Category: EFE

In that scenario, Ortega said that the “battle” in Venezuela “would be much greater” than the one that took place in Nicaragua, “because it involves the Colombian Army, Colombian mercenaries, Colombian murderers and Colombian drug traffickers.”

Therefore, the Sandinista leader advised Maduro to “prepare to fight the battle and defeat them, because I am sure that if that battle occurs you will win.”

“And rest assured that if that battle happens, you will have Sandinista fighters accompanying you in that battle,” he offered. “And I am sure that just as thousands of (foreign) fighters joined the battle of Nicaragua against (Anastasio) Somoza (Debayle), thousands of Latin American and Caribbean fighters will also join the defense of the Bolivarian revolution,” he added.

In addition, Ortega says he broke relations with Brazil and called his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, “a lackey,” who wanted to be the “representative of the Yankees” in Latin America.

Lula is one of the presidents of Latin America who had a “brutal and “cowardly reaction” for not recognizing Maduro’s triumph

The Sandinista leader said that Lula is one of the presidents of Latin America who had a “brutal and cowardly reaction” for not recognizing Maduro’s triumph, and that he is part of the other “servile, traitorous, lackey governments. Brazil has presented itself as very progressive and very revolutionary. Now it says that the elections have to be repeated (in Venezuela). I say ’Brazil’ meaning Lula,” he reproached.

Ortega said that Lula “in a shameful way” is “repeating the slogans of the Yankees, the Europeans and the lackey governments of Latin America.”

“You’re a lackey, too, Lula! You’re groveling, too, Lula!” exclaimed Ortega, who also criticized the Brazilian president’s previous government management. He recalled that in Lula’s first Administration, “uproars” of corruption such as “the Lava Jato scandals”* broke out.

“Remember all that (…). Apparently it was not a very transparent Government, not very clean. Remember, Lula, and I could tell you a dozen more things,” he continued. “If you want me to respect you, respect me, Lula. If you want the Bolivarian people to respect you, respect the victory of President Nicolás Maduro and don’t be a lackey,” he added.

On August 8, the Brazilian ambassador to Nicaragua, Breno de Souza Brasil Días da Costa, left the country after being expelled by the Ortega Government, according to the official version, for not attending the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution on July 19. In reciprocity, the Government of Brazil decided to expel the ambassador of Nicaragua, Fulvia Castro.

“And since being president of the great country that is Brazil, you have wanted to become a representative of the Yankees in Latin America”

In the past, Lula had a close relationship with Ortega when the Brazilian leader traveled to Managua in 1980 for the first anniversary of the Sandinista revolution, an occasion on which he also personally met the Cuban president, Fidel Castro.

In recent months, however, the relationship has deteriorated, especially due to the “political persecution” that the Government of Managua maintains on former Sandinistas and religious leaders.

Lula himself explained the situation last month, at a press conference with foreign correspondents in Brasilia, in which he revealed that Ortega has not answered his phone since Pope Francis asked him (Lula) to advocate for a bishop detained in Nicaragua.

In this regard, Ortega confirmed that he did not answer Lula’s phone call because to receive a message from the Vatican, which he said is a State “in favor of the Empire,” the Holy See should communicate directly with him. “We don’t need intermediaries. We didn’t ask Lula to be an intermediary. We didn’t answer Lula, and he got upset,” he said.

Lula regretted that this happened with “a guy who made a revolution like the one Ortega did to defeat Somoza,” and said that today he does not know “if that revolution was because he wanted power or because he wanted to improve the life of his people.”

In this regard, Ortega said that if he is a dictator, then so is Lula: “What could Lula say, since he has said this publicly, and how many times has he been in power? Already for two terms. That is, it seems he likes being President.”

“And from the presidency of the great country that is Brazil, you want to become a representative of the Yankees in Latin America,” he added.

Ortega explained by saying, “that’s why we broke off relations with Brazil,” because although Nicaragua is a small country, “we have dignity.”

Ortega sees Gustavo Petro “competing” with Lula to be the “representative” of the United States in Latin America

Ortega sees Gustavo Petro “competing” with Lula to be the “representative” of the United States in Latin America.

“Petro, what can I say about Petro? Poor Petro, poor Petro. I see Petro as competing with Lula to see who will be the leader to represent the Yankees in Latin America,” said the Sandinista leader.

Lula and Petro insisted on Saturday on the need to publish the electoral results, “broken down by polling station,” after the endorsement of Maduro’s victory by the Supreme Court of Venezuela, of which they “took note.”

“Both presidents remain convinced that the credibility of the electoral process can only be restored through the transparent publication of disaggregated and verifiable data,” according to a joint statement from both countries.

Lula and Petro agreed on a common position on the Venezuelan electoral process after telephone conversations held on Friday and Saturday, according to information released by the Brazilian Presidency.

The two heads of state reaffirmed that “the political normalization of Venezuela” must acknowledge “that there is no lasting alternative to peaceful dialogue and democratic coexistence in diversity.” They also called on “all those involved to avoid resorting to acts of violence and repression.”

“Today I can’t tell you the exact moment in which we are going to achieve victory, but yes, with absolute conviction, I tell you that the destiny of this fight is the liberation of Venezuela”

On the other hand, Lula and Petro “took note” of the decision of the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela to validate Maduro’s victory in the presidential elections of July 28, questioned by much of the international community. In this sense, they reiterated that they “are still waiting” for the publication, by the National Electoral Council (CNE), of “the tally sheets, broken down by polling station.”

The CNE proclaimed Maduro the winner without having published the disaggregated results, while the largest opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), said that Edmundo González Urrutia won the contest by a wide margin.

The declaration of both countries was expected after the statement released on Friday by eleven American countries (Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic and Uruguay), in which they rejected the Supreme Court’s endorsement of Maduro. The governments of these eleven countries questioned the ruling of the Venezuelan court and warned of its “lack of independence and impartiality.”

However, Brazil and Colombia did assess the Supreme Court’s ruling and instead insisted that they “keep their channels of communication with the parties open,” and they reinforced “their willingness to facilitate understanding between them.”

“Our tactics are so diverse that they will not be able to contain them, and we will act with precision so that they cannot prevent our advance”

For her part, the anti-Chavista leader María Corina Machado said on Monday that “the end of the regime of horror is approaching” in Venezuela, where “a new phase of the opposition strategy” has begun, in order to “substantiate the victory” obtained by Edmundo González Urrutia.

“Today I cannot tell you the exact moment in which we are going to achieve victory, but yes, with absolute conviction, I tell you that the destiny of this struggle is the liberation of Venezuela, the construction of a luminous country where we can live well, with dignity,” she said in an audio published on YouTube.

In that sense, she called on Venezuelans to prepare for “a new way of organizing and mobilizing in the street” that, she explained, will be “highly” effective to run “the least possible risk.”

“Our tactics are so diverse that they will not be able to contain them, and we will act with precision so that they cannot prevent our advance,” said the former deputy, who again denounced a “criminal repression,” especially after the last elections.

She added that Maduro and “his criminal environment,” after the “overwhelming and indisputable victory” of González Urrutia, sought to “justify their fraud” through the TSJ, whose Electoral Chamber validated the re-election of Maduro for a third consecutive six-year term in power.

“Nicolás Maduro reached the end of his path, he lost all contact with reality, they do not understand anything that is happening in Venezuela,” said Machado, the main champion of González Urrutia.

The PUD called for a demonstration on August 28, a month after the elections, against electoral “fraud” and to insist on the triumph it grants its standard bearer based on “83.5% of the tally sheets” collected the night of the vote by witnesses and poll workers, documents that the Government describes as “false.” Later, the Government also called for street events that same day, but to celebrate the controversial re-election of Maduro.

“We have witnessed a conspiracy of the public authorities to hatch a plot of complicity to prevent public access to the results”

Meanwhile, the traditional leaders of the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) warned on Monday about what they consider a conspiracy of state institutions – “openly controlled” by the Government – against the will expressed in the July 28 elections, whose official result gave the victory to President Nicolás Maduro.

The PCV, a group influenced by the TSJ, pointed out that the Court is not impartial, and, therefore, its confirmation of Maduro’s re-election does not clear doubts or resolve complaints about transparency made to the CNE.

The validation issued by the TSJ “is a new demonstration of the existence of a conspiracy woven from the high spheres of political and economic power against the Constitution and popular sovereignty expressed in the vote,” the Party said in a press release.

In this way, they reiterated their demand for the CNE to publish the disaggregated results that confirm Maduro’s victory, as expected in the election schedule, although the TSJ ruled last Thursday, that it will keep the voting records under protection.

“We have witnessed a conspiracy of the public authorities to hatch a plot of complicity that, through pseudo-legal processes, prevents public access to the results printed in the tally sheets and to the boxes where the physical vote of each voter is protected,” the communists continue.

In addition, they condemned the fact that the TSJ ruling “is used as a justification to expand the repression,” in reference to the protests and police operations after the elections that have left a total of 25 deaths and more than 2,400 detainees, according to State sources.

For all of the above, the PCV asks the Prosecutor’s Office to carry out “the relevant investigations to determine the responsibilities of the electoral body,” since it “did not fulfill its functions by refusing to publish the results broken down by table and by suspending subsequent audits.”

*Translator’s note: Operação Lava Jeto, or Operation Jet Wash, investigated corruption in Brazil’s government in 2014. Lula was convicted of money laundering and spent 580 days in jail. His conviction was nullified in 2021 by the Supreme Court. Lula ran again for President in 2022 and was granted a third term.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Foreign Ministry stated that there is no ’evidence or indication’ that Cuba ’has ’interfered or has proposed to interfere’ in the Florida elections

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited in particular some opinion articles and information that appeared in the media of the McClatchy group, which includes The Miami Herald.

In a text published last June, the American newspaper maintained that the US intelligence community believes that the Cuban government will try to influence the US elections by deploying a series of specific campaigns with the purpose of affecting state and local elections in Florida. “We have seen interest in local elections,” an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told the American newspaper.

On November 5, along with the presidential elections scheduled in the United States, several local elections will also be held in Florida

The statement of the Cuban Foreign Ministry published this Monday accuses Washington of having resorted in the past to this “illegitimate and unacceptable practice, which has accompanied US foreign policy for a long time,” of accusing Cuba of electoral intervention in Florida.

On November 5, along with the presidential elections planned in the United States, several local elections for different positions will also be held in Florida, and state representatives will be elected to the US Congress and Senate.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Luis Lacalle Pou said that “Maduro’s regime confirms what the international community has been denouncing: fraud

In the same vein, the head of state of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, said that “the Maduro regime confirms what the international community has been denouncing: fraud. It’s a dictatorship that closes all doors to an institutional and democratic life of its people.”

The president of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, also considered the decision of the Supreme Court “unacceptable,” without an “exhaustive and independent” review of the votes. He “deeply regretted the decision of the Government of Venezuela to advance in the ratification of electoral results that do not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people.”

Bernardo Arévalo de León, for his part, insisted that Guatemala does not accept the electoral “fraud” perpetrated by Nicolás Maduro’s regime. “The crisis in Venezuela is indisputable, and we have already said that the recent elections only demonstrate that the Maduro regime is not democratic, and we do not recognize his fraud,” said the president in a message on social network X.

The opposition leader of Venezuela, María Corina Machado, thanked Boric and Lacalle Pou, respectively, on Thursday, for their positions on the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice. “President Lacalle, we are deeply grateful for your solidarity and support to the Venezuelan people,” wrote Machado in a message in response to the Uruguayan president on X. The former deputy said that Venezuelans will move forward with “strength and conviction,” to ensure that “popular sovereignty” is respected.

She also applauded the position of the Chilean president, who said, “We will respect the will of Venezuelans. We are counting on you.”

Other political figures in the region have also denounced the TSJ’s biased ruling. Former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, 2016 Nobel Peace Prize winner, called the decision an “obstruction.” Iván Duque, who led a “diplomatic siege” against the Maduro government between 2018 and 2022, said that the ruling was “a blow to the Venezuelan people. The ruling of the Supreme Court of Venezuela is a hoax. Colombia cannot, nor should it, endorse the ruling, as we told Chancellor (Luis Gilberto) Murillo yesterday in the Advisory Commission on Foreign Relations,” said Santos, who ruled the Andean country between 2010 and 2018, in a message published on X.

For his part, Duque stated that “what the dictator hopes now is that, based on that opinion, which has no sustenance or support but validates the National Electoral Council, which helped him steal the elections, several sympathizing countries in the international community will come out to recognize him as the legitimate president.”

Likewise, the opposition Nicaraguan Democratic Concertación (CDN-Monteverde) rejected “the attempt of Nicolás Maduro’s regime to legitimize electoral fraud, through a resolution of the Electoral Chamber of the TSJ of Venezuela, which also aims to legalize the coup d’état against the popular sovereignty of the people that was expressed at the polls on July 28, with a majority in favor of Edmundo González Urrutia.”

At the moment, the Governments of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, close to Maduro, have not spoken out

At the moment, the Governments of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, close to Maduro, have not spoken out. They have offered to mediate to find a peaceful way out of the crisis. Last week, the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, hardened his speech and proposed two solutions: the formation of a coalition government that integrates members of chavismo and the opposition, or the holding of new elections, which were rejected by both parties. The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, suggested a “national front” as a “transitory” step towards a “definitive solution” to the crisis.

On the other hand, there were two countries that celebrated: Nicaragua and Cuba. Daniel Ortega congratulated his ally and said that it was a “historic day in Venezuela, because today the victory of the people of (Simón) Bolívar, the people of (Hugo) Chávez, the people of Nicolás Maduro has been confirmed.”

The Government of Cuba also described the TSJ’s decision as a “victory” on Thursday. “The ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela confirmed the victory of the Bolivarian and Chavista Revolution and the re-election of Nicolás Maduro as president,” the Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez, wrote on X. “The decisions of Venezuelan institutions must be respected, and interference in Venezuela must cease,” he stressed.

The ruling, with which the review of the elections concludes in an “unequivocal and unrestricted” way, according to the text, comes 22 days after Maduro himself requested the process, through an appeal for “amparo” (a protection order) that never became known and for which the 10 former presidential candidates were summoned to the TSJ.

Cuba, Venezuela’s political ally, was one of the first countries to recognize Maduro’s triumph decreed by the CNE, despite protests against this result.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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“Cuba emphatically rejects the falsehoods that are fabricated to reinforce the policy of harassment,” the statement says

The Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, applauded last Sunday the pro-government demonstrations that took place on Saturday in response to the opposition marches in Venezuela and in dozens of cities around the world that same day. “The people of Venezuela spoke again. In marches for peace and against fascism, it ratified the recognition of President Nicolás Maduro,” Díaz-Canel wrote, ignoring that the overwhelming majority of participants in those marches demonstrated in support of the opposition.

According to the Venezuelan Government, the post-election protests have left more than 2,400 detainees and 25 deaths in the numerous protests that have taken place after the elections of July 28, when Maduro declared himself the winner.

For its part, the largest opposition coalition assures that its standard-bearer, Edmundo González Urrutia, obtained the majority of the votes and exhibited the 83% of the tally sheets that they managed to collect, which validate his victory.

In this scenario, where the international community has recognized González Urrutia as the winner or, at least, has asked Maduro to prove his alleged victory with its voting records, Cuba has been one of the few countries, along with others such as Russia or Nicaragua, that insist on declaring Maduro as president-elect.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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On the other hand, visitors from Russia rose by 41%. With 123,358 travelers in the first seven months of 2024, it is still the second largest market, and with the bilateral agreements signed in the last two years, Russian tourism is expected to continue growing.

In any case, the Regime’s goal is to achieve 3.2 million international visitors in 2024, which was already a figure much lower than the data prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (4.2 million in 2019 and 4.6 million in 2018), and which contrasts dramatically with the Island’s direct Caribbean competitors – the Dominican Republic and Mexico – which have had historic high numbers of tourists in these post-COVID years.

The authorization, a few days ago, of the eVisa to facilitate the entry procedures into Cuba is also not expected to help much, taking into account the internet connection problems on the Island.

At the same time, and according to another report published on Tuesday by ONEI — Cuba’s National Office of Statistics — Cuba increased by 112% per year, more than double, its investment in hotels and restaurants in the first half of 2024. In absolute terms, it allocated 15,779.1 million pesos to the Tourism sector, 36.5% of the 43,12 billion pesos authorized in the first six months of the year.

For Pedro Monreal, these data confirm the “persistence of a very deformed investment structure”

If the investments are divided by segments, the Business Services, Real Estate and Rental Activities section – which includes the construction of hotels – accumulated 26.4% of the total investment. It is followed by the manufacturing industry, with 19.5%, and hotels and restaurants, with 11.4%.

Faced with this, public spending decreased by more than 20% in education, construction and public administration.

For the Cuban economist Pedro Monreal, these data confirm the “persistence of a very deformed investment structure in Cuba,” with almost 40% of spending concentrated on tourism-related activities. In a thread on X, the specialist highlights the growing investment in hotels and restaurants “despite the low occupancy rate of 28.4%.”

Similarly, he draws attention to the low agricultural investment, only 2.5% of total public spending (15 times less than what is allocated to tourism), which, in his opinion, indicates that the official “priority” “with respect to food security is no more than a slogan.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Maduro denounced an “increase in cyber war against the country through bots” from Argentina, whose president has called the result of the National Electoral Council a “fraud” and a “scam.”

“What bot farms are attacking us from Argentina? The bot farms of Milei, of fascism, with money from the budget of the Argentine government, the more than 100 million dollars spent on the attacks of the last two weeks,” Maduro said, without showing any evidence, during his weekly program Con Maduro +, broadcast on the state channel VTV.

In addition, he said he had registered similar attacks from Spain, by the “ultra-right” of the European country, and from Mexico, without accusing anyone directly for these actions.

In his war against social networks as a ground of subversion against his regime, Maduro maintains his blockade of X

In his war against social networks as a ground of subversion against his regime, Maduro maintains his blockade of X, which he had suspended for 10 days. Although the authorities have not given explanations, it is impossible to access the application from Venezuela without using a virtual private network (VPN), which has become popular in the country – as happens in Cuba to read the independent press – as a method to bypass the blockades imposed by the state National Telecommunications Commission.

On Monday, Maduro and the president of Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, spoke about the “damage” caused by social networks, but they did not directly allude to the suspension, ordered in principle due to the attempt attributed to this platform to “sow violence” in the country, as Maduro said at the time. This Monday, during his weekly television program, Maduro mentioned several times the owner of X, the South African tycoon Elon Musk, whom he accuses of promoting fascism and violence in Venezuela.

“Keep Elon Musk out of Latin America,” the president remarked without referring to the suspension, after saying that Musk “was wrong” and that he had “crashed” with Venezuela.

For many, Maduro’s aggressiveness is a sign that the regime’s days are numbered

For many, Maduro’s aggressiveness is a sign that the regime’s days are numbered. This is the opinion of former deputy Omar González, one of the six refugee opponents living in the official residence of the Embassy of Argentina in Caracas since March, under the protection of Brazil after the expulsion of Argentina’s diplomatic mission from Venezuela. On Monday, González pointed out that Maduro’s “weakness” “is increasing” as he approaches January 10, 2025, when the next presidential term begins.

“Many believe that time is Maduro’s ally, but they are wrong, because as we approach January, Maduro’s time will run out; he will become increasingly illegitimate, and his permanence in power will be increasingly illegal,” said the opponent, quoted in a press release from the Vente Venezuela party, led by the anti-chavista María Corina Machado.

In González’s opinion, the “fragility” of the Government “is obvious” and “is reflected in the emaciated, haggard and anguished image of a leader who can’t sleep or have peace of mind.” “Venezuelans have made it clear that we will not give up until Maduro and his accomplices leave power, using truth as our main weapon in this endless battle,” González added.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

’I was looking for a better future for my family and for me; that’s why I deserted the Cuban team,’ said the athlete

EFE: How do you feel after having been able to taste, a bit more, the triumph at the Olympic Games in Paris?

Díaz: I’m quite happy with the whole result, to be honest. Not only with Paris, which, of course, is a dream. I am also very excited about the season I have finished, because I wasn’t able to compete much due to pain and injuries. I won the European championship in Rome with 18.18 meters, which is the third best score in history. Right now I’m on vacation. I needed to rest both mentally and physically, and I wanted to visit my family.

EFE: How long were the seconds from when you jumped until you landed?

Díaz: Wow… It’s so difficult! You’re just thinking about the technique and how you’re going to fall. You don’t think about anything else, neither sports nor emotions. You’re focused, and although you know that a medal can change your life completely, you don’t think about it much. I’m very happy with the season I’ve done, although I haven’t been able to compete much due to injuries.

EFE: The moment you saw your score did you think you could win the gold medal?

Díaz: No, not at all. I had a score that the first five athletes could have beat. However, I understood that in the Olympics, the pressure, the level of competition and tension could have an influence. There were also a lot of people in the competition. I tried to do my best in the sequences. I think it was a good competition in terms of stability, and I am happy with the result.

’The road has been quite difficult. Starting with the fact that I left my family and my whole life in Cuba’

EFE: Before Paris there have been many struggles. If you look back, how has the path been and what was the key to getting here?

Díaz: The road has been quite difficult. Starting with the fact that I left my family and my whole life in Cuba. I was looking for a better future for my family and me; that’s why I deserted the Cuban delegation. That motivation and that impulse has made me do what I’m doing now. Every sacrifice done well has its reward.

EFE: Is it worth it, therefore, to have left everything behind?

Díaz: Yes, of course. Life is short and you have to make the most of everything. I am happy for everything I am achieving and for being part of the history of Spain. It’s the goal I set myself when I stayed in this country. The truth is that little by little it is being fulfilled, and yes, as people say, there is still a lot of work to be done.

EFE: Did you dream of these Olympic Games?

Díaz: It is the goal of any athlete. It’s the biggest thing you can get! Another goal may be to have the world record. I don’t have it, but it still remains for me to be the first world champion to access the triple crown.

EFE: What is your link with Zaragoza?

Díaz: My uncle lives here, so I wanted to come and visit him. He has helped me since the first day I decided to stay in Spain. I spent three months with him, so he also deserves the medal and to celebrate it together. Everything that is happening to me is, in part, thanks to his help.

EFE: Do you think that with this triumph and, in addition, being the standard-bearer of the Spanish team at the closing of the Olympic Games, athletics is given the space it deserves?

Díaz: It’s a prize for a job well done. María (Pérez) won gold and silver medals [for Spain] in mixed race walking, and I won gold. Highlighting it may make everything that is done in athletics be recognized beyond the recognition that soccer has. Being a standard-bearer at the closing with María is an award for a job well done; highlighting it may make everything that Spanish athletics does be recognized.

’From long before competing in the final, I already had received a lot of support in the stands and from the organization’

EFE: What was the feedback you received when you returned from Paris?

Díaz: I’m not much of a social networker, but, from the little I’ve seen, I think I’ve been quite supported. I am very grateful. From long before competing in the final, I already had received a lot of support in the stands and from the organization. Having support is the best. I like that they recognize the job and, of course, it’s always good for other competitions.

EFE: And how are you facing the future?

Díaz: I’ll try to find some other dream. My dream was this, to be an Olympic champion. There are still four years left for the next Olympic Games and I’m not going to become lost in that either. Now I have to think about other things.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

The variation of the Consumer Price Index with respect to June was 0.83%, and the accumulated so far this year stands at 18.78%

As usual in monthly inflation reports, practically all items experienced year-on-year increases above 10%. During July, there were only three exceptions: recreation and culture (9.32%), communications (0.75%) and health (0.72%). The last two cases are state monopolies.

For the third consecutive month, the report emphasizes that the figures include the private sector, a clear boom since the legalization of MSMEs in 2021. Onei stated that 80.41% of the 8,176 establishments in the sample belong to the private sector, while the bulk of retail trade in the country is still in the hands of state companies.

In this context, the Cuban State spent 38.8% more than it earned in 2023, thus recording the highest fiscal deficit since 2020, according to official data published this Thursday by the Ministry of Finance and Prices. According to the figures collected in the Statistical Yearbook, the negative fiscal balance of the Cuban State amounted to 94,959 million pesos (3,798 million dollars, at the official exchange 24 CUP for one dollar).

Cuba spent 38.8% more than it earned in 2023

The income came mainly from the tax on utilities and other non-taxable revenues, while the main expenses were in the portfolios of Health, Social Assistance, Public Administration (which includes Defense) and Education.

Cuba accumulates five years of large fiscal deficits, and since the end of 2023, it has presented two adjustment plans to increase income – mainly in hard currency – and to cut expenses.

Total net income amounted to 245,076 million pesos, slightly more than in 2022, but less than in 2021. Total expenses rose to 340,492 million pesos, 8% and 6% more than in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The country is immersed in a serious economic crisis that has worsened even more since four years ago, with the evident shortage of basics – including food, medicines and fuel; galloping inflation; the partial dollarization of the economy; and frequent power outages.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Since 1994, the EU has financed more than 107.5 million euros in humanitarian projects for Cuba to respond to emergencies and catastrophes, as well as to strengthen the preparation of the most vulnerable communities and their institutions for new contingencies.

Cuban Healthcare has hit rock bottom and makes use of all the international aid offered

Cuban Healthcare has hit rock bottom and makes use of all the international aid offered. Specialists from Russia working with several Cubans are conducting updated studies on tropical diseases this week, including Oropouche fever, which this summer has spread to the 15 provinces of the Island, state media reported on Monday.

The visit to Havana by experts of the Federal Service for the Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare of Russia will last until August 8, in the context of bilateral cooperation in “guaranteeing the health and epidemiological well being of the population.” Its objective will be to “update the research on tropical infections” and carry out “a series of studies of similar infections” that are recorded in the Caribbean, according to Prensa Latina.

For the research, high-tech testing systems developed by Russian specialists will be used. These joint studies take place at a time when the cases of Oropouche, which is transmitted through the mosquito bite of the culicidae and culicoid species (or jején, as it is popularly known), circulate for the first time in the country.

This illness is characterized by fever, headaches, muscle and joint pains; sometimes vomiting and diarrhea are also reported. The first cases were confirmed at the end of May in two municipalities in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba. Two months later it had been detected in all 15 provinces.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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“Padrino is the one who is in a position to act; he has the highest authority over the monopoly of the nation’s weapons”

According to this source, the Venezuelan president has resorted to Cuban agents in order to control members of the Army who could “have doubts. Padrino is the one who is in a position to act, he has the highest authority over the monopoly of the nation’s weapons, but he is also the only one who could independently negotiate a way out, so he won’t be killed,” Figuera said.

In a statement, the Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, indicated that investigations will begin in the face of this “open incitement” to the uniformed to “disobey the laws,” given that the opposition leaders asked them to “respect” the results of the July 28 elections that, they say, result in González Urrutia being the winner and not Maduro, though the latter was announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE).

“The aforementioned pronouncement evidences the alleged commission of the crimes of usurpation of functions, dissemination of false information to cause anxiety, instigation to the disobedience of the laws, instigation to insurrection, criminal association and conspiracy,” says the brief, published on X by the prosecutor.

According to the regime, Machado and González Urrutia act “outside the Constitution and the Law” when talking about a winner other than Maduro in the elections in this “irritating document.”

The letter from the opposition, published on Monday, reiterates the complaint of electoral fraud by the Government and denounces the repression unleashed in response to the protests against Maduro’s proclamation, which has also been questioned by a large part of the international community.

“We are in close contact with our partners in the region, especially Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, to find a way forward”

In this regard, the United States clarified on Monday that, although it has recognized Edmundo González Urrutia as the winner of the elections, it still does not recognize him as president of the country.

“We are not at that point yet. We are in close contact with our partners in the region, especially Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, to find a way forward,” explained State Department spokesman Matthew Miller in a statement. Miller also urged the ruling party and the opposition to “start discussions for a peaceful transition back to democracy.”

The spokesman reiterated the call for the CNE, which proclaimed the victory of President Nicolás Maduro in the elections of July 28 without providing any evidence, to immediately publish the tally sheets with the results.

The president of the CNE, Elvis Amoroso, handed over the alleged records of scrutiny of the presidential elections to the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) on Monday. The president of the highest court, Caryslia Rodríguez, a chavista, indicated that they will begin the “process of expert opinion of the recorded material” for a period of up to 15 days, which can be extendable.

She also said that the presidential candidates, as well as representatives of the political parties, will be summoned to record all the “electoral instruments” that are in their hands, as well as to respond to an interrogation.

Among those cited are President Maduro, as well as the opposition leader González Urrutia. In addition, the representative of the opposition Bureau of Democratic Unity (now Democratic Unity Platform, PUD), José Luis Cartaya; the general secretary of the Movement for Venezuela (MPV), Simón Calzadilla; the governor of the state of Zulia (west), Manuel Rosales; and the candidate Enrique Márquez were summoned. Also included are the Chavistas Diosdado Cabello, Hipólito Abreu, Ilenia Medina, Ricardo Sánchez and Didalco Bolívar.

The spokesman for the U.S. State Department stressed that any evidence presented by the CNE will require “a thorough scrutiny”

She also requested “all the elements” that prove “the reported cyber attack against the computer system” of the institution, which represented an “impediment for the timely transmission of electoral results.”

The spokesman for the U.S. State Department stressed that any evidence presented by the CNE will require “a thorough scrutiny” due to the “potential for alteration and manipulation” a week after the elections took place.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recognized González Urrutia’s electoral victory on August 1, giving veracity to the voting records obtained by the opposition platform that would give an overwhelming victory to its candidate.

The presidents of the largest left-wing powers of the region, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Gustavo Petro of Colombia and Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico asked the CNE in a joint statement to make the records public and that there be a verification of the results. However, their position may hide, according to some analysts, the intention to annul the elections and help Maduro in a negotiated exit.

Meanwhile, at least 91 teenagers have been arrested in Venezuela in the last week. Foro Penal, an association of lawyers in defense of political prisoners in Venezuela, said on X that these arrests have been verified and are part of the total of 1,010 people behind bars for demonstrating, in almost all regions of the country, in rejection of Maduro’s proclamation.

In this regard, the general coordinator of the NGO Cecodap, Carlos Trapani, explained to EFE that these arrests have shown patterns contrary to legal regulations. The detention centers are police commands or military headquarters instead of specialized spaces for the care of minors.

Likewise, he continued, another feature that is repeated is the violation of the periods established in terms of the appearance in court of minors, which should be carried out no more than 24 hours from the time of arrest. Some minors have been detained up to six days without being able to know the accusations against them.

The relatives of the minors have claimed, according to Trapani, that the arrests occurred with excessive physical and psychological violence and that the detainees have not been allowed to communicate with their families or defense attorneys.

The lawyer said that, according to Venezuelan legislation, a person under the age of 14 cannot be charged, and he drew attention to a case of a 13-year-old boy who, according to human rights organizations, is among those apprehended. According to the Network for the Human Rights of Children and Adolescents of Venezuela, a 15-year-old teenager died due to the “excessive use of force by the officials who contained the demonstration” in which he participated, in the state of Zulia, on the border with Colombia.

Voice of America also reported that on Monday, at the Simón Bolívar de Maiquetía international airport in Caracas, “multiple forced disappearances of Venezuelans and expulsions of foreigners” have occurred.

At least 14 journalists were deported from Venezuela between July 25 and August 2, as reported on X by the National Union of Press Workers. Most of the journalists were not allowed to enter in Maiquetía and were returned to their countries of origin. Others were arrested by security forces even in their hotels, and at police and military checkpoints. They were taken to the airport and expelled according to their testimonies, press accounts and reports from the governments of their respective countries.

In total, there have been at least 1,010 arrests and 11 deaths from the repression during the post-election crisis in Venezuela, according to reports from Foro Penal.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.