English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
“When I got to the service center I had 300 cars ahead of me” 14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 29 August 2024 — Havana seems to have returned to the worst days of the fuel crisis. Piled up and bored, since the beginning of the week the drivers wait daily for hours in line and … Continue reading “The Fuel Crisis in Cuba Gets Worse and the Lines Lengthen at the Hard Currency Gas Stations”
EFE/14ymedio, Havana, 23 April 2023 — Five universities in Cuba announced this Saturday that next week they will teach classes virtually due to the fuel crisis that has been affecting the country for almost three weeks. The Agrarian University of Havana, as well as schools in the provinces of Sancti Spíritus, Holguín and the “Marta … Continue reading “The Fuel Crisis Affects In-Person Classes at Cuban Universities”
14ymedio, Havana, April 22, 2023 — The fuel shortage that overwhelms thousands of Cuban families will not stop the Government, which has already announced that there will be a parade on May 1. “We will find a way to celebrate it,” Miguel Díaz-Canel promised this Friday on a visit to the province of Villa Clara. … Continue reading “The Cuban Government Insists on ‘Celebrating’ on May 1, Despite the Fuel Crisis”
14ymedio, Havana, 6 March 2023 — Sales of gasoline are being limited to thirty liters per automobile at service centers in Villa Clara according to Yudit Hernandez Carrazanathe, coordinator of Governmental Programs and Objectives, in an interview with local broadcaster CMHW. The measure takes effect immediately and applies to all gas stations in the province. … Continue reading “Gas Rationed in Villa Clara to Deal with Cuba’s Fuel Crisis”
Many Cubans look to the orishas for answers to their problems or ask them to help them emigrate 14ymedio, Laura Bécquer/EFE, 15 June 2024 — When a Cuban woman, Elvira García, knocked on the door of the babalao (Ifá priest) she did so looking for answers to her despair in the Afro-Cuban religion. The retired … Continue reading “The Crisis Fuels a Fervor for Afro-Cuban Religions on the Island”
So far, the company has received only 528 gallons of fuel per month, 50% of what it needs 14ymedio, Havana, 7 May 2024 — The government of Las Tunas developed a “strategy” to mitigate the crisis of garbage dumps that have been out of control for months in the city. The plan is to deliver … Continue reading “The Garbage Crisis in Las Tunas Forces the Authorities To Deliver More Fuel to Communal Services”
14ymedio, Havana, November 3, 2021 — Though Venezuelan shipments of petroleum have been increasing, their impact is not being felt on the island as long lines at gas stations are becoming ever more common. According to the news agency Reuters, Caracas shipped 66,000 barrels of crude oil and petroleum products to Havana in October compared … Continue reading “In the Midst of Cuba’s Energy Crisis, Venezuela Increases Fuel Shipments”
14ymedio, Madrid, June 2, 2025 — The sugar debacle in Cuba threatens to bring down with it one the few remaining exportable products that remains: rum. Not even a month ago, the official press itself was putting forward the worst portents, talking about the state-owned company Derivados de Amancio in Las Tunas. “The current crisis … Continue reading “The Cuban Rum Industry Is in Crisis Due to Lack of Sugar”
Domestic oil production fell to 40,000 barrels per day in 2024 and only covers a third of consumption. 14ymedio, Madrid, 24 March 2025 — As if he were acting in a suspense series, Cuba’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, is gradually revealing information in an interview with the official newspaper … Continue reading “The Cuban Government Admits That Solar Parks Will Not Solve the Energy Crisis”
The official press is multiplying information on this subject to convey the idea that the authorities are prioritizing the generation of electricity. 14ymedio, Havana, February 17, 2025 — The recipe of “zero tolerance” has spread in recent months to energy crimes. In the middle of a February, with blackouts that exceed 30 hours in a … Continue reading “Cornered by the Energy Crisis, the Cuban Regime Promises a Firm Hand Against ‘Sabotage’”
The Minister of Labour and Social Security indicates that the decision is taken to “contribute to the necessary savings” 14ymedio/EFE, Havana, 14 February 2025 — The Cuban government announced on Thursday the closures of workplaces and schools for Friday and Saturday due to the deep energy crisis that the country is suffering, which has worsened … Continue reading “Cuban Authorities Suspend Work and Teaching Activities on Friday and Saturday Due to the Energy Crisis”
Pork tops the list with a 93.2% drop; even lobster and honey are seeing substantial losses 14ymedio, Madrid, 22 January 2025 — The agricultural data from the 2023 yearbook, published this Tuesday with a one-year delay, reflect a dramatic situation whose real scope will only be known when the Cuban authorities dare to release the … Continue reading “Agricultural Data Reflect an Unprecedented Food Crisis in Cuba”
Much cheaper than tricycles and scooters, cart drivers do not enjoy the sympathy of the authorities 14ymedio, Julio César Contreras, Cienfuegos, 19 January 2025 – “State-run busses are no competition for us, because they are virtually non-existent,” gibes a driver waiting to load his horse-drawn carriage precisely where La Calzada de Dolores in Cienfuegos begins. … Continue reading “In the Absence of Buses and Fuel, Horse-Drawn Carriages Provide Transportation in Cienfuegos, Cuba”
In 2008, the Island extracted 68,493 barrels per day, 44% more than last year 14ymedio, Havana, 11 January 2025 — Transparency when it comes to providing accurate and clear data on crude oil production remains one of the pending issues of the Cuban government. According to Osvaldo López, head of Exploration of the Cuba Petroleum … Continue reading “Cupet Presents False Data To Hide the Oil Production Crisis in Cuba”
The Catholic hierarchy has lost the moral authority it had before the Revolution and in the years that followed. 14ymedio, Juan Izquierdo, Havana, 21 December 2024 — The Christmas message published this Thursday by the Cuban Episcopal Conference gives an indication of how much the tone has been lowered when it comes to questioning the … Continue reading “Faced With the Terrible Crisis That the Country Is Suffering, Cuban Bishops Choose Silence”
