Translator: Regina Anavy – Translating Cuba

The Leader of Cuba’s Ladies in White Is Released After Two Days in Detention

Berta Soler suffered violence during her arrest, was confined in a dark cell, and interrogated by State Security.

Berta Soler was injured on her right foot as a result of the violence during her arrest. / Facebook/Ángel Moya

14ymedio, Havana, November 9, 2026 – The leader of the Ladies in White, Berta Soler, was released this Monday after being held by State Security for 46 hours, during which her whereabouts were unknown. Her husband, Ángel Moya, reported the news on social media: “Released bearing the marks of violent repression.”

Moya recounts that Berta Soler was released at around 10 in the morning “in a public area, near the headquarters of the Ladies in White,” in the Havana neighborhood of Lawton, in the municipality of Diez de Octubre. In his message, Moya provides details about an injury the activist sustained to her right foot as a result of the violence during her arrest.

Soler was taken to the Aguilera police station in Diez de Octubre and subsequently to the police unit in Cotorro, where, according to the activist, she received medical attention before being confined in a dark cell.

According to Moya, before her release, Soler was interrogated by an officer from the State Security Investigative Section at Villa Marista. The agent questioned her about what had happened during the peaceful protest in which she was detained, reminded her that she was under a precautionary measure of house arrest that could be revoked, and warned her that she would be summoned soon. continue reading

The post includes photographs of the injury Berta Soler sustained to her foot when she was arrested

The post includes photographs of the injury Berta Soler sustained to her foot when she was arrested. Hours earlier, Moya had reported her detention and said he had heard police officers say they had seen his wife “walking with a painful limp.”

According to activist Blanca Reyes, Moya went that same day to the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) unit in Aguilera, in Lawton, in the Havana municipality of Diez de Octubre, to find out where the opposition activist was being held, “since she was beaten and no one knows whether she is in a police station or a hospital.” Reyes said: “The situation of our sister is worrying.”

According to Moya’s account, on Saturday, two days after she had been arrested for several hours along with fellow Lady in White María Cristina Labrada–Yoani Sánchez, director of 14ymedio, was also arbitrarily detained that same Thursday–Berta Soler joined a “public and peaceful protest” alongside about twenty Lawton residents affected by the lack of water. The water shortage, the opposition activist maintains, was “intentional,” caused by the state-owned company Aguas de La Habana to harm the headquarters of the Ladies in White and the area “within a 50-meter radius.”

“Several repressive State Security chiefs” arrived at the scene, spoke with the women making the demands, and gradually reinforced the security operation over the following hours.

Shortly after 10 that morning, “several repressive State Security chiefs” arrived at the scene, spoke with the women making the demands, and gradually reinforced the security operation over the following hours. “At noon, representatives of the state-owned company Aguas de La Habana arrived and gave an explanation that did not convince the protesting women either,” Moya recounts. His impression was that the authorities “had no intention of resolving the cause of the problem, which was the intentional manipulation of the water supply valve.”

In the absence of a response, half an hour later the demonstrators blocked traffic on Porvenir Avenue, “using their own bodies as a barrier.” Moya says he did not witness how the protest ended because he had already been arrested by the political police and been taken to the Aguilera station, where he heard that his wife was walking in pain and that she had subsequently “been transported in a patrol car to another unidentified location.”

After an eight-hour interrogation, Moya was released, but his wife was not. The activist also clarified that “with the exception of Berta Soler, none of the women making demands and protesting belong to organizations opposed to the Cuban communist regime; they are workers.”

In recent weeks, the regime has intensified its persecution of activists and journalists on the Island. Also on Saturday, dozens of residents took to the streets in El Cobre (Santiago de Cuba) to demand the release of Yoel Alejandro Pérez Serrano, a young activist known for his community work who had been arrested hours earlier by State Security in an operation involving armed agents.

Rolando Pérez Lora, an evangelical pastor known as Pregonero de Cristo, was forcibly transferred from Havana to Las Tunas, where he was released this Monday

As for independent journalists, prior to Yoani Sánchez, Adelth Bonne Gamboa and Camila Acosta, contributors to CubaNet, had been detained earlier in the same week.

Meanwhile, Rolando Pérez Lora, an evangelical pastor known as Pregonero de Cristo [Herald of Christ], was forcibly transferred from Havana to Las Tunas, where he was released this Monday, with a police summons still pending. According to the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights and the Alliance of Christians of Cuba, Pérez Lora had been detained while providing pastoral support to a young Christian member of the religious organization, who was also arrested.

In mid-September, State Security also detained Henry Constantín, director of La Hora de Cuba. In his case, unlike the colleagues mentioned above, he was not released but taken to Kilo 7 prison in Camagüey, where he remains in pretrial detention, accused of the offense of disobedience.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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In a Havana Plunged into Darkness, an Extravagant Display of Lights at the Ciudad Deportiva for a “Charity” Event

Some 13,000 spectators attended a basketball tournament featuring 24 ‘influencers’.

The large number of attendees practically filled the Coliseum, which has a capacity of between 12,000 and 14,000 people, and the audience seemed to be having a great time. / 14ymedio/>

14ymedio, Darío Hernández, Havana, November 9, 2026 – While Havana sank into yet another night of blackout, the Coliseum at the Ciudad Deportiva, in the heart of the capital, entertained some 13,000 people last Saturday with a full-scale spectacle of lights and sound. The State and several private companies joined hands in an unprecedented alliance for an event called 3×3 for Cuba, described as “charitable” by its organizers.

The event was sponsored by the private company Helados Gustó, from Artemisa, and promoted by actress Carla Cremata, the daughter of the creator of the pro-government artistic project La Colmenita. The show consisted of a basketball tournament featuring 24 influencers and cultural intermediaries from prominent organizations, along with concerts, including one by the Los Van Van orchestra.

As soon as visitors arrived at the Ciudad Deportiva Coliseum, the headquarters of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder), the organizers’ ability to draw a crowd was immediately apparent. At 3:30 p.m., when the event was scheduled to begin, the line of spectators was already enormous. The parking lot was overflowing with motorcycles, three-wheeled vehicles, and cars, and the police presence was considerable.

As soon as visitors arrived at the Ciudad Deportiva, the organizers’ ability to draw a crowd was immediately apparent. / 14ymedio

Some attendees had arrived as early as ten in the morning. At that hour, several side activities were beginning outside the Ciudad Deportiva, including a children’s show by La Colmenita itself, an animal adoption fair organized by the Bienestar Animal Cuba project, and a fitness experience hosted by the Vibe project and Viking Gym.

Tents were set up outside where chicken, soft drinks, and beer were sold. Inside the Coliseum, the companies sponsoring the event offered their various products, including cosmetics from the private Ocean Boutique store.

The regime’s contrast: Blackout in Havana, extravagance at the Ciudad Deportiva

The large number of attendees practically filled the Coliseum, which has a capacity of between 12,000 and 14,000 people, and, in general, the entire audience seemed to be having a great time. One spectator told this newspaper: “If you left this same event entirely up to Inder, it wouldn’t turn out nearly as well; they don’t have the same ability to draw a crowd.” continue reading

For the tournament, the 24 influencers were divided into eight teams of three, each one sponsored by a different company (state-owned or private), which gave its name to the team. At least two companies were state-owned: Eventos Palco and Los Portales, a joint venture between the state-owned Coralsa and Switzerland’s Nestlé. Six were private companies: Suncar, which specializes in renewable energy; the cleaning company La Poompa; the interprovincial transportation company PedroCarr; the beauty products store Ocean Boutique; the advertising agency Bazzo; and the sportswear company Confecciones Pío.

The breaks between games featured performances by the Liszt Alfonso ballet company, the National Circus of Cuba, and several musical concerts. / 14ymedio

The influencers had been trained by none other than the Cuban women’s basketball team. The tournament began directly with the quarterfinals, and the games alternated with cultural performances, including appearances by the Liszt Alfonso ballet company and the National Circus of Cuba, comedian Yamira Díaz, and at least three urban music performers.

The La Poompa team emerged victorious and received a solar panel kit as its prize. As an example of its own work, the private company explained that it had cleaned the enormous Ciudad Deportiva Coliseum in just five days. The event was presented as “charitable” and as an “initiative of solidarity,” so it was announced that the panels would be donated to an institution, although no specific institution was identified. Organizers said they would reveal its identity soon on social media.

The Los Van Van orchestra performed the closing concert, although by that time the younger attendees had already left rather than stay for the show. Most of those remaining in the Coliseum were older people, whose musical tastes were closer to those of the historic band. While the lights and music continued inside, outside the Coliseum Havana was experiencing its scheduled blackouts for the day.

La mipyme Helados Gustó fue la principal empresa promotora del evento. / 14ymedio

Preparations for the 3×3 for Cuba had been underway for weeks, combining the event arrangements and the influencers’ training with advertising campaigns for each private company. Although the event was presented as “charitable,” it remains unclear exactly how it will benefit social institutions.

In one of the videos posted by the host, Carla Cremata, she explains that the idea of making it “charitable” occurred to her only after the event had already been organized, when they calculated that they could fill the Coliseum.

“I didn’t want to leave it as just another event. I thought if there are so many of us with such a wide reach, why not do it for a good cause?” Cremata said. Rather than giving money to social institutions, the organizers would ask these organizations about “the needs of each place, and we will deliver what is so badly needed.”

The darkness of the streets outside contrasted with the lights and music inside the Ciudad Deportiva. / 14ymedio

On social media, criticism had been evident for weeks, as demonstrated by the comments on Cremata’s own promotional posts for the event, over the waste of resources on an advertising spectacle while the population suffers from the deterioration of the most essential services.

Most of the criticism, however, focused on the waste of electricity, since the event was taking place during peak demand hours, while the population was already suffering prolonged daily blackouts resulting from the deterioration of the national electric grid (SEN) and the fuel crisis. For the Saturday on which the event was held, the Cuban Electric Union (UNE) reported a deficit of 1,706 MW, against an anticipated demand of 2,830 MW during peak hours.

Another part of the criticism centered on the privileges enjoyed by the promoter, the daughter of Carlos Alberto Cremata, since the children’s company has been linked for decades to the Cuban government’s ideological propaganda and political activities.

Above all, the event is so far the most prominent example of a new collaboration between the State and certain private companies, which appear to be acting as a lifeline for the regime, severely weakened by U.S. sanctions. In this case, the participating businesses include visibly successful MSMEs, such as the transportation company PedroCarr and the renewable energy company Suncar.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Defections of Four Judokas Derails Cuba’s Participation in an Event in Montreal Inbox

The newspaper ‘Juventud Rebelde’ says that federation officials registered 13 athletes for the competition, but “in the end, none showed up.”

No team from the Island traveled to Canada for the Montreal Pan American Judo Open, which concludes this Monday. / Jit

14ymedio, Havana, November 8, 2026 – The defections of Jonathan Charón, Lianet Cardona, Dayanara Curbelo, and Orlando Polanco, who won four gold medals and two silver medals at the Florida Pan American Open, derailed the plans of the Cuban Judo and Jiu-Jitsu Federation. No team from the Island traveled to Canada for the Montreal Pan American Judo Open, which concludes this Monday.

“What is concerning is that Cuban judo continues to lose opportunities to compete internationally, gain experience, and earn important points for future competitions,” warned judo coach Alain Fernández Casero, who revealed details of the defections in Florida.

Fernández believes that Cuban athletes “need opportunities, stability, and sports planning that guarantees their future.”

Former Cuban wrestler Roly Dámaso points out on his social media accounts that behind every defection “there are years of training, family sacrifices, dreams, and aspirations that find no response within Cuba.”

In Dámaso’s view, “this is not about a lack of patriotism or ingratitude. It is about the right of any athlete to decide their own future, develop their talent, and receive decent compensation for their profession.” continue reading

Roly Dámaso points out that behind every defection “there are years of training, family sacrifices, dreams, and aspirations that find no response within Cuba”

The retired wrestler explains that “while in international sports, athletes sign professional contracts, receive sponsorships, build wealth, and secure their families’ futures. In Cuba they continue to be subjected to restrictions and administrative decisions that limit their development.”

The athletes’ departure was a major blow to the authorities. Of the six competitors who took part in the event, only world medalists and Gainesville champions Andy Granda and Iván Silva remained. They returned to the Island last Thursday, journalist Raúl Rodríguez reported on his social media accounts.

As is common with this type of defection, sports authorities have maintained a wall of silence. However, the newspaper Juventud Rebelde reported that federation officials had registered 13 judokas for the Montreal competition, but “in the end, none showed up.”

The same newspaper regretted that the decision would leave the other judokas without competition: Amado Montes, Rubén Romero, Anisleidys Ur, Yainet Coronado, and Marlon Herrera.

The Montreal Pan American Judo Open awards points toward qualification in the International Judo Federation rankings, as well as for the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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For Changing 300 Dollars for a Nursing Home, Four Cuban Freemasons Receive Sentences of Two to Four Years

Among those sanctioned are writer Ángel Santiesteban and José Ramón Viñas Alonso, amid government pressure to gain control of the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree.

Ángel Santiesteban, José Ramón Viñas Alonso and other Cuban Freemasons, in an archival image. / Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree for the Republic of Cuba

14ymedio, Havana, November 5, 2026 – Four Cuban Freemasons, including writer and former political prisoner Ángel Santiesteban Prats, were sentenced this Thursday to terms of between two and four years of restricted freedom for exchanging just 300 dollars at the informal market rate. The transactions, carried out in 2023 and 2025, involved funds belonging to the Llansó National Masonic Nursing Home, a charitable institution that cares for the elderly in Havana, according to an informational statement from the People’s Municipal Court of Diez de Octubre published on the social media accounts of Razones de Cuba. The ruling comes amid the prolonged confrontation between the Government and the leaders of Cuban Freemasonry.

The court imposed the harshest penalty: four years of restricted freedom and a fine of 25,000 pesos on José Ramón Viñas Alonso, former Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree and president of the nursing home’s board of trustees. Fernando Marcos García, the institution’s accountant, received three years and a fine of 20,000 pesos, while Santiesteban and Osvaldo Ernesto Villegas Digat were sentenced to two years and fines of 20,000 pesos each.

The sentences do not entail imprisonment, but they do impose restrictions on freedom. The court also deprived all four defendants of certain rights and prohibited them from leaving the country or holding positions or practicing occupations. The ruling can still be appealed before the People’s Provincial Court of Havana. continue reading

The sentences do not entail imprisonment, but they do impose restrictions on freedom

The offense attributed to those convicted is “illegal currency trading,” covered under Article 315.1, subsection g), of the Penal Code. What is striking is that exchanging dollars and euros outside banks is an everyday practice in Cuba, where the differences between official and informal exchange rates have turned the latter market into a common way of obtaining local currency. The two transactions being punished totaled just 300 dollars and took place nearly two years apart.

According to the prosecution documents published by CubaNet, the first exchange took place on September 14, 2023, when Santiesteban handed over 49,600 pesos of his own money in exchange for 200 dollars belonging to the nursing home. The second occurred on June 13, 2025, when Villegas Digat exchanged another 100 dollars from the institution for 37,500 pesos. Both transactions were authorized by Viñas Alonso.

The defense, led by attorney Roberto Ortega Ortiz, maintained that the transactions did not constitute a crime and that none of those involved obtained illicit personal benefits. According to the lawyer, the first 200 dollars made it possible to purchase powdered milk for the elderly residents, while the second transaction provided the nursing home with pesos to deal with emergencies and enabled Villegas to obtain foreign currency to buy medication for his son.

What is striking is that exchanging dollars and euros outside banks is an everyday practice in Cuba

The independent organization Cubalex also questioned the legal grounds for the prosecution. In an analysis published this Wednesday, it noted that the transactions were recorded in the nursing home’s accounting books and that there was no evidence of clandestine intermediation or personal profit. It also questioned the proportionality of the penalties.

The proceedings also contain an explicit political element. In its indictment, the Prosecutor’s Office included among its personal assessments of Santiesteban the statements that the writer “does not engage in any socially useful activity” and “openly expresses himself against the revolutionary process prevailing in Cuba.”

The case was also investigated by a body specializing in crimes against State Security, even though the offense attributed to the defendants falls under the category of crimes against the national economic order.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Wave of Deportations of “Illegal” Migrants from Havana to the Provinces

It is a violation of Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right of “everyone to choose their residence freely.”

Surveillance begins with the identification of migrants during random police checks or home inspections carried out with the support of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs). / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, November 7, 2026 – According to the official press, the recent police operation in San Miguel del Padrón, in which the Ministry of the Interior and the National Police detained “undocumented and illegal persons in the capital with deviant behavior,” along with testimonies such as that of Yoani Sánchez, director of 14ymedio, reveal a reality the regime avoids discussing: the growing number of Cubans being detained in Havana simply because they do not live at the address listed on their identity cards.

“Two police officers from Guantánamo stopped me in the middle of the street and, when they saw that my address was in Guantánamo, threatened to deport me back to the eastern part of the country,” a reader tells this newspaper, describing his experience as an example of having been a “victim of the harassment against the ‘illegals’ in Havana.”

It was also reported this Friday that the evangelical pastor Rolando Fidel Pérez Lora, known as the “Preacher of Christ,” who is being held at Villa Marista, the headquarters of State Security, amid the current wave of arrests targeting activists and dissidents, will be forcibly transferred to Las Tunas. This is an example of how migration controls are also being used as a mechanism of repression against dissent.

These cases demonstrate how the enforcement of regulations restricting Cubans’ freedom of movement within their own country has increased. The use of terms such as “illegal” and “deportation” by the authorities themselves and the official media highlights the violence of this regional discrimination, referring to residents of the provinces as though they were citizens of a foreign country. continue reading

The use of terms such as “illegal” and “deportation” by the authorities themselves and the official media highlights the violence of this regional discrimination

Javier Larrondo, president of the independent organization Prisoners Defenders, explains that “Cubans do not recognize that this is a violation of their rights and that, therefore, they are prisoners of conscience, in the sense that they are imprisoned for violating their fundamental rights.”

The legislation applied to those living in the capital without residency authorization is Decree-Law 217, approved in 1997 and entitled “Internal Migration Regulations for the City of Havana and Their Violations.”

The regulation requires anyone from another province who wishes to establish residence in Havana to first obtain an administrative permit: authorization from the municipal government of the area where the home in which they intend to live is located. This means that the authorities treat residency as a discretionary admission right, through which they decide whether or not to authorize someone to live in the capital. Without a document issued by the municipal authorities, Cubans from other provinces risk being fined and sent back to their place of origin.

The difficulty of obtaining this official permit explains why many provincial residents who move to the capital do not have updated documents that would allow them to be considered “legal.” Because of this same lack of freedom of movement and regional discrimination, nicknames such as “Palestinians” or “landless people” have become common ways of referring to Cubans originally from the eastern part of the country who live in Havana, “the capital of all Cubans,” as its slogan proclaims.

Nicknames such as “Palestinians” or “landless people” have become common ways of referring to people from the eastern part of the country who live in Havana, “the capital of all Cubans”

In the comments on the official publication about the arrests of “illegal and undocumented” people in San Miguel del Padrón, some users also described their experiences with this migration-related discrimination. A resident of Santiago de Cuba recounted a visit to her father in Nuevo Vedado: “We were walking along 23rd Avenue when a police officer stopped us, asked for our documents, and began questioning us about why I had come, how long I was going to stay, and whether I had brought a transfer permit for one month from Santiago de Cuba to Havana.”

The surveillance mechanism begins with the identification of migrants, either through random street checks by the National Police or home inspections conducted with the support of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs). After the fine, citizens are given less than 72 hours to return to their province. If they fail to comply with this voluntary departure order, they are forcibly transferred: those affected are taken to temporary detention centers, including El Vivac, and returned to their provinces on buses or trains escorted by police.

The Government justified the regulation in 1997 by citing demographic pressure on housing, employment, transportation, and basic supplies. Organizations such as Human Rights Watch (HRW), Cubalex, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights have described these practices as serious violations of freedom of movement.

The Cuban Constitution, approved in 2019, recognizes in Article 52 the freedom of individuals to enter, remain in, travel through, and leave the national territory, as well as to change their domicile or residence, “subject only to the limitations established by law.” This qualification gives the State considerable leeway.

The regions farthest from Havana, the most neglected by the State’s administration, are also those suffering most severely from the deterioration of living conditions

Internal migration in Cuba follows a pattern repeated throughout the world: people move from less developed areas to cities with greater economic activity. In the context of the current crisis, the regions farthest from Havana, the most neglected by the State’s administration, are also those suffering most severely from power outages, water shortages, and the general deterioration of living conditions.

Deciding where to live within one’s own country is a basic right, recognized by international law for decades. According to the independent organization Cubalex, labeling a Cuban “illegal” for living in Havana has no basis whatsoever in international law. Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishes that everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State. Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights further develops this principle: “Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.”

Cubalex also points out that these arrests are incompatible with the prohibition of arbitrary detention, as established by the Human Rights Committee.

The Cuban Government frequently denounces the immigration policies of the United States. Last Tuesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío did so again in an extensive message on social media. There is a contradiction when the Government condemns the detention and deportation of migrants in the United States while implementing measures within Cuba that can result in citizens being forcibly returned to their provinces. Both procedures can affect freedom, family life, and access to basic legal protections.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuba and China Sign Three Agreements to Promote Biopharmaceutical Projects

The agreements include initiatives involving medications, diagnostic tests, and a joint laboratory.

The agreements were announced at the Biotechnology Cooperation Forum, held in Shanghai. / @CIGBCuba

EFE/14ymedio, Havana, November 7, 2026 – Cuba and China signed three agreements to promote drug innovation, the development of diagnostic tests, and the establishment of a joint biopharmaceutical laboratory as part of a biotechnology cooperation forum between the two nations, state media reported Friday.

The meeting, held in the Chinese city of Shanghai, brought together businesspeople, academics, and industry representatives with the aim of establishing partnerships. Mayda Mauri Pérez, president of Cuba’s state-owned Group of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries, highlighted the organization’s interest in expanding the participation of Chinese partners in investment projects.

These projects are related to changing the energy matrix and incorporating artificial intelligence into different industrial processes, both administrative and those involving research and development, explained the executive of BioCubaFarma, which produces medicines, equipment, and high-tech services. continue reading

These projects are related to changing the energy matrix and incorporating artificial intelligence into different industrial processes

She also considered that this technology could help improve production processes, raise the quality standards of manufactured products, and strengthen clinical trial activities.

The state media report indicates that there are currently more than 30 Cuban-Chinese projects at various stages of research and development. Among the new initiatives is the creation of a joint research and development center, which will be the eleventh of its kind established in China with Cuban participation.

In recent years, biotechnology cooperation between the two nations has led to the creation of several joint ventures, laboratories, and joint research and development centers dedicated to scientific research projects, according to reports from institutions in the sector.

Havana and Beijing maintain close political and economic relations, with the Asian country standing out as one of the Island’s principal allies.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Human Rights Commission (IACHR) Pressures the Regime in the Case of Cuban Teenager Jonathan Muir

The organization is requesting information to follow up on the case, in which a seven-year prison sentence is being sought for the minor.

Jonathan Muir Burgos was 16 when he participated in the Morón demonstration, and prosecutors requested seven years in prison for sabotage. / Screenshot

14ymedio, Havana, November 6, 2026 – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is pressing the Cuban government over the case of Jonathan David Muir Burgos, the 17-year-old teenager imprisoned for participating in the protests last March in Morón, Ciego de Ávila. In April, the organization sent an official request to the Cuban Government demanding urgent information about the young man’s situation, as he was then being held in Canaleta, the provincial prison for adults. Now, despite the fact that the minor has been out of prison since June 24, the IACHR insists on following up on his case.

“The priority at this moment must be Jonathan’s protection. We appreciate that the Inter-American Commission continues to monitor his case and has formally requested a response from the Cuban State. We hope the authorities respond to the IACHR and fully guarantee his safety, freedom, due process, and all the rights to which he is entitled as an adolescent,” Juan Carlos Vargas, the organization’s executive director, told the independent news outlet ADN. continue reading

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla is being asked to provide whatever comments he “considers appropriate within the established deadline” of 90 days

On Thursday, the IACHR announced that it had sent a new official request for information regarding this case. It asks Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla to provide whatever observations he “considers appropriate within the established deadline” of 90 days, so they can be incorporated into the file monitoring the precautionary measures imposed in Muir’s case.

The case against the Morón demonstrators had received little media attention until last October 19, when the prosecution’s request became known. Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of up to 13 years for the defendants. The case dates back to March 13, when hundreds of residents took to the streets in protest against prolonged blackouts and deteriorating living conditions.

The demonstration ended with the occupation of the municipal headquarters of the Communist Party, which some demonstrators eventually set on fire, resulting in numerous arrests. Nineteen people have been charged in connection with these events with sedition and other crimes, including several women and minors.

One of them is Jonathan David Muir Burgos, who was 16 at the time of the events and for whom a seven-year prison sentence is being sought for sabotage. The young man has been under house arrest since his release from prison, which came after numerous appeals by human rights organizations and foreign officials. Amnesty International called for his immediate release in May and denounced the fact that he was being held with adults.

During his time at Canaleta, his family denounced the poor conditions in which he was being held, while the regime countered by showing unauthorized photographs of Muir playing the piano in prison

The organization recalled that the deprivation of liberty of minors must be used only as a last resort and for the shortest possible period. It also demanded that, for as long as Jonathan remained detained, he be protected from violence, receive medical care, and have regular access to his family and a lawyer of his choice.

On April 24, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights granted him precautionary measures, determining that his life, personal integrity, and health were at risk of suffering irreparable harm while in the custody of the Cuban State.

During his time at Canaleta, his family denounced the poor conditions in which he was being held, while the Cuban regime countered by displaying unauthorized photographs of Muir playing the piano in prison. “How can a boy who is on the brink of death participate in a charity concert in prison? How can he distribute smiles while moving his hands with such precision?” stated Razones de Cuba.

His father, deeply angered by the illegal distribution of images of a minor without parental consent, said prison authorities had promised him a day of visitation as a reward. “They used him, took pictures of him, recorded videos, even recorded the boy’s blood type to carry out these horrendous things. I denounce them, every one of them. And the prison authorities are also involved in this,” he stated.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Rosa María Payá Presents a Three-Phase Transition Plan for Cuba in Madrid

The proposal calls for dismantling the repressive apparatus, distributing humanitarian aid, establishing a provisional government for a maximum of 36 months, and calling free elections.

The event, “Cuba on the Threshold,” was held at the Wellington Hotel ahead of the XXX Ibero-American Summit. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, November 4, 2026 – Cuban opposition figure Rosa María Payá presented her plan for a democratic transition in Cuba on Tuesday in Madrid at a meeting that was briefly interrupted when a Cuban doctor approached the stage shouting, “Down with the blockade.”

She was identified as Lucía Céspedes Ocampo, a Cuban doctor with a private clinic in Guadeloupe, a French territory, who appeared on Cuban state television in September thanking Díaz-Canel.

“That young woman, if she is willing to listen, is invited back,” Payá responded. “This proposal is for all Cubans. Even those who are still trapped today in the totalitarian institutions of that dictatorship. Because they, too, need liberation. And because their families are also suffering,” she added.

At that moment, Payá was halfway through her presentation, during which she outlined her three-phase plan. The phases encompass the Castro family’s departure from power, the dissolution of State Security, and a provisional government lasting between 18 and 36 months, with no possibility of an extension. Free elections would mark the culmination of the process.

The first phase of the plan, called “liberation,” requires an end to repression and the restoration of fundamental rights. “There can be no transition with repression,” warned the daughter of the late opposition leader Oswaldo Payá. continue reading

Lucía Céspedes Ocampo, who interrupted yesterday’s event, appeared on Cuban state television in September thanking Díaz-Canel. / 14ymedio

Armando Ibarra, coordinator of the security division, detailed plans to dissolve the political police, the rapid-response brigades, and the surveillance mechanisms operated by the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution. “In the new Cuba, weapons will be subject to the law and to the Cuban people, not to the Communist Party,” he stated. The proposal places the Armed Forces under civilian authority, calls for the withdrawal of Russian and Chinese intelligence services, and transfers the military conglomerate Gaesa to civilian administration.

The second phase, focused on “stabilization and reconstruction,” would begin with humanitarian aid. Yaxys Cires, of the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights, explained that during the first 180 days, food, water, and medicine would be distributed, with an initial deployment within 72 hours. A national authority and logistics centers would be established. Assistance would be free and would carry no political conditions.

“The Cuban economy has money. The problem is that it is in the wrong places,” argued economist Elías Amor Bravo, who proposed reducing the role of the state, strengthening private property, controlling inflation, and attracting investment.

Cuban political scientist and writer Julio M. Shiling, an adviser on transitional justice, proposed investigating the regime’s crimes, purging institutions, and restoring or compensating owners for confiscated properties, “with full rights of occupancy for those currently living there.” He also proposed investigating Gaesa and using the 1940 Constitution as a starting point, adapted to present-day circumstances. “We must establish the facts, assign responsibility, provide reparations, disqualify those responsible, and break with the symbolism of that dictatorship,” he maintained.

The third phase, “democratization,” would culminate in a binding constitutional referendum and multiparty elections. Lawyer Mijail Bonito Lovio explained that independent institutions would be established within the first 90 days, including a national electoral service and an auditing office. “The democratic transition law is conceived as a provisional measure with a clear objective,” he said, establishing a legal pathway to return sovereignty to the Cuban people within a maximum period of 36 months.

“The ultimate goal of this plan is not to administer the transition,” Payá stated, emphasizing the need to restore Cubans’ right to decide and reunify the nation both inside and outside the Island.

The event, “Cuba on the Threshold,” was held at the Wellington Hotel ahead of the XXX Ibero-American Summit, which was marked by low attendance among heads of state. Cuba will be represented by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, without Miguel Díaz-Canel, and only ten of the 22 leaders invited were expected to attend. Hours earlier, Payá had met in Madrid with Chilean President José Antonio Kast and Chilean Senate President Paulina Núñez, publicly thanking them for their solidarity with the Cuban people.

“The ultimate goal of this plan is not to administer the transition,” Payá stated. / 14ymedio

“We are no longer exclusively denouncing the dictatorship; we are preparing the Republic,” said the founder of Cuba Decide and coordinator of Pasos de Cambio, a platform that incorporates the initiative. The project develops the Agreement for Liberation, presented in Miami in March alongside Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, of the Cuban Resistance Assembly, with the support of opposition organizations both inside and outside the Island.

Those attending included the secretary general of the Organization of American States, Albert Ramdin, several members of the European Parliament, and diplomatic representatives from the United States, Chile, and European countries. Ramdin said that after nearly 70 years without results, it was time to reconsider the Cuban system. He also called for the unconditional release of political prisoners and defended a peaceful transition led by Cubans, although he clarified that his position had not been agreed upon by the organization’s member states.

Polish member of the European Parliament Arkadiusz Mularczyk warned that bringing down communism is not enough to guarantee democracy. He called for preserving the political police archives, prosecuting abuses, and preventing former elites from retaining economic power. Dominican Foreign Minister Víctor Ito Bisonó also addressed the gathering through a recorded message, expressing support for democratic change.

Recorded messages were sent from Cuba by Berta Soler, leader of the Ladies in White, and Iván Hernández Carrillo, coordinator of the independent trade unions. Soler demanded the release of political prisoners, the exclusion of the Communist Party from the transition, and courts that guarantee justice for victims. Hernández Carrillo called for social protection and labor guarantees. “Without freedom of association, there can be no genuine democracy in the world of work,” he stated.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Sherritt Lays Off Nearly Half of Its Workers in Canada

Despite the authorization granted by the U.S. to import fuel to resume its operations in Cuba, the company has run out of nickel and cobalt.

Sherritt maintains that its Alberta plant is the only major cobalt refinery in North America. / Sherritt International

14ymedio, Madrid, November 5, 2026 – Nearly half of the Canadian workforce of mining company Sherritt International will be laid off over the next three months as a result of the suspension of operations in Cuba, according to an announcement by the company itself. The number of employees affected totals 280, or 47% of the company’s entire workforce.

The Fort Saskatchewan refinery in Alberta had to halt operations in June after running out of nickel and cobalt from the Island, following the suspension of activities at the Cuban mines as well. That decision was announced on May 7, following the entry into force of an executive order signed by U.S. President Trump just three days earlier, warning of sanctions against any entity or individual conducting business with the Cuban regime.

“Sherritt has not been formally designated under the executive order. However, such a designation could occur at any time. In any case, its mere issuance creates conditions that materially alter the Corporation’s ability to operate in the ordinary course of business, including activities related to the operations of the Cuban joint venture,” the company said at the time in a statement. The decision was accompanied by two other measures: the resignation of the entire board of directors and the return to the Island of the Cuban employees working at the Canadian plant. continue reading

The decision was accompanied by two other measures: the resignation of the entire board of directors and the return to the Island of the Cuban employees working at the Canadian plant

The mining company has spent months since then trying to find a way out of the situation, which has seriously jeopardized its financial position, while also exposing an “unusual vulnerability in North America’s critical minerals supply chain,” Bloomberg reports. According to the company, the Alberta facility is the region’s only significant cobalt refinery and one of just three nickel refineries, but it depends on supplies from Cuba. Cobalt is used in the technology industry, alloy manufacturing, medicine, and biology.

On Wednesday, the company’s interim president and chief executive officer, Peter Hancock, said that Sherritt remains focused on restoring operations, which depend on approvals from the U.S. government.

On October 19, it was announced that the Treasury Department had granted a specific license to purchase and deliver fuel, fuel oil, and sulfur to the Moa Nickel plant in Holguín, which Sherritt operates jointly with the Cuban state. This was the first in a series of emergency licenses from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that the company is pursuing together with U.S.-based Gillon Capital to restore the business, both in extraction and processing, which depend on the Island, and in refining in Alberta.

Everything points to Gillon Capital, which is linked to Ray Washburne, a former Trump administration official, taking control of the mining company. In May, it emerged that the U.S. company had signed a preliminary, nonbinding offer to acquire 55% of the Canadian company’s shares. In August, it became known that another proposal was on the table, from a consortium led by Swiss giant Glencore, with a U.S. “anchor” investor, oil businessman Albert Huddleston.

However, the October statement announcing the granting of the license suggests that Gillon Capital has prevailed, since both companies asked the U.S. Treasury Department to consider a broader transaction in which a U.S.-based investment fund would acquire a majority stake. According to Sherritt, this license is the first of those Gillon would need to complete the acquisition.

The authorization issued by OFAC to Sherritt covers the sale, transportation, export, delivery, and payment of fuel, and includes the supplier, banks, vessel operators, and insurers involved

The authorization issued by OFAC to Sherritt covers the sale, transportation, export, delivery, and payment of fuel, and includes the supplier, banks, vessel operators, and insurers involved. The company expects the first shipment to depart during the current quarter and says it is already “in the process of finalizing the initial fuel shipment.”

For its part, the Cuban government has reportedly given the green light to these operations, which involve the entry of U.S. capital into the Island, according to a source familiar with the negotiations who spoke to the Miami Herald. Cuba’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, partially confirmed the information last month in an interview with Reuters, in which he said he saw no objection to a transaction of this kind.

“We have always made it clear that what the U.S. company would purchase are shares in Sherritt, not in the joint venture. The Canadian company is publicly traded, and any investor has the right to buy its shares,” he argued.

“But any restart would require discussions about how to supply fuel and spare parts, and also how to handle payments for exports and production inputs,” he said, referring to Washington’s sanctions. “If the intention is to resume nickel production, all those issues would have to be resolved.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuba’s Purchases from the U.S. Have Already Exceeded $1 Billion This Year

This represents a 91% increase compared with the first nine months of last year, and fuel accounts for 30% of the total.

Illuminated sign for A Granel, the first company to advertise itself as a seller of fuel imported from the United States. / 14ymedio/>

14ymedio, Madrid, November 5, 2026 – U.S. sales to Cuba continue to grow exponentially, despite the sanctions against Havana, the regime’s complaints about the “blockade,” and verbal confrontations at international venues, such as the one that took place last week at the United Nations General Assembly. While in July exports from the U.S. to the Island during 2026 reached $674 million, surpassing those of Spain and China over the same period, by September 30, they had reached $1.0965 billion, a 91% increase compared to the same period the previous year ($572.8 million), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

August and September, in fact, set new records for exports to Cuba since the agency began tracking them in 1992 with $202.5 million and $220 million, respectively. The reverse flow, imports from the Island, once again barely reached $600,000 since January.

Undoubtedly, the figures reflect the major role played by fuel purchased from the U.S., which has turned Washington into the Island’s leading energy supplier despite the continued sanctions imposed by Trump’s May 1 executive order. In August, fuel accounted for approximately 37% of the total value of U.S. exports to Cuba.

Based on the data available since January, petroleum derivatives are estimated to have accounted for 30% of the Island’s total purchases continue reading

Based on the data available since January, petroleum derivatives are estimated to have accounted for 30% of the Island’s total purchases.

That month, the latest for which detailed figures on fuel shipments have been published, the U.S. exported 562,000 barrels to Cuba, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). This volume exceeded the 467,000 barrels shipped in May, although it was below the 778,000 barrels in June. (Presumably, the calculation error made in July will not be repeated, when the Census Bureau itself detected an error in one of the shipments sent from Miami, initially recorded as 310,753 barrels of gasoline and subsequently reduced to 127,471.)

In economic terms, fuel imports from the United States reached $74.8 million in August. Between January and August, the value of these shipments totaled $231.7 million, primarily in diesel, gasoline, and lubricants. Washington authorized the business last February, provided that the products were intended for Cuba’s private sector, although it has already acknowledged something documented by 14ymedio: that the regime diverts fuel to the state sector.

Meanwhile, in recent months, previously unknown companies have emerged with remarkable speed. One example is A Granel, a foreign-capital micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) that became the first private company to promote itself as a seller of U.S.-imported fuel in Havana and the first sports sponsor of a sports team in Cuba, the Industriales, whose players wear its logo on their jerseys during this 65th National Baseball Series. Its latest achievement has been venturing into a new and lucrative field: selling water tanker trucks, amid an unprecedented water crisis in the country. Its prosperity is evident even in its sign: on Wednesday night, while much of the capital was plunged into the usual scheduled blackout, the illuminated sign bearing the company’s name shone brightly in the darkness.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Dollar Accelerates Its Unstoppable Rise and Reaches 900 Cuban pesos on the Informal Market

Just 17 days ago, the U.S. currency reached 800 CUP and was trading at 435 at the beginning of January.

In less than a year, the exchange rate has risen by nearly 120%. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, November 2, 2026 – The dollar reached 900 pesos on the informal currency market in the early hours of November 2, according to the real-time tracking carried out by the media outlet El Toque. Although Monday’s daily chart still places the U.S. currency at 890 CUP [Cuban peso], the rate of 900, reached at 5:16 a.m., could become established if the trend continues throughout the day.

The currency’s movement has been very rapid over the past week. Just seven days ago, the dollar was worth 840 CUP on the informal market and rose by five each day until, from Thursday to Friday, it rose by ten CUP. On Saturday, the jump was even greater, from 865 to 880 in just 24 hours, and this Sunday it rose another 10 CUP. Furthermore, it is worth remembering that only half a month has passed since the previous round number was reached on October 15, when the U.S. currency hit 800 CUP.

Only half a month has passed since the previous round number was reached on October 15, when the U.S. currency hit 800 CUP

The gap with the official rate has once again become significant. This Monday, the Central Bank of Cuba is maintaining the dollar at 768 CUP for what is known as Segment 3, the floating exchange rate introduced by the Government at the end of 2025 to “organize the economy and move toward a future monetary unification.” At that time, the financial authorities had two rates. On the one hand, the first segment, at 1×24, applied to centralized state allocations for goods and services considered essential, such as fuel, medicines, electricity, public transportation, and the basic food basket. On the other hand, the second, at 1×120, applied to entities capable of generating foreign currency, particularly the tourism sector. continue reading

With this third rate, known as the floating rate and intended for individuals and non-state forms of economic management, the aim was to better reflect reality at a time when the exchange rate on the informal market stood at 440 CUP per dollar and the BCC started with a relatively close rate of 410. But in less than a year, the dollar has risen by 119.5%.

The rapid depreciation of the national currency is also evident in the euro, whose price is on the verge of reaching 1,000 CUP. This morning, the European currency reached 990 after rising by 20 in a single day. Although the euro is used less than the dollar in daily transactions by the population and private businesses, it has a significant following because it is in high demand for procedures at the consulates of countries that are particularly important in this regard, such as Spain. Furthermore, the Cuban exile community in that country now accounts for nearly 10% of all migrants from the Island, so many remittances also arrive in this currency. The official euro exchange rate stands at 856.6, according to the BCC website.

The rapid depreciation of the national currency is also evident in the euro, whose price is on the verge of reaching 1,000 CUP

The creation of private currency exchange offices has also failed to stem the decline of the CUP. The first and for now the only one whose existence has come to light is ADT 64, located in Santa Clara. It opened in late August and became known in mid-September. The micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise began buying U.S. currency at 710 CUP and selling it at 730, while the State’s rate that day was 664 and El Toque’s was 700 CUP.

At the time, economist Pedro Monreal warned that the lack of transparency
surrounding the start of this “experiment,” which was supposed to be extended throughout the country, was one of its many drawbacks, along with the absence of regulations and information about how prices were determined. “For the BCC, the risk is twofold. On the one hand, the Segment III rate (private actors) could end up moving closer to the rate on ‘the street’ and lose its current anchor of 1 dollar = 660 CUP.

On the other hand, if the central bank ignores the pilot program’s initial data and maintains the administered rate, the experiment would become an expensive showcase that is inconsistent with the exchange rate published by the State itself,” he said. It has taken very little time for his warning to prove correct. And the U.S. dollar’s rise is on an unstoppable course toward 1,000 CUP, something unthinkable just a few months ago.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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A Man Is Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering a Police Officer in Palma Soriano

According to the Santiago de Cuba court, Guillermo Sánchez Gutiérrez stabbed the officer until he was certain he had killed him and acted out of revenge.

In imposing the life sentence, the court took into account “the significance of the incident” and the “high degree of social dangerousness” of the act. / Sierra Maestra

14ymedio, Madrid, November 1, 2026 – The First Criminal Chamber of the Provincial People’s Court of Santiago de Cuba sentenced Guillermo Sánchez Gutiérrez to life imprisonment for fatally stabbing the head of the National Police substation in the area where he lived, in the municipality of Palma Soriano, according to a report published this Saturday by the official newspaper Sierra Maestra.

The First Criminal Chamber of the Provincial People’s Court of Santiago de Cuba sentenced Guillermo Sánchez Gutiérrez to life imprisonment for fatally stabbing the head of the National Police substation in the area where he lived, in the municipality of Palma Soriano, according to a report published this Saturday by the official newspaper Sierra Maestra.

The verdict was announced this Saturday following a trial described as “exemplary,” corresponding to case 73 of 2026, in which the defendant was sentenced for murder, illegal possession of a knife, unlawful entry into a residence, and threats, with the aggravating circumstance of acting out of revenge.

The crime dates back to July 19, 2025. According to the court’s account, that day Sánchez Gutiérrez encountered the National Police auxiliary officer, dressed in civilian clothes, at a neighbor’s house. There, he unexpectedly attacked him with a knife, inflicting a deep wound to one leg, “telling him that this was the last time he would see him.” continue reading

Although injured, the officer managed to run about 60 meters and take refuge in another neighbor’s home. The assailant pursued him there, broke down the door, and stabbed him again in the abdomen, back, and legs. The report specifies that he left only after making sure he had killed him.

In imposing the life sentence, the court took into account “the significance of the incident” and the “high degree of social dangerousness” of an act that targeted a person carrying out his duties as a police auxiliary officer.

The sentence applies Articles 344 and 380 of the Penal Code, which punish murder with 20 to 30 years of imprisonment, life imprisonment, or the death penalty, and unlawful entry into a residence with two to five years. The court also considered the aggravating circumstance of acting out of revenge or retaliation, provided for in Article 80.

The convicted man was also deprived of his public rights and ordered to pay a pension for each of the victim’s two minor children, as well as cover the funeral expenses.

In imposing the life sentence, the court took into account “the significance of the incident,” the “high degree of social dangerousness” of an act targeting someone performing duties as a police auxiliary officer, and the defendant’s characteristics, describing him as having poor social conduct and a criminal record.

In comments on the report published by the official media outlet, numerous users criticized the fact that such a severe sentence is not applied with the same rigor when the victims are civilians, something that, according to several commenters, occurs especially in cases of femicide. The number of such crimes in the first ten months of 2026 has already surpassed the total for the previous year, according to this newspaper’s tally. “When a woman or another person is murdered, why isn’t the same procedure followed?” one user wrote. Another commenter summed up the discontent this way: “Once again, a sentence that is not applied equally to murders of women, children, and rapists. It isn’t fair.”

“Once again, a sentence that is not applied equally to murders of women, children, and rapists. It isn’t fair.”

This is not the first time the Cuban justice system has resorted to life imprisonment when the victim is a police officer. In February of this year, the same Santiago de Cuba court sentenced three young men to life imprisonment for murdering a police officer and stealing his motorcycle. In March, the Provincial Court of Camagüey imposed a life sentence on Osvaldo Fernández Pichardo for stabbing a female officer who survived. Authorities classified that case as “terrorism” and claimed that someone in the United States had offered him $600 to carry out the attack.

These are just some examples from this year, but such cases have been reported before, presented by the official press as exemplary trials. In 2020, another young man was also sentenced to life imprisonment for killing a police officer at a police station in Calabazar, Havana, and injuring two others.

The official report does not give the name of the murdered officer. A few days after the crime, independent media outlets reported that a police officer identified as Yoleysi had been fatally stabbed in the Paraná neighborhood of Palma Soriano while attempting to deliver a summons to a young man. The similarities in location, approximate date, and weapon suggest that this is the same case.

The sentence comes at a time when the eastern part of the country is experiencing a spate of crimes that the authorities do not report officially. In Palma Soriano, for example, three murders were independently documented in just three months. Women have also been among the most frequent victims of violence in the province: in June, 23-year-old Rosaidis Donatien was murdered by her husband, also in Palma Soriano; in July, 17-year-old Merlin Noay died days after her stepfather attacked her in Yerba de Guinea, in Songo La Maya; and in September, 25-year-old Yadelaine Roque Torres was murdered by her former partner in a rural area near El Cobre.

Crime in Cuba shows signs of increasingly lethal violence, advancing alongside the country’s alarming crisis. According to monitoring by Cubalex, 52 homicides were documented in August, 40.5% more than the 37 recorded in July, marking a record for the independent organization’s data for the second consecutive month. That month, a total of 314 incidents of violence and insecurity were also recorded, including homicides, robberies, and assaults.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Prosecutor’s Office Seeks Up to Five Years in Prison for a Protest in Bayamo, Cuba

Nine citizens face prison sentences for demonstrating against power outages and shortages.

Screenshot from one of the videos circulated on social media showing the protest that took place in Bayamo in May 2025. / Social media

14ymedio, Madrid, November 1, 2026 – The municipal Prosecutor’s Office in Bayamo, Granma, has requested sentences of up to five years in prison for nine citizens charged for their participation in the May 23, 2025, protest in that city, according to the provisional conclusions obtained by Martí Noticias. The document concludes the investigative phase and paves the way for a request for an oral trial, with the acts classified as contempt, public disorder, incitement to commit a crime, and resistance.

According to the prosecution’s account, the events took place near the intersection of Vicente Quesada Avenue and 22nd Street, close to a city roundabout. The report describes a gathering of about 120 people, some with their faces covered to avoid being identified, who used cooking pots and other metal objects to make noise and express their discontent.

Among the slogans heard was “We want food, electricity, and water!” The prosecution maintains that “offensive” remarks were also shouted against President Miguel Díaz-Canel and other “historic leaders,” Martí Noticias reports.

One of the main grounds for the prosecution’s request is the alleged altercation with officers from the Ministry of the Interior who arrived at the scene. According to the text, after authorities attempted to engage in dialogue and address the residents’ concerns, the protesters “disrespected them and threw bottles and stones but didn’t injure them,” which, the judicial document adds, “led the police forces to arrest those primarily responsible for the events.”

“They are asking for years in prison because they demanded basic rights from the Government, such as access to water, food, and electricity”

The harshest sentence, five years in prison for public disorder, has been requested for Pedro Luis Zamora Isac. For Alexander Guzmán Silva, the Prosecutor’s Office is seeking four years for contempt, public disorder, and incitement to commit a crime; and for Ever Ernesto Pérez Aliaga, three years for contempt and public disorder.

Also charged is Arael Rodríguez Escalante, who is accused of inciting hostility toward the police through shouting and hostile remarks. The others, Alejandro Vargas Ortiz, Luis Manuel Zamora Guevara, Rosa María Socarrás Moralez, Aleyda Valera Álvarez, and Katia Sucel Estrada Valera, are accused of offenses including resistance and incitement to commit a crime.

The families reject the charges. Ernesto Pérez Aliaga, Ever’s father, categorically denied the charge of contempt in statements to Martí Noticias after learning of the prosecution’s request. “He did not disrespect them,” he said. “In an elegant, peaceful, and calm manner, he did not disrespect anyone.” Meanwhile, Rosa Escalante, Arael’s mother, stated: “They are asking for years in prison because they demanded basic rights from the Government, such as access to water, food, and electricity.”

The protests took place on May 23, 2025. A resident warned Martí Noticias at the time: “This is going to explode again at any moment, because we still have no electricity.”

This is not the first case of its kind in Bayamo. Another 15 Cubans were tried in September 2025 for demonstrating on March 17, 2024, against prolonged power outages and deteriorating living conditions. In that case, the defendants were sentenced to prison terms of up to six years.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Pumpkins, Skeletons, and Blackouts: Halloween Cuban Style

The holiday is gaining followers among young people, who celebrate amid costumes and cobwebs while the darkness in their neighborhoods needs no special effects.

On San Rafael Boulevard in Central Havana, several businesses have decorated their establishments for the occasion. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, October 31, 2026 – In a country where blackouts can last for days, houses threaten to collapse, and getting food has become a suspense movie, Halloween faces some tough competition. Cubans know everyday fear all too well to need imported ghosts. Nevertheless, this October 31, some have decided to trade their usual nightmares for more entertaining ones for a few hours. Among pumpkins, skeletons, and cobwebs, the festival of the dead is gaining ground on an Island where terror rarely takes a vacation.

On San Rafael Boulevard, in Centro Habana, several businesses have decorated their establishments for the occasion. In one shop, a cadaverous figure hangs above the cash register. Pumpkins with sinister smiles and orange cobwebs share space with prices that are even more frightening than the cardboard ghosts.

The celebration has also reached cultural spaces. At El Proyecto, an old mansion at the corner of 11th and 14th Streets in El Vedado, young people dressed as the Joker, nuns, and other characters gathered on Friday to celebrate Halloween. The venue hosted the party while the neighborhood had been without electricity for about 30 hours. The cobwebs were artificial, but the darkness was completely authentic. continue reading

A makeup artist worked by the light of a desk lamp, and the organizers relied on an inverter to keep the equipment running. The manager, Érica Martínez, explained that the venue was established about a year ago to give young people an opportunity to disconnect from reality. Keeping it open, she acknowledged, is becoming increasingly difficult: when electricity is available only sporadically, they have to reduce the lighting to preserve the movie screenings and concerts.

Pumpkins with sinister smiles and orange cobwebs share space with prices that are even more frightening than the cardboard ghosts. / 14ymedio

Marcos Dulzaides, a 22-year-old physical therapist who used his profession as inspiration to dress up as a doctor, told EFE that these celebrations have become popular among his generation, despite the heat and lack of resources. The young man insisted that Halloween cannot be overlooked. In a country where so many things are canceled because of a lack of fuel, electricity, or funding, finding an excuse to have fun already seems like a small act of resistance.

Havana’s program also includes costume parties, concerts, and electronic music sessions. According to the capital’s cultural listings, celebrations are scheduled for this Saturday at Tempo, with tickets costing 2,000 pesos, and at the Ateneo de La Habana, for 500 pesos. The price of entertainment is hardly imaginary for those who depend on a state salary.

The growing popularity of Halloween, however, is not viewed favorably by cultural authorities. In 2019, former minister Abel Prieto included costumes associated with the celebration among the American symbols used by businesses seeking to attract customers. In his article Lo yanqui y lo moderno (All Things American and Modern), published in Granma, he linked these practices to the cultural influence of the United States. In December 2021, he again complained about Halloween’s growing popularity among Cuban teenagers before the deputies of the Assembly.

The concern dates back even further. In 2014, the official journalist Pedro de la Hoz questioned in Granma the decision by state-run establishments to organize Halloween parties. He believed that institutions responsible for preserving national identity should not promote a “neocolonial” assimilation of foreign customs. Apparently, for certain guardians of culture, an American vampire can be more dangerous than a crumbling building.

A sign has been advertising a Terror Party for this Saturday night in the Salón de los Embajadores at the Hotel Habana Libre for several days. / 14ymedio

But even within the official press, more tolerant views have emerged. In October 2025, Radio 26, in Matanzas, proposed celebrating a Halloween with a national identity: costumes inspired by the Güije or the Madre de Agua, batá drums, and pumpkins stuffed with congrí. It was a formula for reconciling Cuban traditions with a celebration that has already found followers among young people.

Despite official reluctance, the celebration has ultimately established itself even in state-run venues. A sign at the central intersection of L and 23rd Streets in Havana’s El Vedado neighborhood has been advertising a Terror Party for this Saturday night in the Salón de los Embajadores at the Hotel Habana Libre for several days, just a few meters from the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television, from which some of the most vehement denunciations of the holiday have been broadcast.

Meanwhile, reality insists on outdoing any stage set. This Friday, numerous Havana neighborhoods had been without electricity for more than 40 hours. Water shortages, spoiling food, and businesses brought to a standstill are all part of a repertoire of horrors considerably less entertaining than a zombie movie.

In other countries, Halloween ends when midnight arrives and the monsters return to the closet. In Cuba, the costumes will be put away, but the blackouts, lines, and shored-up buildings will remain where they were. The problem is not that Cubans celebrate a night of terror, but that when dawn breaks, the nightmares continue.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cupet Resumes Gas Cylinder Sales in Sancti Spíritus, Cuba, at a Price of 80 Dollars, Cash Only

The price of a gas cylinder is equivalent to 22 monthly minimum wages at today’s exchange rate.

Cupet commercial outlet in Sancti Spíritus, where gas cylinders are sold for 80 dollars in cash. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Mercedes García, Sancti Spíritus, October 31, 2026 – The state-owned company Unión Cuba-Petróleo (Cupet) charges as much as 80 dollars for a liquefied gas cylinder in the city of Sancti Spíritus, as 14ymedio was able to verify. The new 20-pound cylinders, filled and supplied with their fittings, are offered at that price at the state company’s main outlet and at two other locations in the city, one in the Colón neighborhood and the other in Los Olivos.

Payment must also be made in cash. And that does not make buying gas any easier: those interested must put their names on a list and wait their turn, depending on availability.

At the Cupet outlet on Santa Elena Street, in the same city, the arrangement is different. There, a cylinder is offered for 55 dollars, provided the customer hands over an empty one to be refilled. These sales are restricted to healthcare workers, bank employees, and employees of previously authorized workplaces.

To put the cost of the product in perspective, the minimum wage in Cuba is 3,210 pesos per month, equivalent to about 3.65 dollars at the informal exchange rate of 880 pesos per dollar recorded today. Thus, an 80-dollar cylinder costs almost 22 times the monthly minimum wage, while a 55-dollar cylinder costs the equivalent of about 15 times that amount. continue reading

The new 20-pound cylinders, filled and supplied with their fittings, are offered for 80 dollars at the state company’s main outlet and at two other locations in the city

Sancti Spíritus had gone without regular state sales of liquefied gas since October 2025. The interruption had fueled the black market, where 10-kilogram cylinders came to be offered for as much as 70,000 Cuban pesos, equivalent to the 80 dollars they cost today. The resumption of Cupet sales provides an alternative for those who can afford it, but dollar-denominated prices and restrictions on access do little to meet the population’s needs.

This situation has contributed to crime in the province. Earlier this month, two people from Sancti Spíritus were sentenced to 12 and 10 years in prison, respectively, for stealing gas cylinders from more than 20 homes. Two other people involved received prison sentences of two and a half years and two years for participating in the resale of the stolen cylinders and illegally marketing the fuel using other consumers’ contracts. The case illustrates the extent to which scarcity has turned a household necessity into a prized commodity for criminals.

The resumption of state gas sales, now in dollars, and the outrage it has provoked among customers in Sancti Spíritus coincide with reports of a similar situation on the Isle of Youth. According to accounts posted on social media by residents of the special municipality, Cupet sells cylinders there for 89 dollars.

“This is a complete lack of respect for the Cuban people, an outrageous contempt and an unjustifiable abuse toward us,” a woman complained on Facebook. The post reflects consumers’ frustration with prices that are beyond their reach. “It’s the feeling that you scream and nobody listens; that you file complaints and everything stays the same. And that wears you down. It exhausts you. It hurts,” the woman from the Isle of Youth wrote.

“This is a complete lack of respect for the Cuban people, an outrageous contempt and an unjustifiable abuse toward us”

In response to the energy crisis and supply shortages on the Island, the Cuban Government has presented the sale of liquefied gas in foreign currency as an alternative for financing fuel imports. However, the experience of recent months shows that having sales outlets that accept dollars does not guarantee a stable supply or resolve the difficulties faced by those who do not have foreign currency.

Last June, 14ymedio confirmed that the gas cylinders sold by ProGas through the KMCero platform were priced at 24 dollars and resold for 50, although some buyers in Havana reportedly paid as much as 100 dollars for a single cylinder. The company, presented as a private business, used facilities and logistical channels linked to the state-owned Cupet, while numerous consumers continued to go without their usual allocations.

Two months later, in August, ProGas sales outlets closed again after running out of stock, according to accounts gathered by this newspaper. Customers complained that they could not obtain gas either in pesos or in foreign currency.

Last June, the United States added state-owned Cupet to its list of sanctioned entities, a measure that blocks the company’s assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits transactions with it. Washington justified the decision by citing the company’s relationship with the military conglomerate Gaesa. The sanctions add obstacles to fuel import, processing, and distribution operations in Cuba and worsen the energy crisis the country has been experiencing for years.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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