body tattooing. But the invitation for … Continue reading “Fábrica de Arte Cubano Defies Censorship With a Body-Tattoo Performance”
Rocío San Miguel and four other Spaniards are among those released, confirmed the Foreign Ministry of Spain 14ymedio, Madrid, January 8, 2026 — The president of the National Assembly and chief negotiator for Chavismo, Jorge Rodríguez, announced on Thursday that the regime “has begun the release of a significant number of Venezuelans and foreigners,” without … Continue reading “The Release of “a Significant Number of Venezuelans and Foreigners” Has Begun”
The cultural center attributes an alleged racist act to a misunderstanding on the part of its security staff. 14ymedio, Havana, January 1, 2026 — The Fábrica De Arte Cubano [Cuban Art Factory] (FAC) released a statement this Wednesday rejecting accusations of racial discrimination that circulated against it following an incident that occurred at the end … Continue reading “The Fábrica De Arte Cubano Denounces a Smear Campaign Encouraged by the Authorities”
“They have been fearing that voice for 60 years, terrified of its extraordinary power to draw a crowd” 14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, 10 November 2025 — Spectacular. There is no other word to describe the tribute paid to Celia Cruz this Sunday night at the El Cabildo cultural center, near the Almendares River in Havana. … Continue reading “A Crowd in Love With Celia Cruz Defies Censorship at a Tribute in Havana”
If the Prosecutor’s Office announcement about Alejandro Gil was a “smokescreen,” it backfired spectacularly. 14ymedio, Yunior García Aguilera, Madrid, November 3, 2025 – “The Communist Party of Cuba must demand the dismissal of its first secretary and president of the country, as well as that of Manuel Marrero Cruz.” Thus, without mincing words, the pro-government … Continue reading “The Rebellion of the ‘Clarias’: Cracks in the Cuban Regime in Its Terminal Phase”
From Miami, this is how José Daniel Ferrer addressed Luis Robles, “the young man with the placard,” at a press conference held in Madrid. 14ymedio, Yunior García Aguilera, Madrid, 15 October 2025 — “I had already served my sentence, but I was still a hostage,” Luis Robles told 14ymedio a few hours after arriving in … Continue reading ““With So Many Young People Like You, Tyranny Doesn’t Last a Week””
“My life is in danger in Cuba,” says Eliexer Márquez “El Funky” 14ymedio, Luz Escobar / Yaiza Santos, Madrid, May 9, 2025 (delayed translation) — Eliexer Márquez “El Funky,” one of the authors of Patria y Vida, the anthem of the 11 July 2021 protests, winner of two Grammy Awards, persecuted in Cuba for his dissenting … Continue reading “El Funky, One of the Authors of ‘Homeland and Life’ Receives a Deportation Order From the US.”
The music cuts out at the Cuban Art Factory and Coppelia closes because the ice cream is melted. 14ymedio, Darío Hernández / Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 24 June 2025 — The increasing number of blackouts respect fewer and fewer hours and fewer neighborhoods. Living in Havana’s most touristy areas doesn’t guarantee a night without power … Continue reading “‘Cubans Are Physically and Mentally Exhausted by the Blackouts’”
“My life is in danger in Cuba,” says Eliexer Márquez “El Funky.” 14ymedio, Luz Escobar / Yaiza Santos, Madrid, 9 May 2025 — Eliexer Márquez “El Funky,” one of the authors of Patria y Vida, the anthem of the 11 July 2021 protests, winner of two Grammy Awards, persecuted in Cuba for his dissenting songs, … Continue reading “One of the Authors of the Grammy Winning Cuban Protest Anthem ‘Homeland and Life’ Receives a Deportation Order From the US”
Two independent organizations registered 3,921 acts against demonstrators and around 1,000 political prisoners 14ymedio, Havana, 7 January 2024 — The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) reported this Tuesday that during 2024, the Government’s persecution of those who expressed discontent with the serious crisis that the Island is going through increased. According to its count, … Continue reading “The Cuban Government Carried Out at Least 10 Repressive Actions per Day Last Year”
Amnesty International said that the regime uses four tactics “to suppress dissent” 14ymedio, Havana, 27 December 2024 — The organizations Prisoners Defenders (PD) and Consorcio Justicia denounced to the United Nations a “scandalous repressive escalation this quarter against peaceful demonstrators” throughout Cuba. In a report published this Friday, they point out that between October and … Continue reading “Prisoners Defenders Denounces to the UN a Wave of ‘Indiscriminate Arrests’ in Cuba”
Javier González Fernández suffers from neurological disorders that cannot be treated in prison 14ymedio, Havana, June 21, 2024 — The Provincial Court of Artemisa denied, for the second time on June 18 the extra-penal permit to political prisoner Fernández leave from prison Javier González to treat his ailments. In addition to severe neurological conditions, he … Continue reading “Despite Medical Recommendations a Court in Artemisa, Cuba, Denies ’11J’ Prisoner a Leave for Medical Care”
14ymedio, Madrid, 28 November 2023 — For some reason, the plan to build with clay has not penetrated the Island. In the middle of the year, the authorities of the sector spent a long time explaining to the population the benefits of this material, in which the Island is rich, when it comes to building … Continue reading “The Housing Construction Plan Is Not Fulfilled in Cuba Due to Lack of Cement and ‘Working Methods’”
14ymedio, Madrid, 3 April 2023 — The idea is taking hold in Cuba that musicians could end up working in the private sector, although with limitations. The regime still does not give clear signs about it, but the second part of the report “Do music companies in Cuba represent their artists well?” mentions the possibility … Continue reading “Faced With the Collapse of State Companies, Cuban Artists Ask for Less Bureaucracy and More Music”