14ymedio – Page 3 – Translating Cuba

Rice, Diapers, and Whiskey Are Among the Products Available at Sancti Spíritus Wholesale Market, the First of Its Kind in Cuba

The minimum purchase is $200 or 24,000 pesos, payable by card or in cash.
In the same city, the Meat Company opens its first retail store.

The new supply market in the city of Sancti Spíritus. / Juventud Rebelde

14ymedio, Sancti Spíritus, October 12, 2026 – Two months after the Cuban Government authorized the creation of supply markets, the first one has opened in Sancti Spíritus. “Rice, seasonings, salt, diapers for children and adults, wet wipes, and whiskey” are among the products available at the establishment, according to the official press.

Anyone can enter the warehouse, located in the former printing plant of the Escambray newspaper, whether or not they own a business, according to the report published in several state media outlets. The only requirement is to make a minimum purchase of $200 or 24,000 pesos, applying the official exchange rate for tourism-related activities of 120 pesos per dollar. For the time being, they explain, sales are conducted in national currency, although they plan to extend them to foreign currency.

The initiative was undertaken by ITH S.A., the state entity responsible for supplies and imports for Cuba’s tourism sector, in order to “bring together a variety of products in one place at prices lower than those on the informal market” and “guarantee all the resources needed by the leisure sector.” The director of ITH Trinidad explains the purchasing procedure: “A customer record is created, and through electronic payment, using a POS terminal or the Transfermóvil platform, the merchandise is taken away. Cash is also accepted.” continue reading

“A customer record is created, and through electronic payment, using a POS terminal or the Transfermóvil platform, the merchandise is taken away”

For the time being, the new market has rented stalls occupied by the Sancti Spíritus Municipal Agroindustrial Company, three private MSMEs, and a foreign firm, although only one of them is identified by name: Banvaria SURL, with “a fairly broad corporate purpose.” Indeed, in the list of MSMEs published by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, where it appears as “Banvarias,” its business activity is listed as “production of construction materials.”

The report includes an interview with its owner, Sancti Spíritus native Alexis Macías Hernández, who, at just 35 years old, is described as “quite the businessman.” His résumé credits him not only with the declared corporate purpose of his company but also with a “cooperative production contract with a company belonging to the Foreign Trade sector,” the “importation of components related to renewable energy sources,” and “a small-scale processing plant for canned products made from both mango pulp and habanero and Mexican chili peppers.” In the photograph accompanying the official report, he poses with a package of adult diapers.

“There are people who think tourism in Cuba will not experience a boom, and I think the opposite,” says the young man, who explains that this was one of the reasons, “along with ITH’s experience in the marketplace,” that “motivated me to be one of the first participants” in the establishment. Macías Hernández asserts that “we need foreign currency to survive” and maintains that “we can obtain it through the sales we make here.”

Alexis Macías Hernández, owner of the Banvaria MSME, which rents space in the new wholesale market in Sancti Spíritus. / Juventud Rebelde

With apparent authority, the businessman says he sees potential in the project and states that “what is available today represents only 5% of what could be made available to customers.” According to the official report, a second supply market will open “in the coming days” in the town of Trinidad, in Sancti Spíritus province. “We have gotten a little ahead of the rest of the country, but little by little, there will be a presence in other provinces,” said Aida Rita Rivas Duarte.

The tenants currently participating in the initiative are described in the report as “the first to take the risk,” while the article also points out the “major obstacle” facing the new warehouse: “not having solar panels and being located in one of the circuits hardest hit by the absence of electricity service.”

Another tenant, the Sancti Spíritus Municipal Agroindustrial Company, reports that its meat products will be available in foreign currency, at prices of around $6 per kilogram. In addition to the salt and rice it already sells, the company will offer “beans and another group of products from our producers as conditions are established because, although there are very good refrigerators, they have no backup power,” said Yuniesco Lorenzo González, the entity’s director of accounting and finance.

At the same time as this supply market opened, the provincial Meat Company in the same city of Sancti Spíritus inaugurated its first retail store selling goods in national currency. Allowing a state-owned company to operate its own stores is another of the regulations approved last August as part of the “176 measures” announced by the regime to open up the economy.

“When the sales and distribution chain leading to the final customer is shortened, prices are cheaper and more favorable for the population,” Lianet González, the entity’s deputy director, told Escambray. However, payment is mandatory “online” and is regulated “in order to prevent resellers from operating.”

As a result, each customer will be allowed to purchase a maximum of “two units of each type of product.”

In addition to this retail store, the company has other online stores selling in foreign currency, one in Sancti Spíritus and another in Trinidad, allowing families abroad to purchase products for Cubans living on the Island.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Manuel Pereira, the Cuban Writer Who Took Havana into Exile, Dies in Mexico

The passing of a writer who lived through revolutionary enthusiasm, knew the great names of the Latin American ‘boom’ up close and ended up finding in exile the freedom he had lacked on the island

Manuel Pereira, with Eliseo ‘Lichi’ Alberto, in a 2006 photo. / Facebook/Manuel Pereira

14ymedio, Havana, October 12, 2026 / Manuel Pereira, one of the last disciples of José Lezama Lima and a singular voice in contemporary Cuban fiction, died this Saturday in Mexico, just three weeks short of his 78th birthday. His death marks the passing of a writer who lived through revolutionary enthusiasm, knew the great names of the Latin American boom up close and ended up finding in exile the freedom he had lacked on the island.

Born in Havana on October 31, 1948, the son of Galician emigrants, Pereira liked to point out that he had not simply been born in Cuba, but in Old Havana. That geography of narrow streets, old buildings and colorful characters fed much of his literary imagination. The city would stay with him even when thousands of miles separated him from its doorways and cobblestones.

He studied Fine Arts at the San Alejandro Academy, but soon found his true calling in words. He worked as a journalist and a screenwriter, published numerous feature stories in the magazine Cuba Internacional and held positions of responsibility at the magazine Cine Cubano. However, one of the defining experiences of his youth took place in the house on Trocadero Street where José Lezama Lima lived.

There he learned from the author of Paradiso a way of understanding literature as an adventure of knowledge. Pereira would retain throughout his life his devotion to that master who taught him to look beyond appearances. Years later, in his memoir El curso délfico, he would leave a testimony of an intellectual and human relationship that never faded. continue reading

Alejo Carpentier hailed him as a born novelist and Gabriel García Márquez went so far as to say it was the novel he would have liked to write about Cuba

His first novel, El comandante Veneno, written between 1972 and 1974 and finally published in 1977, made him a well-known author within Cuba. Inspired by his experiences during the literacy campaign, the work was initially rejected by a military jury that found in its pages foreign-leaning influences and passages considered pornographic.

Alejo Carpentier hailed him as a born novelist and Gabriel García Márquez went so far as to say it was the novel he would have liked to write about Cuba. That praise opened doors for a young writer who also cultivated friendship and intellectual exchange with figures such as Julio Cortázar. His book of essays La quinta nave de los locos became cult reading among young Cubans.

But Pereira’s career was marked by a painful break. During his posting as a cultural diplomat to Unesco in Paris, he watched the Soviet reforms of perestroika with hope. His disenchantment with Cuban political stagnation led him to resign from the post in 1988. Three years later he left the island for good.

Berlin, Barcelona and finally Mexico City were the stations of an exile during which he continued writing, translating and teaching literature. He published novels such as Toilette, Insolación, El beso esquimal and Un viejo viaje, as well as essays and short stories that confirmed his intellectual curiosity and his resistance to any pigeonholing.

In an interview with 14ymedio, Pereira described himself as an essayist who wrote novels. Behind that statement lay a conception of writing as constant exploration, but also the experience of a generation that had believed intensely in a political project and ended up deeply disillusioned.

Mexico, where he had lived since 2004, was his last refuge. There he taught, wrote and continued to evoke a Havana he never entirely left behind.

Translated by GH.

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Between Two Banks and a Garbage Dump, Matanzas’s Forgotten Bridge

Lack of maintenance and the accumulation of waste are deteriorating the pedestrian crossing that connects Versalles with La Marina.

In the city known for its bridges, some have ceased to be a source of pride and have become a daily concern. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Julio César Contreras, Matanzas, October 11, 2026 — The woman shields herself from the sun with an umbrella as she makes her way toward the Yumurí River. A few steps away, a young man dodges the uneven pavement. Both are heading toward the pedestrian bridge connecting the neighborhoods of Versalles and La Marina, a structure where rust, garbage, and lack of maintenance have become constant companions for passersby.

When Matanzas celebrates its 333rd anniversary of founding on October 12, this walkway is unlikely to appear among the images selected to commemorate the occasion. In the city known for its bridges, some have ceased to be a source of pride and have become a daily concern. The so-called Pipe Bridge, located just a few meters from the iconic La Concordia Bridge, is one of them.

Before reaching its stairs, pedestrians must confront a garbage dump occupying much of the entrance. Plastic bottles, cardboard, rusty cans, dry branches, and household waste form a mountain beside a ditch through which sewage flows. The stench mingles with the heat and attracts insects. A few meters away, facades covered with vines and palm trees offer a tropical postcard that contrasts with so much filth.

“I’ve always liked this little bridge because there’s no risk of getting into an accident with cars, but the truth is that the situation with the garbage dump is unbearable,” says Filiberto, a retiree who crosses it daily to visit his grandchildren in La Marina. continue reading

“Since the people from Communal Services don’t come to clean up, the garbage has been steadily encroaching on the area.” / 14ymedio

“I know for a fact that the neighbors have complained as much as they can. However, since the people from Communal Services don’t come to clean up, the garbage has been steadily encroaching on the area. It started with a little patch, and now it’s getting closer and closer to the stairs,” he laments.

The garbage dump is not the only obstacle. The steps are uneven, and handrails are missing in some sections. On the bridge, a thick metal pipe, used for decades to supply drinking water to nearby neighborhoods and now out of service, is covered in a thick layer of rust. Around it, the structure shows cracks, and sections of the railings have disappeared.

“To go up and down, I have to take it slowly, one step at a time, because otherwise I lose my balance,” explains Filiberto, who fears that a misstep could end in a fall.

The deterioration goes back a long way. In July 2019, a report by Radio 26 warned that nearly three meters of railing had ended up in the river and pointed to fishermen who used the walkway as a platform from which to cast their nets. The publication also described the dirt and foul odors that accompanied pedestrians. Seven years later, the images show that those problems persist and have worsened.

“There’s a long stretch that no longer has railings, and if you’re not careful, you could end up in the river, which is pretty dirty.” / 14ymedio

“I walk as close to the pipe as I can. There’s a long stretch that no longer has railings, and if you’re not careful, you could end up in the river, which is pretty dirty,” the retiree warns. “If they keep stealing the metal rods and don’t carry out proper repairs, before long no elderly person will be able to cross here.”

Younger people do not cross the area without anxiety either. Melissa, a high school student, lives one block away and knows the stories of muggings that circulate among the neighbors. At night, she says, the darkness makes the crossing an even more unsettling place.

“It gets darker than the inside of a wolf’s mouth,” she comments. Even during the day, she prefers to walk along the side where the railings remain intact, although the space is narrower.

“I have no idea what the structure might be like underneath, but I refuse to believe there could be a danger and that they would still leave the crossing open,” she adds.

From the nearby La Concordia Bridge, the concrete pillars appear to be holding up without difficulty. However, the actual condition of their supports requires a specialized assessment. In the meantime, dozens of people continue to cross every day, because deterioration does not eliminate the need to reach the other neighborhood.

On the eve of the anniversary, Matanzas will once again celebrate its history, its rivers, and its architecture. The Pipe Bridge, without monumental arches or commemorative plaques, will continue to serve the public amid waste and rusted metal. A city can boast about its bridges, but it should also ensure that its residents reach the other bank safe and sound.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Regime Calls the U.S. Report on Cuban Doctors “Sick Persecution”

The foreign minister calls the document on forced labor in medical missions “unilateral and mendacious,” but does not refute the figures or the mechanisms of control described in the report.

Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, in a file photograph. / EFE/Ángel Colmenares

EFE/14ymedio, Havana, October 11, 2026 / On Saturday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez described the new U.S. State Department report on human trafficking as “sick persecution” by the United States. The report identifies the Cuban regime’s medical missions abroad as involving “forced labor,” but Rodríguez offered no data to refute the figures or the mechanisms of control described in the document.

“With another unilateral and mendacious report on Human Trafficking, the U.S. State Department seeks to continue justifying that government’s aggressive policy against Cuba and its sick persecution of Cuban medical cooperation,” the Cuban foreign minister wrote on his social media accounts.

The annual Trafficking in Persons Report published by the State Department keeps the Island at the lowest tier and identifies Cuba’s labor export program, including its medical missions abroad, as a “government policy or pattern of forced labor.”

The report states that Cuban officials have recruited professionals “through deception and threats of retaliation.” According to the report’s estimates, at the beginning of 2026 there were approximately 18,000 workers serving in government missions abroad, most of them healthcare professionals, in 52 countries, compared with 26,000 the previous year. The report attributes this decline to “increased diplomatic engagement” by the U.S. administration, which has “dramatically” reduced the number of workers associated with the regime. continue reading

The State Department keeps the Island at the lowest tier and identifies Cuba’s labor export program as a “government policy and pattern of forced labor.”

Rodríguez wrote about this on X: “The explicit acknowledgment of the harsh pressure and blackmail exerted against governments that receive cooperation from our country is cynical,” he said, insisting that these U.S. actions take place “regardless of the consequences for the populations that have benefited from the presence of Cuban medical personnel.”

“The U.S. government persists in its lies in an attempt to manipulate international public opinion,” the foreign minister wrote.

According to Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information (Onei), exports of professional services accounted for more than 40% of the Island’s total external sales between 2018 and 2020.

The U.S. report states that the regime also sells the services of teachers, coaches and athletes, artists, engineers, forestry technicians, construction workers, and sailors. Doctors, the report notes, are “a vital source of income for the regime, generating billions of dollars in hard currency,” with the government appropriating “between 50% and 95% of their salaries” in exchange for “meager compensation, lower than that received by other professionals performing similar work.”

The report denounces the hardships imposed on these specialists, including passport controls, curfews, and surveillance, which undermine their right to freedom of movement. It also points to “laws and regulations that, if challenged or violated, carry arbitrary punishments, such as exile.”

The report denounces the hardships imposed on these specialists, including passport controls, curfews, and surveillance, which undermine their right to freedom of movement

Rodríguez made no reference to these allegations in his heated response on X.
Cuban medical brigades, which were established more than six decades ago and have sent more than 600,000 professionals to 165 countries over the years, according to official figures, have become a target of the Cuba policy pursued by the Trump administration during his second term.

To date, Honduras, Guatemala, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Guyana, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have terminated their agreements with Havana, while other countries have opted to reform them to hire specialists directly. These include the Italian region of Calabria, Uruguay, and, as became known last week, Jamaica.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Díaz-Canel Reaffirms Friendship with North Korea After Scaling Back Diplomatic Presence in Seoul

Havana withdrew half of its diplomats from South Korea without explanation, although it denies that the decision was politically motivated.

Díaz-Canel traveled to Pyongyang in November 2018 and was received by Kim Jong-un, with whom he held talks at the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party. / Estudios Revolución

14ymedio/EFE. Havana, October 11, 2026 / Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel reiterated this Saturday the “commitment to developing the historic bonds of friendship” between Cuba and North Korea, as he congratulated leader Kim Jong-un on the 81st anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party, the ruling party in the Asian country. The message comes less than a month after Havana cut its diplomatic staff in South Korea by half, a decision it has not publicly explained and which has raised questions about the future of relations between the two countries.

“Congratulations to Comrade Kim Jong-un and to all members of the Workers’ Party of Korea on the 81st anniversary of its founding. We reiterate our commitment to developing the historic bonds of friendship,” Díaz-Canel wrote on his social media.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez also joined in the commemoration and reaffirmed the “will to continue consolidating” the bonds of “brotherhood, solidarity and cooperation that unite both parties, governments and peoples.” North Korea celebrated one of its principal political anniversaries this Saturday, marking the founding of the organization that has governed the country since its establishment. continue reading

On September 17, Havana withdrew two of the four diplomats posted to the Cuban Embassy in Seoul

The congratulations come at a delicate moment for Cuban diplomacy on the Korean peninsula. On September 17, Havana withdrew two of the four diplomats posted to the Cuban Embassy in Seoul, which had opened just fifteen months earlier.

As revealed by the South Korean newspaper Seoul Economic Daily, citing diplomatic sources, the officials returned to Havana on the instructions of the Cuban authorities and not as part of a routine rotation. Only Ambassador Claudio Monzón Baeza and Counselor Patricia Flechilla Prometa remained at the mission.

When asked by the newspaper, the Cuban Embassy stated that it was an internal administrative decision, with no political significance or connection to bilateral ties. However, it offered no concrete explanation for the reasons behind the cutback, which were not communicated to the South Korean authorities either.

The move caused unease in diplomatic circles in Seoul, where the establishment of relations with Cuba had been regarded as a success because it is one of Pyongyang’s traditional allies. Some sources cited by the newspaper raised the possibility that the reduction was a sign of displeasure on Havana’s part, although there is no evidence that it was a response to North Korean pressure. South Korea, for its part, maintains five officials at its embassy in the Cuban capital and has not announced any changes to its representation.

In February 2024, Cuba and South Korea established diplomatic relations after more than six decades of estrangement.

The rapprochement between Havana and Seoul had marked a major diplomatic shift. In February 2024, Cuba and South Korea established diplomatic relations after more than six decades of estrangement. The announcement came as a particular surprise given the Cuban Government’s historic alliance with North Korea, which until then had stood in the way of ties with its southern neighbor.

The decision was met with displeasure in Pyongyang, which for decades had counted Cuba among its closest political partners outside Asia. Subsequently, both capitals made progress in opening embassies and in commercial, cultural and cooperation exchanges.

Despite the reduction of staff in Seoul, there are no signs of a break in relations. In fact, on October 4, a South Korean Cultural Week began in Havana, organized with the participation of the South Korean Embassy, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cuban cultural institutions.

Fidel Castro visited Pyongyang in 1986, on what would be his only official visit to the country

The activities included exhibitions, lectures, artistic performances and events dedicated to the Korean language, the traditions of the Asian country and K-pop music. The official news agency Prensa Latina itself covered the event, which took place while questions persisted over Havana’s decision to reduce its diplomatic staff in Seoul.

Cuba’s relationship with North Korea dates back to 1960, when the two governments established diplomatic ties at the height of the Cold War. Since then, ideological affinity and political cooperation have shaped contacts between the two communist regimes.

Fidel Castro visited Pyongyang in 1986, on what would be his only official visit to the country. During that trip he met with Kim Il-sung, founder of North Korea, and with his son and successor Kim Jong-il, respectively the grandfather and father of the current North Korean leader.

More recently, Díaz-Canel traveled to Pyongyang in November 2018 and was received by Kim Jong-un, with whom he held talks at the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party. The visit reaffirmed an alliance that both governments continue to proclaim through official messages and declarations of solidarity.

Translated by GH.

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Luxury Cigars for the World, “Bad” Tobacco for Cuban Smokers

Habanos S.A. sells cases of three Cohibas in London for 860 dollars, while on the island people smoke unbranded cigars for 150 pesos

Rationed cigars, at 10 pesos apiece, still reach the bodegas, but they are limited to one or two per household per month, with frequent delays. / Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz / Pexels

14ymedio, Havana, October 11, 2026 / Cuban tobacco seems increasingly divided between two worlds. In one are exclusive parties in London, editions costing thousands of dollars and luxury humidors. In the other, the smoker on the island buys a nameless cigar on a street corner, with no band and far from the quality that has made Cuba’s flagship product famous.

“For a while now I haven’t seen any cigars except that kind, the bad ones,” a Havana woman whose stepfather is a cigar smoker tells 14ymedio. “In the neighborhood you can get an unbranded cigar for 150 pesos. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anyone on the street offering the well-known brands.”

The product circulates outside the state retail network. According to sources consulted by this newspaper, part of the raw material comes from leaves diverted by growers or workers at tobacco companies and ends up in the hands of clandestine rollers. The quality varies widely.

“Some of them are pitiful and others have a wrapper of acceptable quality,” explains another Havana resident. Around the Tulipán market, in Nuevo Vedado, he adds, it is common to find vendors of these homemade cigars, which can cost between 100 and 150 pesos apiece. continue reading

“Some of them are pitiful and others have a wrapper of acceptable quality”

Branded cigars, however, have not completely disappeared from the capital. This week, 14ymedio visited a privately run establishment on Obispo Street, where Cohiba, Montecristo, Partagás and Guantanamera are on display. Prices range from several thousand up to 20,000 pesos.

The State still sells cigars for domestic consumption at a regulated price of 10 pesos apiece. In 2026, several provinces have announced controlled distributions through the bodegas [state ration stores], generally of just one or two cigars per household per month, although with frequent delays.

Meanwhile, Habanos S.A., a joint venture between the Cuban State and the Spanish company Tabacalera, continues to bet on the international luxury market. Last Wednesday, some 400 guests attended a party in London to present the Cohiba Talismán, which kicked off the celebrations for the brand’s 60th anniversary. The event took place under an air-conditioned marquee, decorated in the style of The Thousand and One Nights, with live music and exclusive cocktails.

This week, 14ymedio visited a privately run establishment on Obispo Street, where Cohiba, Montecristo, Partagás and Guantanamera are on display. / 14ymedio

The Talismán, originally presented in 2017 as a limited edition, is now joining Cohiba’s regular catalog. For the British market, 6,500 exclusive cases of three cigars have been prepared, valued at around 600 pounds sterling (860 dollars) each. Guests received one of these packages as a gift.

The party included a charity raffle to raise funds for food and medical supplies in Cuba. Jemma Freeman, managing director of the British distributor Hunter & Frankau, acknowledged the enormous challenges the island faces in maintaining its tobacco production.

The initiative contrasts with the backlash provoked by the previous edition of the Habano Festival, held in 2025, when some 600 guests enjoyed a lavish gala evening at the National Capitol, while the country was suffering blackouts and shortages. The images of that celebration unleashed a wave of outrage on social media.

The energy crisis also affected the organization of the 2026 Habano Festival, initially scheduled for February in Havana. The event was postponed and, in July, canceled for good. The festival, which every year attracted collectors, distributors and international buyers, could not be held just as the company was stepping up its launches abroad.

Last Wednesday, some 400 guests attended a party in London to present the Cohiba Talismán / Habanos S.A. / Hunter & Frankau.

London was not the only venue for these presentations. In September, Habanos premiered the Trinidad Vigía Reserva Cosecha 2022 in Montreux, Switzerland, before some 300 guests. The production included 5,000 numbered boxes of 20 cigars, priced at 3,800 dollars. Days later, in Cannes, France, it presented the Montecristo Fragata, aimed at the travel retail market, at around 1,280 dollars per humidor of 20 cigars.

Habanos announced record revenues of 827 million dollars in 2024, up 16% on the previous year. However, that year Cuba exported some 50 million cigars, compared with 93.9 million in 2018, according to figures from Tabacuba reported by Al Jazeera. The rising price of the product has helped sustain turnover despite the fall in export volume.

European distribution is also facing difficulties. In September, Fifth Avenue Products Trading, responsible for Habanos in Germany, Austria and Poland, was placed under preliminary insolvency administration. Almost simultaneously, the accounts of Tabacalera, which is linked to the distribution of Cuban cigars in Spain, were frozen due to European sanctions related to businessman Chen Zhi.

Tabacuba’s agricultural director, Osvaldo Santana, acknowledged that the harvest “will once again be difficult” due to fuel restrictions

Despite the difficulties, the sector continues to receive investment. Cuba began the 2026-2027 tobacco season this Saturday, with planned planting of 20,000 hectares, of which 12,000 are in Pinar del Río, Tabacuba told EFE. The state group’s agricultural director, Osvaldo Santana, acknowledged that the harvest “will once again be difficult” due to fuel restrictions. Meanwhile, Sancti Spíritus aims to expand its cultivated area by some 300 hectares and has received more than a hundred photovoltaic systems for pumping water.

The tourism crisis has also transformed the clandestine cigar market. Around some factories, where a few years ago it was common to hear offers of supposed Cohibas, Montecristos or Partagás, the vendors have largely disappeared. “Every so often I walk past the factory on 20 de Mayo, near the Latinoamericano [stadium], and another one in Old Havana, and you no longer hear anyone hawking cigars,” says a resident of the capital.

The business depended mainly on foreign visitors, willing to pay for boxes and bands imitating the well-known brands. With the collapse of tourism, that clientele has also shrunk. “That packaging was designed for tourists. Cubans look for any ‘smokable’ cigar, even if it has no band,” explains the same source.

Translated by GH.

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Air China Cancellations Leave Dozens of Cubans Stranded in Madrid

The Chinese embassy confirms temporary suspensions while passengers report a lack of information and difficulties filing claims.

Despite complaints and bad experiences, Air China remains the preferred airline among the Cuban community in Spain because of its more affordable prices. / Cubadebate/Enrique González

14ymedio, Madrid, October 12, 2026 – Air China, one of the two airlines still flying between Madrid and Havana, has begun experiencing cancellations and schedule changes in recent weeks, setting off alarm among Cubans living in Spain who depend on this route to travel to the Island.

Complaints about cancellations and the lack of information provided to passengers have proliferated recently on social media, but a statement published this Saturday by the Chinese embassy in Cuba confirms frequent schedule changes and the suspension of some flights, which it attributes to “technical reasons.”

The embassy is asking Chinese citizens to “pay close attention” to adjustments to flights CA865 (Beijing-Havana) and CA866 (Havana-Beijing), operated by Air China. Both make a stopover in Madrid and are the most affordable option for the large Cuban community in Spain, since Air Europa, the only other alternative amid the current kerosene crisis on the Island, sells its tickets at a much higher price. continue reading

The statement does not specify what those “technical reasons” are, but a passenger affected by the cancellation of the Saturday, October 10 flight reported on social media that when she went to Madrid-Barajas Airport this Sunday, she was told that the problem was caused by repair work on the runway at Nassau Airport in the Bahamas, and that “it is not known when” Chinese aircraft will be able to operate there again. Along with her message, she shared a photo of a notice from the Bahamian airport confirming the runway work.

They explained that the problem was caused by repair work on the runway at Nassau Airport in the Bahamas, and that “it is not known when” Chinese aircraft will be able to operate there again

Air China has been making a technical stop in Nassau since March to refuel on the return journey from Havana to Madrid because of the lack of Jet A-1 fuel at Cuban airports. In its official announcements, the operator of the Bahamian airport confirms rehabilitation work on its runways and expects to complete it on October 31.

Meanwhile, according to notices from Havana’s José Martí Airport, it will close for two nights in October: from 7:00 p.m. this Monday, October 12, until 2:40 a.m. on Tuesday, October 13, and during the same hours from Monday, October 19, to Tuesday, October 20. The official notices also maintain the declaration that no Jet A-1 fuel is available for refueling at the terminal, at least until November 1. The same applies to the rest of Cuba’s airports. However, no official statement links these notices to Air China’s cancellations.

Passengers affected in Madrid report that they were not notified of the disruptions and have been left stranded at the airport for more than 15 hours, facing considerable difficulties in claiming a ticket refund or the €600 compensation promised by the airline, as well as problems obtaining hotel accommodations because of the schedule changes. In other comments, some users describe the bad experiences they have also had when returning from Havana with Air China, as well as the consequences of suspended flights for their working lives in Spain.

In 2026, numerous airlines have suspended their flights to Cuba, reduced frequencies, or modified their operations because of fuel shortages and declining demand. Some have had to introduce technical stops in third countries to refuel before continuing to the Island. The companies that have withdrawn include Air Canada, Air France, WestJet, Sunwing, Air Transat, Iberia, Latam Perú, and Turkish Airlines.

The official notices also maintain the declaration that no Jet A-1 fuel is available for refueling at the terminal, at least until November 1

Air Europa is the only Spanish company operating regular flights to the Island following the departure of Iberia, World2Fly, and Plus Ultra, and its flights have continued to attract steady demand despite their high fares. Air Europa also makes a technical stop to refuel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on its return flights to Spain.

Despite passengers’ complaints and bad experiences, Air China is the other operator maintaining the Madrid-Havana route and the preferred choice among the Cuban community in Spain because it offers more affordable prices. Its official website still lists two weekly flights, although its fares have soared in response to demand, especially for the end of the year.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Experts Estimate Cuba’s Oil Debt to Venezuela at a Minimum of $20 Billion

Caracas once sent the Island as much as 157,000 barrels a day, three times the amount agreed upon with Hugo Chávez in 2000.

Venezuela’s oil supplies came to far exceed the Island’s consumption and processing capacity, according to Venezuelan oil economist Rafael Quiroz Serrano. / EFE/STR

14ymedio, Madrid, October 10, 2026 – Venezuelan economists estimate that Cuba’s debt to Venezuela amounts to more than $20 billion, stemming from the well-known Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement, which lasted 25 years and established the supply of Venezuelan oil in exchange for technical, medical, and sports services provided by the Cuban Government.

Unlike a previous report published by the Miranda Center for Democracy, which puts the value of the oil sent by Caracas at $44.5 billion, the experts cited by Televen TV focus on Havana’s debt.

Oil economist Rafael Quiroz Serrano, interviewed by the Venezuelan outlet, stated that the state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) sometimes sent as much as 157,000 barrels per day (bpd) to Cuba.

The expert confirmed that Venezuelan supplies came to far exceed the Island’s consumption and processing capacity. Cuba’s daily consumption under normal conditions is 110,000 barrels, of which 40,000 come from domestic crude oil. “It was later discovered that many of those barrels of [Venezuelan] oil were being resold on the international market,” Quiroz Serrano maintained. continue reading

“It was later discovered that many of those barrels of oil were being resold on the international market”

The Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement between Cuba and Venezuela, negotiated by Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro in 2000, initially established shipments of 53,000 bpd of oil and petroleum products. The agreement provided for a 15-year repayment period, the possibility of financing between 5% and 25% of the invoice, and a preferential interest rate of 2%. In exchange, Cuba would provide healthcare personnel, doctors, and technical assistance for social and agricultural programs, among other services.

Between 2005 and 2012, Venezuelan shipments averaged around 105,000 bpd, according to a report by the Miranda Center for Democracy, a U.S. organization sponsored by the Republican Party. Beginning in 2013, as Venezuelan production declined, the figures fell. During those years, the figures reported in the study reached averages of 69,000 bpd in 2016 and 55,000 in 2017.

By 2023, Reuters was reporting approximately 56,000 bpd, and in 2024, 32,000. Quiroz Serrano notes in the Televen report that by 2025, only around 30,000 bpd were being shipped, and that shipments were halted beginning January 31 of this year, after Trump signed an order imposing tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba.

Cuba’s debt remains outstanding, but the exact amount of those unpaid obligations is impossible to calculate because of the nature of the agreement. Economist and former Pdvsa executive José Toro Hardy points out: “It is difficult to estimate the figure because everything was shrouded in secrecy, but I estimate that Cuba’s debt to Venezuela must have been in the range of $25 billion. They never paid anything, and I doubt they will pay now.”

“It is difficult to estimate the figure because everything was shrouded in secrecy, but I estimate that Cuba’s debt to Venezuela must have been in the range of $25 billion”

Specialist Quiroz Serrano explains the difficulty of calculating the debt: “For accounting purposes, it was impossible for Pdvsa, because they could not figure out how to determine the salaries of the sports coaches, educators, doctors, and nurses.”

The agreement was criticized from the outset by Venezuelan economists, who considered it “a bad deal.” Former Pdvsa executive Toro Hardy went before the Supreme Court of Justice at the time in an attempt to stop it, arguing that it first had to be approved by the National Assembly, but his appeal was dismissed. “That was an entirely political program; the objective was to subsidize Cuba by any means necessary,” Toro Hardy now points out.

The report prepared by the Miranda Center for Democracy estimated that since 2000, Venezuela had transferred to Cuba an amount of oil valued at $44.5 billion in current dollars, $63.8 billion in inflation-adjusted value. As early as 2016, however, Nicolás Maduro put Venezuela’s “investment” in the exchange at around $250 billion, a very likely exaggeration.

The Televen report now argues that the resources Venezuela failed to collect contributed to the country’s declining GDP and to deficits that worsened its crisis. As examples, it mentions that stabilizing the national electricity system would have required between $9 billion and $15 billion, while restoring the drinking water network would have cost $3.3 billion.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Much Advertising and Few Goods at Matanzas’s New Neighborhood Market

The establishment, now managed by a micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise (mipyme), retains the shortages of the former state-run grocery store and limits electronic payments to five customers a day.

El Rincón has a new manager, scales, and QR codes, but it retains an old specialty of Cuban commerce: explaining why the item the customer needs is missing. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Julio César Contreras, Matanzas, October 10, 2026 — With a dark cloth shopping bag tucked under his arm and walking with difficulty, a man crosses at the Versalles traffic light toward the newly opened Neighborhood Market. There are no lines on the corner, no trucks unloading goods, and no crowds of neighbors gathered in front of the doors. A small sign on the façade, partially hidden by a traffic sign, serves as a reminder that the El Rincón grocery store, well known in Matanzas, once operated there. The building is now leased to a mipyme and is part of one of the Cuban government’s latest experiments aimed at trying to revive retail commerce.

Several illuminated lamps catch the eye from the sidewalk. They operate thanks to a solar panel and stand in contrast to the blackout that has left much of 51st Street in darkness this Wednesday. However, even all that light cannot dispel the establishment’s dreary appearance. The sky-blue walls, columns painted a more intense shade, and long granite counter retain the atmosphere of a state-run grocery store where the scarce goods available through the ration book were distributed for decades.

Two electronic scales, immaculate and ready for use, sit on the counter. Behind them, shelves display products spaced far enough apart to make the emptiness all the more obvious. There are bottles of cooking oil, cans of beer, packages of cookies, toiletries, and a few canned goods. Nothing suggests the abundance promised for these new establishments.

“This place is just as empty as before,” the man with the shopping bag remarks to the clerk, who greets him with his arms crossed. Without wasting time examining the offerings written in chalk on a blackboard, he begins his questioning: Is there chicken in packages or by the pound? Mortadella? Cooking oil? Disposable razors? Each question is met with a shake of the head. continue reading

The sky-blue walls, columns painted a more intense shade, and long granite counter retain the atmosphere of a state-run grocery store. / 14ymedio

“I just can’t understand why they promise so many things if, when it comes down to it, the only thing that changes is the name of what they do,” he complains as he looks over the prices. A tube of Colgate toothpaste costs 500 pesos, honey costs 750, Mayabe beer costs 520, and toilet bleach costs 350. Filling a shopping bag requires several thousand pesos and a fair amount of imagination.

“Well, then get me an espresso, if the coffee machine works. How much does it cost?” he asks resignedly. The cup costs 40 pesos, but once again he has no luck: the coffee beans have run out, and they are not making any. The machine sits on a small shelf, for the moment as useless as the scales with no merchandise to weigh.

“The problem is that we’re just getting started. Tomorrow or the day after, we should receive cooking oil and some meat products. It’s a gradual process,” the employee explains. From the street, a motorcyclist interrupts the conversation to remind him to set aside a package of croquettes for him until later. At least someone seems to have found something to buy.

El Rincón was renovated in 2025 by the Municipal Directorate of Commerce. The state investment ended up refurbishing a premises now operated by the private sector under the Neighborhood Markets program. Among the advertised advantages is the option of paying by electronic transfer, although reality once again adds fine print to the promise.

“I just can’t understand why they promise so many things if, when it comes down to it, the only thing that changes is the name of what they do.” / 14ymedio

A sign displaying QR codes presides over the counter, but the clerk explains that, for now, they only accept payments through Transfermóvil from the first five customers each day. “We’re short of cash, but a solution will be found for everything,” he assures the customer.

Another shopper asks whether a carton of eggs still costs 3,800 pesos. The employee nods and clarifies that only one tray remains. “That’s practically my monthly salary,” comments the man with the shopping bag, who still has not found anything to take home for a meal.

Outside, Versalles continues its daily routine amid motorcycles, faded façades, and power outages. Inside, El Rincón has a new manager, scales, and QR codes, but it retains an old specialty of Cuban commerce: explaining why the item the customer needs is missing.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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“Trump, Military Intervention Now!”, a New Sign at the Mayabe Cemetery in Holguín

In June 2025, more than twenty graffiti messages on the same wall prompted a major police deployment

It is not the first time that signs against the Cuban regime have appeared on the wall of the Mayabe cemetery. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Miguel García, Holguín, October 10, 2026 — A new sign appeared this Saturday on the wall of the Mayabe cemetery in Holguín, this time with a message directed at the U.S. president: “Trump, military intervention now!”, written in large blue letters on the white wall bordering Avenida de los Internacionalistas, as 14ymedio observed at the scene. The graffiti is signed with the initials CLH, which stand for the Free Commandos of Holguín.

“The sign is brand-new because State Security hasn’t arrived yet,” a local resident said. A vehicle belonging to a state-owned company parked beside the wall, and one of its occupants tried to scrape off the paint but was unsuccessful.

A vehicle belonging to a state-owned company parked beside the wall, and one of its occupants tried to scrape off the phrase but was unsuccessful

It is not known what time the sign was painted, but this type of dissident graffiti is often produced at night or in the early morning hours, when darkness is greatest. continue reading

The group known as the Free Commandos of Holguín is a clandestine organization that, since at least September 2026, has been credited with several signs against the regime at different locations throughout the city, including Plaza de los Chinos, the area around Lenin Hospital, the provincial government building, and bus terminals.

This is not the first time that the wall has become the setting for a protest against the regime. On June 12, 2025, more than twenty anti-government signs appeared along approximately 200 meters of the wall. “Homeland and Life,” “Díaz-Canel, you motherfucker,” “Freedom for the People,” and “Down with the dictatorship” were among the slogans, which were painted in black at the time.

This is not the first time that the wall has become the setting for a protest against the regime.

The authorities’ response was much more dramatic then than what had been observed so far this Saturday. Agents from the Ministry of the Interior kept watch over the cemetery and its surroundings while the letters were scraped off, even using machetes. They also brought in a tanker truck loaded with lime to cover the messages. An electric tricycle driver who passed by the scene told 14ymedio at the time that he had been afraid of being arrested by the Police.

Last September, the façade of the theater at the Central University of Las Villas in Santa Clara awoke to an enormous “Down with Canel.” The authorities covered the graffiti with Cuban flags and flags of the July 26 Movement, while State Security tried to identify those responsible.

The repression of such actions has also reached the courts. University professor Ariel Manuel Martín Barroso was sentenced to ten years in prison in Sancti Spíritus for several pieces of graffiti against the regime, including “Down with Díaz-Canel” and “Homeland and Life.”

The Cuban Conflict Observatory recorded 42 pieces of graffiti against the regime in February 2026 and another 70 in March, appearing on walls, fences, and streets in different parts of Cuba.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Caritas Receives US Aid for Vulnerable Families in the Diocese of Pinar del Río, Cuba

The shipment includes 700 food kits and 700 hygiene modules, as part of the $100 million package announced by Washington

The diocesan bishop, Monsignor Juan de Dios Hernández Ruiz, S.J., and the director of Caritas Pinar del Río, Abel Castillo López. / Caritas Cuba

EFE/14ymedio, Madrid, October 9, 2026 / A shipment of humanitarian aid sent by the United States arrived this Thursday at José Martí International Airport in Havana, bound for vulnerable families in the Diocese of Pinar del Río. Caritas Cuba reported that the shipment includes 700 food kits and another 700 hygiene modules.

The diocesan bishop, Juan de Dios Hernández Ruiz, and the director of Caritas Pinar del Río, Abel Castillo López, received the cargo at the air terminal together with volunteers and airport staff. Distribution will take place in the parish of Candelaria and in the community of Quiebra Hacha, which belongs to the parish of Mariel. Although they are part of the Pinar del Río diocese, both communities are in the province of Artemisa.

Caritas volunteers identified the beneficiary families in advance and coordinated the receipt and delivery of the donation. The organization says the distribution will be guided “by transparency, equity and social justice.”

The aid will prioritize elderly people living alone; pregnant or breastfeeding women with identified risks; children under five years of age in vulnerable situations; and people with disabilities or who are bedridden and unable to care for themselves. continue reading

We are fully aware that we cannot reach everyone, and that is a reality that pains us. Resources are limited and priority is given to those who need it most

In a statement, Hernández Ruiz acknowledged the limits of the shipment: “As a Church, we are fully aware that we cannot reach everyone, and that is a reality that pains us. Resources are limited and priority is given to those who need it most.”

The shipment is part of the $100 million humanitarian aid package announced by Washington in May. Of that amount, $60 million would be channeled through the Catholic Church, with the collaboration of Caritas Cuba and Catholic Relief Services; the other $40 million would be handled by other organizations.

The first 18-ton shipment arrived in Havana last July. In September, the US Embassy announced that the aid would also reach Pinar del Río and four other provinces: Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila, Cienfuegos and Matanzas. Days earlier, Caritas had received in Santa Clara another shipment of 700 food and hygiene modules, intended for communities in Villa Clara.

So far in October, the Dioceses of Camagüey province and the parish of Gaspar in Ciego de Ávila, also in the central region, have received shipments as well.

The US State Department announced in May that the $100 million in aid would be “direct humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people, which would be distributed in coordination with the Catholic Church and other independent and trustworthy humanitarian organizations.”

The arrival of the donations comes at a time of heightened verbal confrontation between Havana and Washington, considered the greatest tension in decades in their contentious relations.

The aid arrives in the midst of a deep economic crisis that the island has been suffering for six years, aggravated by the pandemic, failed national policies and US sanctions. The crisis is reflected in shortages of food, fuel and medicine, galloping inflation, prolonged blackouts and growing dollarization.

Since January, Washington has added a policy of “maximum pressure,” which includes an oil blockade and, since May, secondary measures against vital sectors of the Cuban regime’s economy, which have worsened the economic and energy crisis.

Translated by GH.

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Private Medical Services in Cuba: The Government Sees Them as a Crime, the Public as a Solution

Camagüey health authorities threaten “the full rigor of the law against those who violate the regulations”

Some users reproach the Government for the fact that a distinction is indeed made for foreigners, who can access private medicine. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, October 9, 2026 / The General Health Directorate of Camagüey was quick to react to reports in the independent press about a private establishment in the province that offers medical services of all kinds, which are expressly prohibited under Cuban law. The news broke this Wednesday in several media outlets that echoed a social media post in which the business, Dalia Spa, advertised everything from internal medicine and cardiology consultations to ultrasounds, gynecological procedures and laboratory tests, all of them in dollars.

“We must be categorical: in our country the practice of private medicine is not permitted under any circumstances or form of payment. There is no legal basis whatsoever that protects this activity, which is explicitly prohibited in Decree-Law 160 of 2026,” declares the public body, which justifies its statement by citing the outrage these advertisements have provoked among some sectors of the population, including health professionals.

“Any person, whether a health professional or a private individual, who attempts to practice or promote these activities is engaging in an illicit activity and, therefore, committing a crime. The health and judicial authorities of the province will act with the full rigor established by law against those who violate these regulations,” the health authorities maintain. continue reading

“Any person, whether a health professional or a private individual, who attempts to practice or promote these activities is engaging in an illicit activity and, therefore, committing a crime”

Despite the disastrous state of the public health system, the message reminds readers that health care is “a right of the people and a duty of the State.” “We will not allow,” it continues, “individual interests or profit-making practices outside the law to damage the health system that we have built and that belongs to all Cubans. We urge the population not to be deceived by fraudulent offers and to report to the competent authorities any attempt to profit from human health,” the text concludes.

The statement has set off a debate on social media. More than 200 messages responded to the post in its first 12 hours online, an absolute anomaly considering that the rest of this Thursday’s posts have zero comments. “Social media is a way of knowing the opinion of the population and, if you look, more than half of the comments spoke in favor of combining the private sector with the state sector as a solution to the real crisis that public health is facing right now,” one user summed up perfectly.

Countless users asked why private professional practice is not permitted in the medical sector, most of them underlining how positive it would be to combine it with the public system for those who cannot afford paid services.

“As a doctor who works outside Cuba, and who has worked in both sectors, private and public, I’m going to say the following: the private system is not for everyone; that’s not how it works anywhere in the world. It is designed for those who can afford it, which will never relieve governments of the responsibility to guarantee a public system with adequate conditions,” wrote a doctor trained at the Carlos J. Finlay University of Medical Sciences of Camagüey who currently works in the US, according to her bio.

Some negative comments object that the private system is a business. “Cuba can’t be compared to France or Spain, stop the absurd comparisons,” chides a user opposed to the mixed systems that most of the responses advocate. “The day I have to pay for medical services, the little that remains will be finished. I’m referring to humanism and to commerce. We will become a commodity,” she adds.

The vast majority, however, believe that under the current conditions of the public system there is no guarantee that the population will receive adequate treatment, and they would rather have a private system for those who can afford it. “I don’t see anything wrong with that business existing, even though I’m one of the many citizens who can’t pay for those services. But at least it’s available for those who can, or for those who somehow manage to scrape together the money to pay. I even felt a bit of relief when I saw the advertisement, because at least it’s an option. Because it’s much worse to have no alternative at all,” one commenter asserts.

The one who really touches the sore spot is the person demanding that the regime explain why foreigners are allowed to have better facilities by paying

However, the one who really touches the sore spot is the person demanding that the regime explain why foreigners are allowed to have better facilities by paying. “Well, to keep that from happening, create humane conditions for doctors and institutions. Besides, they have collected plenty of money over all these years from the missions, and from patents on medicines that were created here and that many people don’t know about. Why can an international Cuban clinic charge for the service, while a doctor who genuinely wants to offer his services cannot?” the commenter asks.

Dalia Spa, the beauty center that has landed in the eye of the storm, remains silent, although it is exposed to penalties for publicly advertising services prohibited by law. Centers that charge for medical procedures and tests are proliferating beyond this specific case. Yesterday, this newspaper managed to contact one of the many clinics offering dental services in Havana and confirmed that an appointment can be made, although customer service avoids giving the address until the last moment.

Translated by GH

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Cuba’s State-Owned Gaviota Group Has Kept Almost 90% of Its More Than 30,000 Rooms Closed

Gaesa’s tourism subsidiary reopens a luxury hotel in Varadero, for adults only and with a minimum price of $363 per night

Gaviota relaunched it in August 2025 as Playa Luxury Varadero, the same name it is now using to announce its “opening”. / Gaviota Hotels

14ymedio, Havana, October 10, 2026 / Of the more than 30,000 hotel rooms that the Gaviota Tourism Group claims to have in Cuba, only 3,470 are currently operational in the main resorts in the west and center of the Island. This figure, released Friday by the company itself, leaves out of serevice nearly nine out of every ten rooms belonging to the country’s largest hotel chain, part of the military conglomerate Gaesa.

Gaviota’s Sales Director, Elia Elena Cortés, explained during a presentation at the Paseo del Prado Hotel in Havana that these units are concentrated in Havana, Varadero, Topes de Collantes, and Cayo Santa María. According to the executive, this concentration has allowed them to “improve customer service” and “guarantee supplies” amidst the severe crisis the sector is experiencing on the island.

The explanation confirms a drastic reduction compared to the group’s historical capacity. Gaviota’s official website currently states that the company has more than 30,000 rooms distributed throughout Cuba, including facilities in Holguín, Jardines del Rey, Baracoa, and Santiago de Cuba. Taking that minimum of 30,000 rooms as a reference, the 3,470 currently operating represent a mere 11.6%.

Gaviota announces the opening, on October 23, of the Playa Luxury Varadero, an 85-room establishment reserved exclusively for adults.

The contraction is due to the fact that tourism is experiencing its worst period in decades. Between January and August 2026, only 450,353 international visitors arrived on the island , 64.4% fewer than the previous year, while seven foreign chains left the country and airlines such as Air Canada, Iberia, Air France, Turkish Airlines, and Russian carriers suspended their flights amid the fuel crisis and the drop in demand. continue reading

In that context, Gaviota announces as one of the principle novelties for the 2026-2027 season the opening, on October 23, of the Playa Luxury Varadero, an 85-room establishment reserved exclusively for adults and located in Cayo Libertad, at the end of the Hicacos peninsula.

The resort itself is not new. Constructed in 2005 as part of the Marina Palace complex, it first operated as Cayo Libertad Royal Island and later, under Barceló management, as Cayo Libertad Club Premium. After the departure of the Spanish chain, it passed into the hands of Blau, which operated it as Blau Privilege Cayo Libertad, and later became part of the Posadas era under the Fiesta Americana brand. Gaviota relaunched it in August 2025 as Playa Luxury Varadero, the same name it is now using to announce its reopening.

Its own booking platform maintains all dates for that month blocked and only offers availability from November 1st onwards.

Although the premiere is now set for October 23, its own booking platform has all dates for that month blocked and only offers availability from November 1st onwards. From that time, a room costs from $363 per night.

Gaviota also announced a special edition of the Cayotonazo event, between December 31 and January 3, and assured that it maintains private and collective transfers available between its main centers, in addition to excursions and a fleet of cars at strategic points in the country.

Frank País Oltuski Rodríguez, vice president of the group, stated that they are now studying reopening other destinations during the high season, although he acknowledged that this will depend on the situation in the country and the US sanctions. “Our clients don’t deserve to lose Cuba,” he lamented.

The decline, however, had begun long before the tightening of US sanctions. By the end of 2025, hotel guests in Varadero, Holguín, and other tourist destinations were denouncing on TripAdvisor the lack of variety of food, dilapidated facilities, cleanliness problems, closed restaurants, a shortage of drinks, and failures in basic services.

The internal economic crisis worsened with power outages and transportation problems, while Cuba lost competitiveness compared to other Caribbean destinations due to its prices, difficulties in currency exchanges, and a lack of infrastructure outside of large hotel complexes. This was compounded by the slow recovery from the pandemic, the reduction in air routes and, at the end of 2025, the impact of dengue and chikungunya epidemics on the destination’s image. New sanctions this year accelerated a decline that was already underway.

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Havana Chronicles: Havana Smells of Gasoline and Sewage

While the fuel business accelerates construction in Ayestarán, garbage, ruins, and homelessness spread throughout the city.

At the service station near the Ministry of the Armed Forces, an excavator is digging a massive hole. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez, Havana, October 8, 2026 / Havana, these days, smells of gasoline and sewage, of freshly transferred fuel, and of black water running through the streets. Two smells vie for control of the city: one heralds business, the other confirms neglect.

In Ayestarán, almost nothing is being built. No buildings are going up, no new houses are appearing, and no bags of cement are seen piled up in doorways. The exception is the service station near the newspaper printing plant and the Ministry of the Armed Forces, where an excavator is removing the earth and opening a massive hole. In the hole where the new fuel tanks will be buried half the city could fit, with all its needs,.

The gasoline economy that came from the United States, moves machines and awakens greed. The classified ads already seem to have more diesel than chicken, more fuel than flour. “Tell me how many liters you need” could be the motto of these times. Everyone wants to grab the pump while sidewalks crumble, septic tanks overflow, and police stations languish without medicine or personnel.

In the hole where the new fuel tanks will be buries, half the city could fit / 14ymedio

Near Carlos III and Ayestarán, a woman approached me carrying an orange cat in her arms. The animal was incredibly gentle. She asked me for money “for food for him and me.” I gave her a couple of bills. I’ve seen people beg with children, dogs, the elderly, prescriptions, and X-rays. With a cat, never. continue reading

In Reina, the prosperity enjoyed by those who control the pumps and gas stations has not arrived. There, the air reeks of the squalor of the sewer. Next to the Aldama Palace, another ruin threatening to tumble down towards Monte Street, a woman begs for money, accompanied by a child with beautiful curls. Further on, in front of the remains of the Isla de Cuba Hotel, two men sift through a mountain of garbage. Around the overflowing containers, people trade, scavenge, and survive.

I look for some shelf brackets at the market across from the old La Sortija shop, a hardware store . Those supports used to hold up bookshelves or hang plants aren’t on any of the many stalls at the well-stocked fair. Books and nature will have to wait.

I’m returning via Reina. There are Havana streets vying for the top prize in the championship of hell. This one is doing well, although Monte is ahead by a few points.

In front of the ruins of the Isla de Cuba hotel, two men are digging through a mountain of garbage. / 14ymedio

The parks, meanwhile, have become makeshift homes. The government organizes police raids to remove those sleeping among benches and weeds, but they always return. Curita Park, the recent site of one of these operations, will once again become a haven for the homeless this Thursday, a territory for petty drug dealing, and a breeding ground for dilapidated old cars and tricycles that seem ready to tip over on every pothole.

In the portals of Carlos III, objects salvaged from the trash form a mock recycling fair: sharing space are decade-old cell phone chargers, a kitchen heating element, and a black sequined dress. Ruin and glamour. Spoils and footlights. Further on, a woman offers guavas so green and stunted that my jaw aches just looking at them.

Outside Plaza de Carlos III, a man and a woman have set up camp. He has a bandaged foot; she sleeps curled up. In a city without shelters, public drinking fountains, or places to wash clothes for free, the elements end up clinging to your skin and smelling, smelling awful.

No tricycles appear going up Ayestarán, so I continue on foot. The smell of fuel returns at times. Havana smells of gasoline, yes, but there’s another stench that no bulldozer seems willing to bury.

Diesel Imports from the U.S. Surpassed the Record Set the Previous Month

In August, vehicle exports reached $15.28 million, with motorcycles leading the way at $3.7 million.

A Cupet gas station in Yayabo, Sancti Spíritus. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, October 9, 2026 — The growth in fuel exports from the U.S. to Cuba continues unabated. In August, the value of these products rose 22.4% compared to the previous month, reaching $74.8 million. This figure once again sets a record, surpassing the $61.1 million recorded in July, which was itself 27.7% higher than June. In the first eight months of the year, the cumulative value of petroleum-derived products exported to the Island reached $231.74 million.

According to statistics published this Thursday by the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, the product most heavily purchased by the Island in August was diesel, particularly through two significant shipments from Miami, worth $21.49 million, and Houston-Galveston, Texas, worth $12.98 million. Next in importance was a shipment of regular gasoline from Miami valued at $23.8 million.

In addition, exports of other petroleum oils and hydrocarbons are also particularly significant, especially two shipments from Houston ($6.1 million) and New Orleans ($5.5 million).

In addition, exports of other petroleum oils and hydrocarbons are also particularly significant, especially two shipments from Houston ($6.1 million) and New Orleans ($5.5 million)

As usual, the US-Cuba Trade report does not reflect the volume of exports. To determine the quantities involved, and whether they also increased or to what extent rising fuel prices contributed to the increase, it will be necessary to wait for data provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Last July, that report revealed that the Island had received 3,222,000 barrels of petroleum products, almost double the amount agreed upon by Cuba and Venezuela in 2000 under the agreement signed by Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez. continue reading

Cuba’s private sector is importing this fuel, which keeps the Island afloat, with authorization from both governments: the Cuban government allows it to purchase the fuel, and the U.S. government allows its companies to sell it. The country would have collapsed completely without these shipments. On paper, the State is not allowed to touch this fuel, although this newspaper has widely reported that numerous regime vehicles are being supplied with this diesel, which is purchased from private operators through schemes that the U.S. describes as violations of the sales contracts.

Over the past week, the U.S. said it had intercepted around 90 fuel shipments to the Island that were destined for the sanctioned Cuban state-owned company Enetec. Of these, 71 were detected at the port of Fort Everglades, Florida, and 19 at the port of Houston, Texas. In total, the authorities seized 600,000 gallons of petroleum (2.27 million liters) worth $2.8 million. The destination of all the shipments arriving on the Island is unknown, since it is unlikely that the private sector has the capacity to consume it all. One plausible theory is that the State is attempting to rebuild its strategic reserves, which it had to draw upon during the first months of U.S. sanctions.

The official press, for its part, is publishing an extensive report this Friday in an attempt to demonstrate that the oil blockade and fuel shortages have brought the transportation sector to a standstill. Among the arguments is the inability to supply airports with kerosene, which has led to flight cancellations and, consequently, the collapse of tourism, on which the Government had partly pinned its hopes for an economic recovery.

In addition, the authorities claim that “passenger transportation in Havana is currently operating with just over 100 buses, when at least 3,000 are needed to provide quality service,” they state. They claim that with barely 40,000 tons of fuel allocated this year, only 65% of demand can be met. These are among the examples cited.

Alongside the fuel boom, bilateral trade between Cuba and the U.S., authorized under licenses issued by the Department of Commerce and the Department of the Treasury, continues to generate high figures in other sectors, such as vehicle sales. In August, vehicle exports—new and used, electric and gasoline-powered, trucks, motorcycles, and spare parts—reached $15.28 million, with motorcycles clearly leading the way, accounting for $3.7 million.

So far this year, the value of sales in this sector has exceeded $106 million, and it remains to be seen whether it will reach the record set in 2025, when it reached $149.4 million

So far this year, the value of sales in this sector has exceeded $106 million, and it remains to be seen whether it will reach the record set in 2025, when it reached $149.4 million, more than double the previous year’s figure. Republican complaints against Joe Biden, the first president to authorize vehicle sales to Cuba in 2022, have been forgotten, and exports are experiencing a period of extraordinary growth.

Meanwhile, sales of agricultural products and food showed a temporary recovery in August, increasing by 54.6% compared with the previous month. However, compared to August of last year, the value has fallen by 3.4%. Chicken once again tops the list in three different categories, with eggs in seventh place, and vegetable oils and cookies also remain high on the list. The tenth-place item in the top ten stands out: coffee, a product native to Cuba that is exported from the Island as a gourmet product, even as Cubans have to obtain it from the United States.

According to US-Cuba Trade projections, the cumulative total of U.S. exports to the Island across all authorized categories could exceed the $1 billion mark by the end of 2026.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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