Thais Mailen Franco, One of the Detainees from the Obispo St. Demonstration, Arrives in the U. S. by the ‘Route of the Volcanoes’*

14ymedio, Havana, 7 October 7, 2022 — Thais Mailén Franco, one of those arrested for the demonstration on Obispo Street in Havana in April 2021, has been in U.S. territory since the early hours of Wednesday. “Crossing the California border, crossing the entire desert,” says the activist herself in a video posted on her social … Continue reading “Thais Mailen Franco, One of the Detainees from the Obispo St. Demonstration, Arrives in the U. S. by the ‘Route of the Volcanoes’*”

Cuban Migration Part 1: The Volcanoes Route: I Trembled with Anguish, I Felt That I Was Leaving Everyone Behind

14ymedio, Alejandro Mena Ortiz, 23 April 2022 — I had never left Cuba in my life, so emigrating was the most difficult decision I have ever made. I had to painfully say goodbye to the people I love: my children, my grandmother, my mother, my father, my wife, my brothers. There is only one reason to have … Continue reading “Cuban Migration Part 1: The Volcanoes Route: I Trembled with Anguish, I Felt That I Was Leaving Everyone Behind”

“On the Southern Route, the Coyotes, Drivers and Hostel Owners Are All Cubans”

For Juliet, a 29-year-old nurse, the trip to Uruguay cost less than $2,000 and without the mistreatment of the northern route. 14ymedio, Madrid, 2 January 2025 — Juliet has just arrived in Uruguay on a journey that took less than two weeks and cost her less than 2,000 dollars. A nurse by profession, the 29 … Continue reading ““On the Southern Route, the Coyotes, Drivers and Hostel Owners Are All Cubans””

When the Rebellion of the Cuban Barbers Failed, David Left by the ‘Route of the Volcanos’

14ymedio, Alejandro Mena Ortiz, Miami, 30 October 2022 — David left his dream of being a dentist to open a barbershop in Havana in 2016, one of the best years in Cuban’s recent history, with the visit of Barack Obama, tourism reaching the sky and hopes for more lively changes than ever. Six years later, … Continue reading “When the Rebellion of the Cuban Barbers Failed, David Left by the ‘Route of the Volcanos’”

Hack Latino, an App To Warn About ‘Migra’ Raids in the US

Initially created to promote Latino businesses, the app already has more than 100,000 downloads. 14ymedio, Miami, 19 June 2025 — The maps in the Hack Latino app were originally created to discover places, businesses and restaurants, and to share them with the Latino community in the United States. Happy destinations, very different from what its … Continue reading “Hack Latino, an App To Warn About ‘Migra’ Raids in the US”

Despite the Deportations, Many Cubans Continue To Trust Trump To Regularize Their Situation

“Biden left the White House without solving our problem,” complains Pedro, who arrived three years ago 14ymedio, Alejandro Mena Ortiz / Yaiza Santos, Miami/Madrid, 12 February 2025 — Pedro, from Havana, arrived in the United States almost three years ago by the “route of the volcanoes,” from Nicaragua, and does not yet have legal residence. … Continue reading “Despite the Deportations, Many Cubans Continue To Trust Trump To Regularize Their Situation”

Cuban Faces 2024: Priest Leandro Naun, Chef and ‘War Correspondent’ in Santiago de Cuba

Naun’s style is not that of other priests like Alberto Reyes or Lester Zayas, who are much more direct when it comes to criticizing the regime. 14ymedio, Havana, 27 December 2024 — The Catholic priest Leandro Naun made headlines in the independent press abruptly. Three masked men had entered his parents’ house in Santiago de … Continue reading “Cuban Faces 2024: Priest Leandro Naun, Chef and ‘War Correspondent’ in Santiago de Cuba”

Academics, Engineers and Retirees Sell Their Goods in a Second-Hand Market in Havana

“Everyone is doing it, selling the belongings of family members who have emigrated” 14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 3 November 2024 — They arrive early; some spread a blanket but others simply used the stairs of a building to spread their goods. The flea market on the corner of Loma and Tulipán, in Nuevo Vedado, … Continue reading “Academics, Engineers and Retirees Sell Their Goods in a Second-Hand Market in Havana”

12 Historical Moments Reported Live by ’14ymedio’

1. The Announcement of the “Thaw” 2. Reopening of Embassies The next step to the thaw, as logical as it was historic, was the reopening of embassies in Washington and Havana. It was in the summer of 2015, under an inclement sun and in two events that brought together officials in the United States and curious … Continue reading “12 Historical Moments Reported Live by ’14ymedio’”

Cubans Without ‘Family in the Exterior’ Survive by Reselling on the Streets

Galiano Street, in Central Havana, has become a showcase for misery 14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 23 April 2024 — Cubans who emigrate to Miami have an expression for those who remain on the Island, those whom they support with their remittances: “Cubans with faith.” The word “faith” in Spanish is “fe,” which stands for … Continue reading “Cubans Without ‘Family in the Exterior’ Survive by Reselling on the Streets”

Cubans Without ‘Family in the Exterior’ Survive by Reselling on the Streets

Galiano Street, in Central Havana, has become a showcase for misery 14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 23 April 2024 — Cubans who emigrate to Miami have an expression for those who remain on the Island, those whom they support with their remittances: “Cubans with faith.” The word “faith” in Spanish is “fe,” which stands for … Continue reading “Cubans Without ‘Family in the Exterior’ Survive by Reselling on the Streets”

‘Soon, Polyclinics in Cuba Will Have To Be Closed Due to Lack of Personnel’

14ymedio, Havana, 23 June 2023 — Abuse, mass exodus and a slave salary. These three elements encrypt the drama that, every day, decreases the number of medical specialists in Cuba. The loss of high-level professionals in all spheres is one of the dimensions of the labor crisis in Cuba, a sector also affected by aging. … Continue reading “‘Soon, Polyclinics in Cuba Will Have To Be Closed Due to Lack of Personnel’”

Cuba: ‘That Was Not An Accident, It Was Murder’

14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Havana, 1 November 2022 — Héctor Meizoso’s life has taken a tragic turn since last Friday. Ten of his relatives were traveling in the boat sunk by the Cuban Border Guards north of Bahía Honda, in Artemisa, and three of them died in the attempt to leave the island, in an incident … Continue reading “Cuba: ‘That Was Not An Accident, It Was Murder’”

Private Businesses in Cuba ‘Are For Sale With Everything Inside’

14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 16 September 2022 — With the doors closed, the interior empty and a “For Sale” sign in the window, a private restaurant on Infanta Street, in Central Havana, is one of the many businesses for sale in Cuba, where the economic crisis and mass exodus have made entrepreneurship an almost … Continue reading “Private Businesses in Cuba ‘Are For Sale With Everything Inside’”

Two Seriously Injured in Luyano, Cuba, in Fire of Two Motorbikes and Gas Cans

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 13 September 2022 — Two people were seriously injured in the fire at a house in Luyanó, in the Havana municipality of Diez de Octubre, in the early hours of Tuesday. According to the neighbors, who spoke to this newspaper, the fire began at four in the morning when an … Continue reading “Two Seriously Injured in Luyano, Cuba, in Fire of Two Motorbikes and Gas Cans”