EFE – Translating Cuba

‘Cuba Is In Its Final Moments’ and ‘Will Have a Great New Life,’ Says Trump

The meeting in Florida brought together a dozen allied presidents and set new regional priorities

The meeting in Miami comes amid a tense international context for Washington, marked by the open war with Iran. / EFE

14ymedio/EFE, Miami, March 7, 2026 — US President Donald Trump convened a dozen allied Latin American leaders in Miami on Saturday for the Shield of the Americas summit, a meeting designed to strengthen the alliance of conservative governments in the region and chart a new course for hemispheric policy from Washington. During the event, held at a golf club in Florida, the US president outlined his strategic vision for Latin America, combining geopolitical warnings, diplomatic announcements, and headline-grabbing remarks.

Trump dedicated part of his discourse to the situation in Cuba, a topic he described as an imminent turning point. According to the US president, the island’s political system is in its final stages. “Cuba’s is in its last moments of life, as it was. It’ll have a great new life, but it’s in its last moments of life the way it is.”

The president also asserted that Washington is holding talks with the Cuban government. “I would think a deal would be made very easily with Cuba. But for 50 years, I’ve been hearing as a little boy, I’d be hearing about Cuba,” he stated. Trump added that both he and his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, are “negotiating” with Havana.

Trump announced that his administration has formally recognized the government headed by Delcy Rodríguez in Venezuela.

The comment comes amid the severe economic crisis gripping the island following the collapse of Venezuelan oil supplies. After Nicolás Maduro’s capture during the US-led operation on January 3, Caracas ceased sending crude oil to Cuba.

Despite talking about a possible agreement, Trump made it clear that his immediate priority lies on another international front. He explained that his “focus right now” is on the war with Iran. continue reading

The summit was also marked by a diplomatic shift in US policy toward Venezuela. Trump announced that his administration had formally recognized the government led by Delcy Rodríguez and ordered the restoration of diplomatic relations between Washington and Caracas.

According to him, the decision entails the reopening of diplomatic and consular channels between the two countries after years of institutional breakdown. “She is doing an excellent job,” the US president said, referring to the Venezuelan leader, who assumed the interim presidency with the support of the Chavista institutions that remained in power.

Since then, Washington has pursued a gradual rapprochement with Caracas, including the partial lifting of some restrictions and the opening of diplomatic contacts. The stated objective of the US administration is to promote political stability and economic recovery in the country.

“We will not allow hostile foreign influence to gain a foothold in this hemisphere, and that includes the Panama Canal.”

The decision also reflects strategic interests, particularly in the energy sector. The White House has expressed its intention to revitalize Venezuela’s oil industry and strengthen economic cooperation with the country, especially in oil and minerals.

Trump presented the meeting as the start of a strategy to strengthen U.S. influence in the region and curb the presence of foreign actors. In this context, he warned that his administration would not allow “hostile foreign influence” in the hemisphere, a message he directly linked to the strategic importance of the Panama Canal.

“We will not allow hostile foreign influence to gain a foothold in this hemisphere, and that includes the Panama Canal,” the president stated. Trump reiterated his interest in the interoceanic waterway during his remarks and addressed the Panamanian president directly. “President of Panama, I love that canal, José. I think (Panama) made the greatest deal in history. They bought it for $1 from one of our brilliant presidents (Jimmy Carter in 1977). I can’t sleep about that deal. They got it for $1,” he said.

The president also defended his renewed interpretation of the traditional US doctrine toward the continent, which he called the “Donroe Doctrine,” an updated version of the historic policy of intervention in America to curb the influence of powers from other regions.

“I’m not learning your damn language. I don’t have time.”

Trump’s speech combined foreign policy announcements with more lighthearted moments. In one comment that drew laughter from the audience, the president asserted that he has no intention of learning Spanish.

“I’m not going to learn your damn language. I don’t have time. I have no problem with languages, but I’m not going to dedicate that much time to learning yours,” he stated, indicating that he prefers to rely on interpreters.

Trump added that his Secretary of State has “a linguistic advantage” because he speaks Spanish and recounted an anecdote about a negotiation with a foreign leader in which, he said, an interpreter did not translate his words correctly.

The Miami meeting comes at a tense international time for Washington, marked by the open conflict with Iran and the White House’s attempt to redefine its global role. In this context, the Shield of the Americas summit appears as a platform through which Trump seeks to reorganize regional alliances and strengthen the US presence in Latin America.

Among those in attendance were the presidents Javier Milei (Argentina), Rodrigo Paz Pereira (Bolivia), Rodrigo Chaves Robles (Costa Rica), Luis Abinader (Dominican Republic), Daniel Noboa (Ecuador), Nayib Bukele (El Salvador), Irfaan Ali (Guyana), Nasry Asfura (Honduras), José Raúl Mulino (Panama), and Santiago Peña (Paraguay), as well as the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Also participating was the president-elect of Chile, José Antonio Kast, who will assume office in the coming days.

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Panama Will Visit Its Citizens Detained in Cuba This Friday for Graffiti Against the Regime

Twenty individuals were initially implicated in the case, but half managed to leave the Island.

The ten Panamanians are accused of propaganda against the Government, a crime punishable by up to eight years in prison.

14ymedio / EFE, Panama City, March 5, 2026 – The Government of Panama reported this Thursday that it plans to carry out a consular visit on Friday to the ten Panamanians arrested in Cuba accused of propaganda against the Government of the Island, a crime punishable by up to eight years in prison.

“We have guaranteed consular assistance and have requested to see the Panamanians. This morning I spoke with Ambassador Edwin Pitty and he informed me that tomorrow he will see the Panamanians,” said Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha during the weekly press conference of Panama’s president, José Raúl Mulino.

Martínez-Acha emphasized that since learning of the arrest, Ambassador Pitty went to the Cuban authorities to request details of what had happened. They provided him with “the information that was known—that ten Panamanians had painted slogans against the Cuban regime,” although he clarified that the total number of nationals initially involved “was 20, (but) 10 were able to leave the country earlier.”

The graffiti was dated the day it was carried out, February 28, and contained phrases such as “Down with tyranny.”

The foreign minister also stated that the subsequent conversation he had with his Cuban counterpart took place “in very friendly terms,” and that he “gave guarantees that all the Panamanians are being treated well, that they will have access to all legal assistance continue reading

within the Republic of Cuba, and that if the country wishes they could have external advisers, as long as and when they approve it.”

Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior reported last Monday the arrest of the ten Panamanians accused of allegedly carrying out graffiti critical of the Government and the Island’s political system in Havana.

According to the accusation, the graffiti was dated the day it was made, February 28, and included phrases such as “Down with tyranny,” “Communism: enemy of the community,” and “We trust Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and Mike Hammer,” referring respectively to the President of the United States, his Secretary of State, and his ambassador to the Island.

The Ministry of the Interior stated that those arrested were recruited in Panama, where they all reside, to “prepare signs with subversive content contrary to the constitutional order,” and that they were going to be paid between $1,000 and $1,500 each upon returning to their country.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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María Corina Machado Affirms She Will Return to Venezuela “In a Few Weeks”

“We will arrive to embrace each other, to work together, to guarantee an unstoppable transition,” she said in a video.

Maria Corina Machado cannot, in principle, invoke the Amnesty Law. / Screenshot

14ymedio/ EFE, Caracas, 2 March 2026 — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said Sunday that she will return to her country in “a few weeks” to consolidate a major national agreement among various sectors and prepare, she said, for a “new and gigantic” electoral victory.

“I will return to Venezuela in a few weeks. I want to do so, as do hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan exiles around the world,” the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate said in a video posted on her social media. “We will arrive to embrace each other, to work together, to guarantee an orderly, sustainable, and unstoppable transition to democracy,” she added.

Machado indicated that there is a clear roadmap to follow, among them, strengthening the “unity of Venezuelans” that began with the opposition primaries of 2023 and continued with the commands, political and social organizations for the 2024 presidential elections, in which the electoral body – aligned with Chavismo – proclaimed the victory of Nicolás Maduro.

The opposition leader insisted that the victory in those elections belonged to the candidate of the majority opposition, Edmundo González Urrutia.

She also argued that it is necessary to finalize a major national agreement with political and social organizations and leaders to establish consensus to “achieve governability throughout this transition process and in democratic Venezuela.”

“First we had to defeat them spiritually, then politically, then electorally, and finally militarily. We said it was going to happen, and it did. On January 3, a legitimate president was not captured because Nicolás Maduro had already been defeated on July 28, 2024,” she adds. continue reading

Machado thanked the United States, its government, congressmen, judges and military personnel who “risked their lives for the freedom of Venezuela,” referring to the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in an attack on Caracas and three other nearby regions on January 3.

“President Donald Trump, with vision and courage, brought Nicolás Maduro to justice before international law,” she noted.

The former congresswoman stated that the government led by Delcy Rodríguez wants to “buy time.” “The regime currently in power in Venezuela is the same. They are the ones who have tortured, persecuted, imprisoned, disappeared, murdered, expropriated, and lied,” she said. “But everything has changed, and now they have to follow instructions to move forward with dismantling the repression, recovering our country’s economy, and advancing toward the transition.”

On February 6, Machado said that there could be democratic elections in Venezuela in less than a year, according to an interview published with the digital media outlet Politico.

“Everything has changed, and now they have to follow instructions to move forward with dismantling the repression, the economic recovery of our country, and to advance towards the transition.”

“We believe that a real transition process with manual voting (…) the whole process could be completed in nine or ten months. But, well, that depends on when it starts,” said Machado, who left Venezuela in December for Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, after spending almost a year in hiding.

The Amnesty Law, approved by the Venezuelan Parliament on February 19, has an article that excludes from the beneficiaries those who have been or may be prosecuted for “promoting, instigating, requesting, invoking, favoring, facilitating, financing or participating in armed or forceful actions against the people, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, by foreign States, corporations or persons.”

Chavismo accuses Machado, precisely, of having promoted the US military intervention, which would initially exclude her.

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The Crisis Hits the Official Press Head-On: Cuba’s State Newspaper Granma Will Be Printed Only Once a Week

In the case of Cuba’s provincial newspapers, they will stop circulating in print due to the energy crisis.

The Cuban Government’s pro-official newspapers, including Granma, will now be printed only once a week. / Granma/Ariel Cecilio Lemus

14ymedio/EFE, Havana, February 28, 2026 / The Cuban Government’s ‘officialist’ newspapers, including Granma, will now be printed only once a week, and the publication on paper of provincial state newspapers is being completely suspended due to the unprecedented energy crisis affecting the Island, a hard blow to the propaganda machinery of the Havana regime.

The state-run Cuban media themselves reported this Saturday on the decision, adopted by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, which cited as justification “the tightening of the blockade by the United States Government.”

The announcement explains that the newspapers Granma, the official organ of the Communist Party, and Juventud Rebelde will be printed and distributed, in an eight-page format, only on Tuesdays, starting next week.

In addition, the regional newspapers, already limited in frequency, will “stop being printed” for the time being. Each of Cuba’s 14 provinces has its own state-run regional print publication.

The regional newspapers, already limited in frequency, will “stop being printed” for the time being.

The impact of the current crisis “on fuel availability” is the main argument authorities have put forward for this cutback. The shortage of oil not only affects the printing of newspapers but also their transportation to distribution centers and newsstands throughout the country.

Something similar has happened with several provincial radio stations that have had to go off the air or modify their programming due to the prolonged daily blackouts, which hinder and damage station equipment continue reading

and have made their operations unsustainable. Such is the case of Radio Sancti Spíritus and Radio Ángulo.

The situation in Cuba has deteriorated significantly in recent weeks following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the United States Government and the threat of tariffs on countries that supply oil to the Havana regime. However, the energy crisis had been worsening even before that. President Miguel Díaz-Canel himself acknowledged on February 5 that the country had not received oil since December.

The starting point was already worrying, as the Island had been enduring six years of a severe economic crisis, with a cumulative loss of more than 15% of its gross domestic product and more than 20% of its population.

Currently, gas stations are practically out of fuel; hospitals are suspending basic treatments and operating at minimal capacity; public transportation has essentially disappeared; garbage is piling up in the streets due to a lack of fuel for trucks, and food prices are skyrocketing.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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NGO Reports the Death of a Political Prisoner and 59 Rights Violations in Cuban Prisons This January

Political prisoners, Afro-descendants, and chronically ill inmates are identified as the main affected groups.

Military personnel guard two inmates in a Havana prison. / EFE/Alejandro Ernesto

EFE (via 14ymedio), February 28, 2026 – The NGO Cuban Prison Documentation Center (CDPD) recorded 59 human rights violations in Cuban prisons and one inmate who died due to medical negligence in January 2026, according to its report for that period released this Friday.

In this update on the situation in Cuban prisons, the Mexico-based NGO reported that at least 31 people deprived of liberty (2 women and 29 men) were identified as affected by some of these violations.

The CDPC also lamented the death of political prisoner Lázaro García Ríos, who was serving a 20-year prison sentence imposed in 2022, accused of the crimes of enemy propaganda and sabotage.

It states that García Ríos underwent heart surgery and, although “medical tests indicated that he had not fully recovered,” he was returned to Combinado del Este prison (Havana). He later filed complaints about the deterioration of his health, “without evidence that timely and adequate medical care was granted by prison authorities.”

The NGO indicated that it documented rights violations in 22 prisons across 14 provinces. Among them, the eastern province of Las Tunas recorded the highest number of complaints (10), mainly in the “El Típico” prison.

It again pointed out that the most affected groups are prisoners held for political reasons, Afro-descendants, and those living with chronic illnesses, clarifying that multiple categories of vulnerability may coincide in a single individual. continue reading

The report emphasized that poor living conditions are a widespread constant.

It also states that international human rights organizations expressed concern over the health situation of political prisoners and urged authorities to grant their “immediate and unconditional release.”

The report stressed that poor living conditions are “a generalized constant,” characterized by “insufficient, poorly prepared, and spoiled food, severe malnutrition, scarcity of drinking water, deteriorated infrastructure, lack of mattresses, insect infestations, and epidemiological outbreaks without proper treatment.”

As punishment for inmates who report these situations, the report states that authorities have restricted or monitored their communications, placed them in solitary confinement, transferred them to other prisons, and denied them medical care. This is compounded by beatings carried out with impunity and threats.

Testimonies are also cited of “sexual violence perpetrated by other inmates with the instigation of prison authorities,” as well as the fabrication of new criminal charges to prevent access to prison benefits and restrictions on family and conjugal visits.

The CDPC stressed that the information included in its report represents “an undercount of the real events and victims.”

Finally, it explained that it is impossible to obtain complete documentation due to “the systematic opacity of the Cuban regime, which refuses to make official information about its prison system transparent, prevents independent observers from accessing prisons, and criminalizes the documentation of human rights violations in these spaces.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Brigades Mobilize To Respond to the Garbage Crisis in Havana

Given the severity of the public health emergency, military personnel and civilians have been activated to collect solid waste

Residents have mobilized to collect garbage in the streets. / Image taken from social media

14ymedio / EFE, Havana, February 28, 2026 – Hundreds of brigades took to the streets of Havana this Friday to collect the mountains of accumulated garbage flooding the city, a public health problem that is now impossible to ignore, worsened by Cuba’s energy crisis, which has severely affected the Communal Services Department.

Prime Minister Manuel Marrero told state television that more than 450 brigades, mainly made up of soldiers, have been deployed in several Havana municipalities to collect solid waste.

“We are satisfied with the response to this mobilization. We ask the population to join in because we win when we unite. We will keep fighting despite the difficulties,” he said.

Marrero boasted that ministers, senior officials from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and the central government, officers and soldiers from the Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior are taking part in the effort, contributing equipment along with the general population.

The accumulation of garbage has become a critical public health problem.

The Cuban Government has described the “sanitation” of Havana as a priority issue, since the accumulation of garbage has become a critical public health problem. The buildup of waste in Cuba’s streets has reached levels of sanitary emergency that are worsening each day. The situation is due to continue reading

an extreme fuel shortage and breakdowns in garbage trucks, which have disabled much of Cuba’s Communal Services Department.

According to official data, Havana, with nearly 1.75 million inhabitants, generates about 23,814 cubic meters of waste daily, more than two-thirds of which corresponds to “services and household waste” activity.

The waste overcrowding the streets and the irregularity of collection services have been denounced multiple times in recent months, mainly on social media and in state media. The frequency of collection has been reduced in recent months in the capital and, at times, due to the accumulated volumes, excavators and dump trucks are used.

Cuba is going through a deep economic crisis, manifested in daily blackouts, chronic shortages of food and medicine, high inflation, and a severe shortage of foreign currency and fuel. The Cuban Government blames the U.S. embargo as the main cause of the lack of supplies. Independent experts also point to bureaucratic problems, management failures, neglect, and a lack of human capital due to the strong emigration the country is experiencing.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Saint Lucia Considers Cuba’s Medical Missions “Very Important” in the Caribbean

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, criticized the political situation on the Island.

Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia. / opm.govt.lc

14ymedio / EFE, Castries, February 27, 2026 – The Prime Minister of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia, Philip J. Pierre, stated this Thursday that Cuba’s medical missions in the Caribbean are “very important,” after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the annual conference of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) being held in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

“Saint Lucia has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Cuba with regard to medical professionals. Many of our young people have studied in Cuba. Therefore, it is a very important issue for us. As a region, we have our own problems that we must resolve,” Pierre said at a press conference.

The Saint Lucian leader thus joined other Caribbean leaders who reject the fact that the United States is pressuring them to end Cuban medical missions in their countries.

The Saint Lucian leader thus joined other Caribbean leaders who reject the fact that the United States is pressuring them to end Cuban medical missions in their countries.

In his view, “the conference will only lead to strengthening relations between the United States and Caricom,” and the controversy over Cuban medical services in the region will be resolved “in a friendly manner.” Pierre asserted that Caricom leaders have “never had a consensus on any foreign policy issue.”

At the beginning of this month, Pierre said there would be no “imminent withdrawal” of Saint Lucian students studying medicine in Cuba, after the U.S. Embassy in the region denied having demanded that the Caribbean country prohibit its nationals from pursuing health studies in Havana, as had previously been suggested.

“The United States has not recently spoken with Saint Lucia about international education and respects the sovereign decisions of countries regarding the education of their citizens. The United States continues to call for an end to exploitation and forced labor in the overseas medical missions program of the illegitimate Cuban regime,” they said.

During the opening ceremony of the Caricom summit on Tuesday night, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, criticized the political situation in Cuba and called for free and fair elections and a democratic regime.

For his part, Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, said at the start of the conference that Caricom must “address the situation in Cuba with clarity and courage” and that “it is important to consider this matter carefully and take collective action.”

“Jamaica is firmly in favor of democracy, human rights, political accountability, and an economy based on an open market. We do not believe that long-term stability can exist where economic freedom is restricted and continue reading

political participation limited,” Holness stated.

For his part, the current president of Caricom, Terrance Drew, called on member countries to join forces to “design the necessary mechanisms to help the people of Cuba at this particular moment,” because the community can provide assistance “directly and become a forum for dialogue.”

Several Caricom countries, including the Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, have yielded to Washington’s pressure.

Several Caricom countries, including the Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, have yielded to Washington’s pressure to end medical cooperation projects with the Island.

The U.S. government has denounced that these missions involve the “coercion” of healthcare professionals, who are sent to work in third countries under opaque contracts, with low salaries and severe restrictions on their freedom.

The United States announced the revocation of visas for officials who cooperate with these agreements and, in fact, has taken action against some of them.

Honduras and Guatemala have also canceled their agreements with the Island, and now Italy is also in Washington’s sights for this reason.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuba Denounces That the U.S. Denied Visas to Eight of Its Delegates to the World Baseball Classic

The Cuban Baseball Federation states that it is “false” that the Island does not cooperate with the United States on “migration matters.”

The United States denied visas to members of the Island’s national team that will participate in the World Baseball Classic. / Jit

14ymedio/EFE, Havana, February 26, 2026 – The United States denied visas to eight members of the Island’s national team that will participate in the World Baseball Classic to be held from March 5 to 17. Among them are the president of the organization, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo; the general secretary, Carlos del Pino Muñoz; and the pitching coach and former pitcher Pedro Luis Lazo Iglesias.

The Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS) considers that the U.S. response, one month after the visa applications were submitted, “turns its back on the reasons on which they are based, on the most elementary principles of sport, and on the commitments assumed by host countries of tournaments of this type.”

The federation states that “citing as a cause what is established in Section 243(d) of that country’s Immigration and Nationality Act disrespects the essence of sport and the responsibility inherent to its participants and places our delegation at an evident disadvantage.”

“It is false that Cuba does not cooperate with the United States on migration matters,” it maintains.

The United States denied a visa to the president of the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo / Jit

The denial of visas by Washington, according to the FCBS, adds to “the complexities that marked the roster integration process, subject to deadlines different from those set for the rest of the invited countries, due to the need for the organizers to obtain permission from the U.S. Government, essential to invite Cuba.”

Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term, pressure on the Island has increased. Last May, the United States once again included Cuba on the list of countries that do not fully cooperate in its fight against continue reading

terrorism.

That same month, due to visa denials, the president of the Cuban Olympic Committee, Roberto León Richards, and other officials were unable to participate in meetings of Panam Sports, the Olympic body of the Americas.

Fearing putting his U.S. residency at risk, goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena chose to withdraw last June from playing with Cuba in the Concacaf qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup against Bermuda, which took place at Antonio Maceo Stadium.

At the end of June, the agency France 24 gained access to the letter sent to one of the volleyball players on the national team who had secured a place in the Norceca Final Four. “You are not eligible for a nonimmigrant visa under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, pursuant to the presidential proclamation.”

Cuba was placed alongside the teams of Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama, and Canada in Group A of the World Baseball Classic, whose group rounds will be played in the U.S. cities of Miami, Florida, Houston, Texas, as well as in San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Tokyo, Japan.

Last February 5, the federation announced the Island’s 30-player roster for the World Baseball Classic, which includes two Major League players and nine minor league players.

Cuban sports authorities have indicated their intention to participate in this event with the aim of repeating the historic fourth-place finish achieved in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuba’s Foreign Minister Promises ‘Creative Solutions’ to the Humanitarian Crisis and Offers ‘Dialogue with the United States’

Bruno Rodríguez appears before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva as part of his international tour seeking support against the “energy siege” imposed by Washington

Bruno Rodríguez at the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, where he took the opportunity to speak about the oil blockade / Ministry of Foreign Affairs

EFE/14ymedio, Geneva, February 23, 2026 – On Monday, Cuba’s foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez Parilla, appeared before the United Nations Human Rights Council and sent a message to the United States that Cuba “will vigorously and courageously defend its right to self-determination,” while at the same time extending an offer to maintain dialogue based on mutual respect.

In an address to the forum, the foreign minister promised that a humanitarian crisis in Cuba would be prevented despite what his government calls the “energy siege” resulting from Washington’s decision to threaten tariffs on countries that export oil to the Island.

“Can a great power be allowed to attempt to destroy a small nation, provoke a humanitarian tragedy, shatter its national culture (…) all under the crude pretext of national security?” the foreign minister asked. continue reading

“Can a great power be allowed to attempt to destroy a small nation, provoke a humanitarian tragedy, shatter its national culture (…) all under the crude pretext of national security?”

On that point, he acknowledged that the situation created by the United States would cause “deprivation and suffering,” although he expressed confidence that “creative solutions” would be found to mitigate the humanitarian damage.

Nevertheless, in the same speech, the foreign minister assured that “there is also willingness for dialogue with the United States,” but emphasized that it would have to be based on “international law, mutual respect, and reciprocal benefit, without preconditions or interference in internal affairs.”

Rodríguez said the goal should be “to achieve a civilized relationship within our differences, and even to promote cooperation.”

In one passage of his speech, the Cuban minister praised the “community resistance of the people of Minnesota,” referring to demonstrations against the U.S. federal government’s immigration policy and the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In recent weeks, the United States has repeatedly claimed that it is holding talks with representatives of the Cuban regime and has even insisted that part of the Cuban government is unaware of them. Accounts differ over who is involved in the dialogue, whether it is a son or a grandson of Raúl Castro.

The government of Miguel Díaz-Canel denies this and says that everything Washington states is intended to sow distrust in Havana, while acknowledging that talks do exist: the usual ones limited to migration and drug trafficking issues.

Translated by Regina Anavy
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Russia Completes the Repatriation of the 4,300 Tourists Stranded in Cuba Due to the Energy Crisis

“The possibility of resuming flights will be addressed after the situation with fuel supplies is normalized,” the Kremlin said.

With 131,882 travelers to Cuba in 2025, Russia is the second largest source of tourists to the island, after Canada / 14ymedio

EFE/14ymedio, Moscow, February 22, 2026 — Russian airlines announced on Sunday that they have completed the repatriation of nearly 4,300 tourists stranded in Cuba due to the energy crisis caused by the US embargo. “The airlines have completed the repatriation flights for Russian tourists from Cuba,” the Ministry of Transport said in a statement on Telegram.

The last plane landed at 5:27 p.m. local time at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, which had to limit the number of flights due to Ukrainian drone attacks.

It was a flight from the Rossia company (Aeroflot Group) that took off from Varadero – one of the favorite tourist destinations among Russians – and which represented “the final flight within the framework of the campaign that began on February 13.”

In total, according to the Ministry, “almost 4,300” Russian tourists were repatriated from Varadero, Havana, Holguín and Cayo Coco on nine flights.

“Nearly 4,300” Russian tourists were repatriated from Varadero, Havana, Holguín and Cayo Coco on nine flights

“The possibility of resuming flights will be addressed after the situation with fuel supplies is normalized,” he added. continue reading

On February 11, the Russian government recommended that tour operators stop selling trips to Cuba, after which airlines announced they would temporarily suspend flights.

With 131,882 travelers to Cuba in 2025, Russia is the second largest source of tourists to the Island, after Canada (754,010), which in turn finished the repatriation of its nearly 28,000 tourists on Friday.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez discussed the energy crisis this week in Moscow with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. “You know our position on this. We will not accept anything like this,” Putin said at the beginning of the meeting.

Bruno Rodríguez discussed the energy crisis in Moscow this week with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the meeting addressed the specific assistance Moscow can provide to Havana under the current circumstances.

Previously, Lavrov and Rodríguez called for dialogue with the United States, asking it to abandon its plans for a naval blockade of Cuba.

Moscow recently announced that it is in contact with Cuban authorities and that oil supplies to the Castro regime are planned, something that has not happened since the shipment of 100,000 tons of crude oil in February 2025.

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Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Continues His International Tour With an Unannounced Visit to Russia

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez continues his international tour with an unannounced visit to Russia

In recent months, the Cuban foreign minister has traveled to several Asian countries, such as Vietnam, Laos, and China, in search of support. / EFE

14ymedio/EFE, Havana, February 18, 2026 – Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez is continuing his international tour in Russia in search of energy support to alleviate the fuel crisis engulfing the Island, following the collapse of Nicolás Maduro’s Chavista regime. This Wednesday he met in Moscow, without prior announcement, with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and is awaiting a possible meeting at the Kremlin with President Vladimir Putin.

From Russia, the Cuban foreign minister made several statements regarding White House policies and assured that, despite pressure from Washington, Havana will defend its sovereignty and independence and maintain its “unchanged” course.

“We are ready for respectful dialogue, on equal terms, with any country,” Rodríguez said at the start of his meeting with Lavrov in Moscow.

Lavrov, for his part, stated that Russia, along with most members of the international community, calls on the United States to “show common sense” and “refrain from plans for a naval blockade of the Island of Freedom.” continue reading

“I would like to reiterate that the actions of the United States, which issued a special decree declaring Cuba a threat, are absolutely unacceptable,” said the head of Russian diplomacy.

He regretted that the same decree stipulated that this threat was aggravated by Cuba’s cooperation with Russia, “which is described in that decree as a hostile and malicious State.”

Regarding relations with Russia, they described them as “historic, fraternal, special, and strategic”

Regarding relations with Russia, they described them as “historic, fraternal, special, and strategic,” and declared that cooperation will continue “above any circumstance” and that the objectives set will be achieved.

Moscow recently announced that it is in contact with Cuban authorities and that oil supplies to the Castro regime are expected, something that has not occurred since the shipment of 100,000 tons of crude in February 2025.

However, Russian airlines have had to suspend their flights to Havana and repatriate several thousand tourists due to the fuel shortage on the Island.

In recent months, the Cuban foreign minister has traveled to various Asian countries, such as Vietnam, Laos, and China, in search of support. This Monday, during a brief visit, the minister met with his Spanish counterpart, in a trip marked by protests from citizens who also accused Pedro Sánchez’s government of complicity with the Cuban dictatorship.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Lech Walesa to Cubans: “You Should Take Advantage of Trump, but He Will Not Bring You Freedom”

The former Polish president warns that the US president is heading in the right direction, but he is looking out for his country’s interests, not those of the Cuban people.

Walesa argues that Poland took advantage of Pope John Paul II just as Cuba should take advantage of Trump. / EFE

EFE (via 14ymedio), Miami, 13 February 2026 — Speaking in Miami this Thursday, the former Polish President Lech Walesa, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, suggested that Cubans in Florida “take advantage” of US President Donald Trump to achieve change on the island, but warned that the president “will not bring you freedom.”

“You need to take advantage of Trump because he’s going in the right direction, but remember that he is going in the direction of American interests, not Cuban interests. So you need to be prepared for all of this to converge,” Walesa responded to a question from EFE.

The recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1983) compared Cuba’s current struggle to the one he led to end the communist regime in 1989. Speaking at the Museum of the Cuban Diaspora in Miami, he recalled that his movement “took advantage” of the fact that there was a Polish pope, John Paul II, so Cubans should “take advantage” of Trump.

The recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1983) compared Cuba’s current struggle with the one he led to end the communist regime in 1989, speaking at the Museum of the Cuban Diaspora in Miami.

“You have a similar situation. There’s Trump, but the question is how to take advantage of him being president because he won’t bring you freedom. You have to take advantage of Trump to win your freedom,” he said.

The Museum of the Cuban Diaspora, the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (ARC), and other exile organizations recognized Walesa as the first “ambassador of freedom in Cuba,” considering that “the fall of the regime” is closer than ever due to the policies of Trump and the Cuban-born Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.

Washington has increased pressure on Havana following the intervention in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, cutting off the supply of Venezuelan crude to the island and declaring a “national emergency” to sanction countries that supply oil to Cuba. continue reading

Walesa, who in 1990 became Poland’s first democratically elected president since 1926, and has inspired Cubans for their fight against communism, told the exiles that “you have the opportunity for a quick victory, but that’s when the problems will begin” because they risk civil war.

María Corina Machado “gave her Nobel Prize to Trump too quickly and too easily”

“So I wish you freedom and, really, I’m asking you, let me participate in your victory parade in Cuba. Hurry,” the 82-year-old former president said.

The Polish politician also revealed that he had a conversation last week with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. “She gave her Nobel Prize to Trump too quickly and too easily,” he said he told her.

“Of course, we will stay in touch and I will participate in the fight for freedom in your country (Venezuela), your country (Cuba), and other countries. What I have seen is that you have a fighting spirit,” he said.

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Cubans in the U.S. Speed Up Aid Shipments to the Island but Ask Trump for More Restrictions

Dozens of exiles line up with boxes and bags filled with food, toilet paper, and other basic goods at shipping companies in Miami’s Little Havana.

Cuban citizens wait beside boxes and bags containing food and essential supplies to send to their relatives on the Island this Friday in Miami, Florida. / EFE/Alberto Boal

14ymedio, Miami, Pedro Pablo Cortés (EFE), February 13, 2026 – Cubans in the United States are accelerating shipments of food and medicine to their families as the crisis on the Island deepens, where many depend on this aid to survive. At the same time, they told EFE they support President Donald Trump increasing restrictions if it means that “the regime falls.”

Dozens of exiles stand in line with boxes and bags containing food, toilet paper, and other essential goods at shipping companies in Little Havana, motivated by power cuts in Cuba and the sense that events may unfold quickly. Among them is Manuela Labori, who sends aid to her 90-year-old mother.

“What she’s eating is thanks to the children she has here—there are three of us—and the medicines she uses, we have to send them from here. She can’t even walk because of her knees; the cartilage is gone, it’s bone on bone, and in the hospitals there’s nothing to give her relief or to perform surgery,” she told EFE.

“It should be a total blockade, where everything is shut down, not even allowing us to send this, because that’s the only way the communist regime will fall.”

The UN Human Rights Office warned Friday that Washington is “failing to comply” with international law through the sanctions decreed in January to prevent the supply of oil to Cuba, which are causing the “dismantling” of the food, health care, and water supply systems. continue reading

But Labori, who has lived in Florida for more than 40 years, considers Trump’s measures “excellent” and calls for more, even if that means no longer being able to send aid to her family.

“It should be a total blockade, shutting everything down, not even allowing us to send this, because that’s the only way the communist regime will fall. Communism has no place anywhere. It should be ended forever,” she exclaimed.

U.S. humanitarian donations to Cuba nearly doubled in 2025, reaching an estimated value of $130.9 million compared to $67.8 million the previous year, including food, medicine, and clothing, according to a report by the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.

Although many on the Island “depend heavily” on the exile community, former political prisoner Ángel de la Fana, leader of the group Los Plantados*, noted that “the vast majority do not have relatives in exile who can send them help.”

“Pressure must be increased because it’s not enough for those of us in exile to send aid to family. What we need is for the Cuban people to be free, to have the freedom to create wealth, to produce food,” he argued.

Cuban-American lawmakers from Florida have asked Trump to ban remittances to Cuba, flights, and licenses for companies “doing business with the regime,” while the cities of Miami and Hialeah are investigating hundreds of companies with possible ties to the Cuban government, including shipping agencies.

José Daniel Ferrer, a Cuban opposition leader who arrived in the United States last October, believes that shipments of “basic supplies” should “still be allowed”

José Daniel Ferrer, a Cuban opposition leader who arrived in the United States last October, believes that shipments of “basic supplies” such as “food, medicine, and hygiene products” should “still be allowed” because “many people need them,” but he calls for banning other items considered “luxury, entertainment, or pleasure.”

During a visit to several shipping agencies, employees and immigrants declined to speak with EFE out of fear of reprisals from the Cuban government or U.S. authorities.

Others, like Usmara Matamoros, fear that U.S. restrictions will not bring change to the Island and will only mean their relatives are left without the products sent from Miami.

“No, I don’t agree because just imagine how they’re going to live,” she told EFE. “Without us, they have nothing.”

Some send whatever they can regardless of the political context or specific requests for help, like Teresa Martínez, who sends “medicine, rice, milk, anything that can serve as food” whenever she has the chance.

“They don’t ask me; I send it because I know they need everything, and there are two little children I send things to every month,” she says through tears.

*Translator’s note: “Plantado’ — literally ’planted’ — is a term with a long history in Cuba and is used to describe a political prisoner who refuses to cooperate in any way with their incarceration.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Instead of “Sending Handouts” to Havana, Mexico Should Play an “Active Role in the Cuban Crisis”

Roberta Lajous, former Mexican ambassador to the island, appeals to her country’s “great diplomatic tradition” to facilitate dialogue with the US.

Regarding Mexico’s shipment of oil to Cuba, Lajous acknowledged that it would currently be “suicidal”. / Wikipedia

14ymedio/EFE, Madrid, 7 February 2025 — “It is not possible to continue defending an economic system that has failed and is causing people to go hungry,” said Roberta Lajous, Mexico’s ambassador to Havana between 2002 and 2005, in an interview with EFE, referring to the Cuban government. “And on the other hand, on the part of the United States, it is absurd to continue insisting on an economic embargo that has not worked for 60 years.”

If the aim is to avoid an escalation of the conflict and move towards détente, Lajous believes that Havana and Washington must make political gestures that will allow them to “sit down at the table”. To this end, Mexico would have to take an active role and promote a diplomatic initiative to mediate between the two sides.

In this regard, she criticised the sending of humanitarian aid as the only response to the crisis. “Mexico must play an active role in the Cuban crisis, not send handouts,” said the former ambassador, referring to the assistance announced by Claudia Sheinbaum’s government, a promise that seems insignificant in the face of the increasing suffocation suffered by Cubans. continue reading

“Mexico must play an active role in the Cuban crisis, not just send handouts.”

“Mexico cannot sit idly by,” said Lajous. “Mexico has a great diplomatic tradition and must draw on its history and human resources.”

She described the situation in Cuba as a “tragedy” for the island’s population: “They have no electricity, nothing to eat and no transport to bring food from producers to consumers.”

Regarding Mexico’s oil shipments to Cuba, Lajous acknowledged that it would currently be “suicidal” given the coercive measures imposed by the White House. “The United States is sending humanitarian aid to Cuba, and there is no reason why Mexico should not do the same. Oil is another matter (…) Mexico has not said so clearly, but it seems that these exports have been halted because of this measure imposed by the Trump administration,” he said.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has reiterated that her government has “set the table” to facilitate mediation and has offered the country as a venue for possible negotiations, although she has clarified that any dialogue would depend exclusively on the willingness of Washington and Havana.

Meanwhile, the Cuban government persists in its stance of dialogue only “without interference”, while persistent rumours circulate about meetings between representatives of Havana and the White House in Mexico City, in addition to Trump’s multiple statements about the existence of negotiations with Cuba.

Translated by GH

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Trump Insists He Is Negotiating With the Cuban Government and Is “Close” to an Agreement

“Many (Cubans) would like to at least visit their relatives, and I think we are close to achieving that,” the president told the media in the Oval Office.

File photo of US President Donald Trump. / EFE/Graig Hudson/Pool. / EFE/Graig Hudson/Pool

14ymedio/EFE. Washington/Havana, 2 February 2026 — President Donald Trump insisted on Monday that Washington is in negotiations with the government in Havana to end the oil embargo on the island and that he believes an agreement is “close” that would allow Cubans in the US to visit their country again.

“Many (Cubans) would like to at least visit their relatives, and I think we are close to achieving that. The fact is that we are negotiating with Cuban leaders right now,” Trump told the media today in the Oval Office.

The president once again highlighted the harsh economic situation the country is going through due to the embargo he himself activated last week by signing an executive order that will punish any country that sends crude oil to the island with tariffs: “It is a failed nation, they do not receive money from Venezuela or anywhere else. It is a bankrupt nation.” continue reading

“I would like to help the Cubans who are here. As you know, we have many people who came from Cuba, who were expelled from Cuba, who fled Cuba.”

Trump also reiterated that “Mexico will stop sending them oil,” at a time when Claudia Sheinbaum’s government has said it will continue to send material aid to Cuba on humanitarian grounds while seeking “all diplomatic channels” to resume fuel shipments.

“I would like to help the Cubans who are here. As you know, we have many people who came from Cuba, who were expelled from Cuba, who fled Cuba. They arrived on rafts. They crossed shark-infested waters. I don’t know how they did it. And that was many years ago. Many would like to return,” added the Republican.

Trump already said over the weekend that Cuban authorities would be forced to seek an agreement with Washington due to the lack of oil.

Any agreement that Trump “closes” “will be good for the American people.”

For his part, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed that talks are taking place between Havana and Washington. Wright told Fox News on Monday that any agreement that Trump “closes” “will be good for the American people.”
“Trump understands that energy dominance leads to peace abroad, leads to prosperity at home, and energy dominance enables energy diplomacy,” Wright said, adding that the current US administration has “the ability to take a country like Cuba that was colluding with Venezuela and its corrupt government by providing security forces” to that South American country.

Cuba’s serious economic, energy and social crisis has been exacerbated since the island stopped receiving oil from Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the United States, an attack that the government in Havana strongly condemned.

Translated by GH

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