Search results for: chemical

Synthetic Drugs Like the ‘Chemical’ are Diversifying and Expanding in Cuba

The Ministry of the Interior claims that this is due, among other causes, to the “growing flow of travelers” 14ymedio, Havana, September 16, 2025 — During Monday’s broadcast of the program Mesa Redonda, the authorities acknowledged that in Cuba, drug consumption is expanding and diversifying, especially towards synthetic substances, which are “cheaper and less risky … Continue reading “Synthetic Drugs Like the ‘Chemical’ are Diversifying and Expanding in Cuba”

In Holguín, the ‘Chemical’ Takes Over Marijuana Alley

Students from the two neighboring schools “get high in broad daylight” Instead of prioritizing prevention, authorities mount exemplary trials with sentences of up to 20 years in prison. 14ymedio, Miguel García, Holguín, 26 June 2025 — Holguín’s Marijuana Alley earned its name years ago for the ease of finding someone to sell some “marijuana cigarettes.” … Continue reading “In Holguín, the ‘Chemical’ Takes Over Marijuana Alley”

A New ‘Chemical’ Has Arrived in Cuba That Is More Lethal and up to 100 Times Stronger

14ymedio, Havana, May 10, 2025 — All residents of Sancti Spíritus know that the dangerous neighborhood of Kilo 12 is the place to buy the “chemical” (químico) in the city. What they did not know, which the police warned about in the official press on Saturday, is that it is also where this drug has … Continue reading “A New ‘Chemical’ Has Arrived in Cuba That Is More Lethal and up to 100 Times Stronger”

In the Midst of Cuba’s Crusade Against Drugs, the ‘Chemical’ Comes to the Streets of Havana

“They don’t eat breakfast, they don’t eat lunch, they don’t eat anything, they just stuff themselves with that, it doesn’t lead to anything good.” 14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 19 March 2025 — A prisoner to his convulsions, a young man tosses on the ground, amid guttural screams, while he hits himself with fury. He … Continue reading “In the Midst of Cuba’s Crusade Against Drugs, the ‘Chemical’ Comes to the Streets of Havana”

Cuban Police Profiles on Social Networks Warn of the Increase in Arrests for Trafficking the ‘Chemical’

14ymedio, Havana, 24 January 2025 — “Tolerance for you? No.” These were the words of Cazador Cazado [Hunter Hunted], a profile related to the Ministry of the Interior, in the site’s report on the arrest of a man who carried “85 cigarettes with a type of químico [chemical].” The arrest, reported last Wednesday, occurred on … Continue reading “Cuban Police Profiles on Social Networks Warn of the Increase in Arrests for Trafficking the ‘Chemical’”

April Rumors: Raúl Castro’s ‘Chemical’ Grandson, Death of Ramiro Valdés, Dog Meat

14ymedio/Yucabyte, Havana, 22 May 2024 — El químico (the chemical), the fashionable synthetic drug in Havana, slowly takes over the Cuban underworld. The possibility that Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, El Cangrejo (The Crab), grandson and bodyguard of Raúl Castro, is the man behind its manufacture and traffic – in increasingly vast networks – was one … Continue reading “April Rumors: Raúl Castro’s ‘Chemical’ Grandson, Death of Ramiro Valdés, Dog Meat”

Officials Arrested For Stealing Chemical Used To Fight Dengue Fever / 14ymedio, Fernando Donate Ochoa

14ymedio, Fernando Donate Ochoa, Holguin, 14 October 2015 — Several directors and heads of health districts in Holguin have been arrested for their links with the illegal sale of permethrin, a chemical used to fumigate against the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is responsible for the dengue fever epidemic that affects this eastern province. A government source told 14ymedio that the … Continue reading “Officials Arrested For Stealing Chemical Used To Fight Dengue Fever / 14ymedio, Fernando Donate Ochoa”

Cuban Labs Don’t Have Chemical Reagents for HIV/AIDS Tests / Wendy Iriepa and Ignacio Estrada

The scarcity of chemical reagents in Cuban labs has once again put the population living with HIV/AIDS at a disadvantage because they cannot conduct certain lab tests. According to some of the reports from health facilities, the scarcity of the reagents is a problem at the national level, with no exceptions in any hospital. According … Continue reading “Cuban Labs Don’t Have Chemical Reagents for HIV/AIDS Tests / Wendy Iriepa and Ignacio Estrada”

Washington Will Clarify That There Are No Restrictions on the Export of Fuel to Private Businesses in Cuba

According to Bloomberg, there will be a document for exporters and re-exporters with explanations, although doubts remain about how the State will be prevented from intervening at any point. Quimimport told 14ymedio that it still does not have authorization from the Ministry to carry out purchases abroad. 14ymedio, Madrid, February 25, 2026 – The U.S. … Continue reading “Washington Will Clarify That There Are No Restrictions on the Export of Fuel to Private Businesses in Cuba”

Young Man Arrested for Setting Fire to a Homeless Man Sleeping on the Street in Cárdenas

Agustín, a well-known figure in the neighborhood, died from the severity of his burns 14ymedio, Havana, 20 February 2026 — The death of Agustín, a homeless man known in Cárdenas as Bin Laden, has once again spotlighted the vulnerability of beggars in Cuba. An 18-year-old has been identified as the alleged perpetrator of the crime … Continue reading “Young Man Arrested for Setting Fire to a Homeless Man Sleeping on the Street in Cárdenas”

Shouting “Homeland and Life”, Dozens of Prisoners Riot in Cuba’s Canaleta Prison, in Ciego De Ávila

“There is one confirmed death, although it is not known whether he hanged himself or was hanged.” 14ymedio, Havana, February 19, 2026 — The cry of “Down with Díaz-Canel!” echoed from Cuba’s Canaleta prison in Ciego de Ávila on Wednesday afternoon. Dozens of inmates staged a riot that, according to reports from organizations and testimonies … Continue reading “Shouting “Homeland and Life”, Dozens of Prisoners Riot in Cuba’s Canaleta Prison, in Ciego De Ávila”

El4tico, the Rebellious Youth That Those in Power in Cuba Want To Silence

The arrest of Ernesto Medina and Kamil Zayas is a warning to Cubans under 40: emigrate before repression catches up with you 14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Generation Y, Havana, 7 February 2026 —  My generation has packed its bags. And the few of us who remain on the island have had to learn another kind of … Continue reading “El4tico, the Rebellious Youth That Those in Power in Cuba Want To Silence”

Cuba Disguised Aid for the Chikungunya Epidemic in a Request for Help With Hurricane Melissa

The order included mosquito repellent products during the peak of the crisis EFE (via 14ymedio), Havana, December 17, 2025 — The Cuban government included supplies to fight the chikungunya and dengue epidemic affecting the island in an international appeal for aid following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, but without specifying its true purpose, according to documents … Continue reading “Cuba Disguised Aid for the Chikungunya Epidemic in a Request for Help With Hurricane Melissa”

Authorities Blame a Florida-Based Network for the Production and Sale of ‘El Químico’

Cuban police arrest 24 people and confiscate homes, vehicles and 11 million pesos 14ymedio, Havana, December 13, 2025 –The Cuban authorities insist on accusing external forces of being behind the spread of drugs on the island. This time, they found the pretext in a police operation announced on Friday against an alleged network dedicated to … Continue reading “Authorities Blame a Florida-Based Network for the Production and Sale of ‘El Químico’”

Two People Die in Santiago De Cuba After Exposure To Fake “Alum Bleach”

The chemical is used to purify domestic drinking water. 14ymedio, Santiago de Cuba, 25 November 2025 — The official journalist Cuscó Tarradell, in a Facebook post quoting the Municipal Assembly’s Communications Department, warned that two people had died in Santiago de Cuba after being exposed to a highly toxic substance sold as “alum bleach”. According … Continue reading “Two People Die in Santiago De Cuba After Exposure To Fake “Alum Bleach””