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’”

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”

Paseo Galleries in Havana, a Palace of Consumption Turned into Ruins

14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 24 February 2024 — Careful!” a woman managed to say this Friday to a child who was rushing along the entrance ramp of the Paseo Galleries, in Havana’s Vedado district. The floor slabs, full of holes, forced customers going to the market, located on the first floor, to walk gently … Continue reading “Paseo Galleries in Havana, a Palace of Consumption Turned into Ruins”

More Cubans Stay in Nicaragua: ‘It is a Dictatorship, But it Offers Opportunities’

14ymedio, Havana, 4 December 2023 — Unlike Cuba, Nicaragua is “a dictatorship that offers opportunities,” says a Cuban interviewed on the streets of Managua by the opposition newspaper La Prensa. Róger, 27 and originally from Camagüey, has decided to stay in that Central American country where he had arrived to continue along the “volcano route” to the final … Continue reading “More Cubans Stay in Nicaragua: ‘It is a Dictatorship, But it Offers Opportunities’”

The Ghost of the Independent Press Annoys the Congress of Cuba’s Official Media

14ymedio, Havana, 3 November 2023 —  Under the watchful eye of Rogelio Polanco, ideological guardian of the Communist Party, Cuban journalists tried this Thursday to bell the cat without being too critical. The situation of the official press, however, is serious. The worst salaries in its history, “loss of credibility,” “bureaucratic language,” mediocre training of its … Continue reading “The Ghost of the Independent Press Annoys the Congress of Cuba’s Official Media”

‘The Idea is to Leave, Once Outside We’ll see,’ Say Cubans on Their Way to Managua

14ymedio, Mexico, 9 March 2023 — “Passengers who do not have a passport, stay seated.” That phrase, which on any other flight would sound strange, is already routine for the Aeroméxico flights between Havana and Mexico City that end in Managua. Cubans continue to use that route to get to the United States. Between hugs … Continue reading “‘The Idea is to Leave, Once Outside We’ll see,’ Say Cubans on Their Way to Managua”

There Are Plenty of Jobs in Cuba But No One Wants to Live Here

14ymedio, Madrid, 9 February 2023 — The European press normally pays little attention to what is happening in Cuba. In recent months, however, the continent’s media outlets have turned their focus to the enormous exodus from the island, which has left business managers unable to find workers. Data published on Thursday in an article by … Continue reading “There Are Plenty of Jobs in Cuba But No One Wants to Live Here”

Full When They Leave Cuba, Aeromexico Flights Return to Havana Almost Empty

14ymedio, Havana, 27 November 2022 — Safety instructions could be heard on the loudspeaker as the plane accelerated on the tarmac during takeoff. Aeroméxico flight 451 was headed for Havana on Saturday with an almost empty cabin. Only a dozen people were traveling to the Island. The rest of the passengers never boarded the plane … Continue reading “Full When They Leave Cuba, Aeromexico Flights Return to Havana Almost Empty”

With the Arrival of 171,080 Cubans to the US, the Biden Administration Breaks a Historical Record

14ymedio, Madrid, 16 June 2022 — The migration crisis that Cuba has suffered since the end of last year is exceeding the worst forecasts. According to data recently published by the US Department of Customs and Border Protection, in the last eight months, since the beginning of the US fiscal year, on October 1, 2021, … Continue reading “With the Arrival of 171,080 Cubans to the US, the Biden Administration Breaks a Historical Record”

Managua, Caracas and Havana: Migration as a Business

14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Generation Y, Havana, 29 November 2023 — Most of them are men, carrying only a small backpack as luggage. The line to check in at the Conviasa counter at Havana’s José Martí airport moves quickly. The flight goes direct to Managua, but the Nicaraguan capital is only the gateway to a route … Continue reading “Managua, Caracas and Havana: Migration as a Business”

Excepting Cuba, Latin America Will Receive a Record Number of Remittances in 2023, Due to the Increase in Migration

14ymedio, Madrid, November 16, 2023 —  The sending of remittances to Latin America will reach a record figure in 2023, with 155 billion dollars, 9.5% more than the previous year, according to estimates made by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in a report published this Wednesday. The document does not include data from Cuba, where, despite … Continue reading “Excepting Cuba, Latin America Will Receive a Record Number of Remittances in 2023, Due to the Increase in Migration”

US Threatens to Punish Charter Companies That Take Migrants From Cuba to Managua

14ymedio, Madrid, November 17, 2023 — The wave of Cuban migrants from Nicaragua could have its days numbered if the United States finally decides to take measures against airlines that operate charter flights between Havana and Managua. This Thursday, Eric Jacobstein, deputy undersecretary of the US Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, told The Voice of America that … Continue reading “US Threatens to Punish Charter Companies That Take Migrants From Cuba to Managua”

‘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’”

The United States Accidentally Reveals the Identity of 46 Cuban Asylum Seekers

14ymedio, Havana, 21 December 2022 — An indiscretion from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) has compromised the situation of 46 Cuban asylum seekers in the United States. At the end of November, the institution accidentally published a list of 6,252 immigrants in ICE custody that included sensitive information about their identity, dates of birth … Continue reading “The United States Accidentally Reveals the Identity of 46 Cuban Asylum Seekers”