Translator: Regina Anavy – Page 2

“Neither Customers Nor Electricity”: Blackouts Lasting More Than 40 Hours Are Choking Havana

The lack of electricity adds to water shortages and the collapse of tourism, while Cuba’s main thermoelectric plant remains out of service.

“Neither customers nor electricity,” said the vendors at the San José warehouses in Havana’s port. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, October 30, 2026 – A discharged phone, a piece of chicken beginning to thaw, and several empty containers waiting for water. In Cuba, the blackout is no longer measured solely in hours without electricity, but also in the number of problems it leaves in its wake. This Friday, numerous Havana neighborhoods had accumulated power cuts lasting more than 40 hours, during a week marked by the worsening energy crisis on the Island.

In Luyanó, Yusnel went out to charge his phone in another electrical circuit after more than 20 hours without power. “I have an EcoFlow, but it couldn’t hold out. With this many hours without electricity, no battery can hold up,” he tells 14ymedio. Portable power stations, which provide some relief amid the blackouts, also end up succumbing when the interruption lasts nearly two days.

In Nuevo Vedado, where this newspaper’s newsroom is located, the electricity was out for 41 consecutive hours. “Today I got up at four in the morning to cook the little piece of chicken I had left in the freezer because it wasn’t going to be in good condition by lunchtime,” says a woman who lives in a nearby high-rise building on Tulipán Street. She describes how the lack of electricity has also disrupted her family’s routines.

At a pizzeria in Old Havana, several customers waited in front of the counter this morning. / 14ymedio

“My daughter, who is a doctor, didn’t go to the hospital today because she had no clean clothes to wear, and we didn’t send my little granddaughter to school. What for? To suffer through the heat and probably find that the teacher wasn’t there?” she asks. continue reading

The power cuts offer no respite to small businesses either. At a pizzeria in Old Havana, several customers waited in front of the counter this morning while employees tried to bake and serve food using the scant natural light coming in from the street. At the San José warehouses, a saleswoman arranged souvenirs in the gloom, in front of a T-shirt bearing the face of Ernesto Che Guevara.

“Neither customers nor electricity,” declared a vendor selling paintings in the immense establishment, located in an old pier building, as he fanned away his sweat with a piece of cardboard. “When the day is cooler, you can put up with it and stay here for hours and hours without selling anything, but with the heat and no electricity to run the fan, and on top of that no tourists, it’s torture.”

The blackout comes as the tourism sector is experiencing one of its worst periods. According to official figures, just 27,354 international tourists arrived in Cuba in September, a collapse that leaves sellers of handicrafts and souvenirs with little chance of making up for the losses caused by the power cuts.

This Friday, a man pedaled beneath the elevated railway tracks near the Ensenada de Atarés, carrying two large containers of drinking water on his bicycle. / 14ymedio

But the lack of electricity is only one part of Cubans’ harsh daily reality. This Friday, a man pedaled beneath the elevated railway tracks near the Ensenada de Atarés, carrying two large containers of drinking water on his bicycle. Scenes of handcarts, jerrycans, and tanks being hauled from one municipality to another have become increasingly common in the Cuban capital.

Aguas de La Habana acknowledged that the extensive power cuts on the 28th and 29th had affected practically all the main water supply sources, including Cuenca Sur, Ariguanabo, El Gato, and Palatino. The company warned of widespread delays and announced adjustments to distribution schedules. In high-rise buildings, where water also depends on internal pumping systems, the lack of electricity has multiplied the difficulties.

The national outlook offers no grounds for anticipating an immediate improvement either. The Electric Union (UNE) reported that this Friday the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas, the country’s most important thermoelectric plant, remained out of service, along with units at Santa Cruz, Felton, and Renté. For the period of peak demand, the UNE forecasts a shortfall of 1,990 megawatts, against an estimated demand of 2,800.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Mobile Phones Will Not Follow the Cuban Government’s Instructions to Maintain Daylight Saving Time

Users will have to change the clocks on their smartphones manually.

Until the manufacturer’s update arrives, the changes will have to be made manually. / X/Etecsa

14ymedio, Madrid, October 30, 2026 – When Cubans wake up this Sunday, the time displayed on their mobile phones will be one hour behind the official time. The Government’s decision to maintain daylight saving time came too late for the technology, and most users who have the automatic time option enabled by default will have to make a manual adjustment on their phones.

The official media have warned that smartphones have a manufacturer’s instruction based on historical data and programmed for each country, so Cuba’s will be updated on November 1 from UTC-4 to UTC-5, regardless of the political decision. Until the manufacturer updates the tzdata rule, or IANA time zone database, the phone will follow the instruction stored in its system.

In this situation, the authorities remind users that the first step is to check whether the phone has updated as expected. If it has, they should go to the Date and Time section, usually found under Settings > System. From there, they must manually enter the time established by the Government (UTC-4). Afterward, it is advisable to make sure the “automatic time” function remains enabled, since manufacturers are expected to update the database soon, although this will have to be verified over time. continue reading

Afterward, it is advisable to make sure the “automatic time” function remains enabled, since manufacturers are expected to update the database soon, although this will have to be verified over time

Last week, the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security agreed that electricity consumption could be reduced by approximately 126 megawatts if daylight saving time were maintained at least until November of next year. In addition, it was decided to delay the start time for schools and workplaces by half an hour between November 1, 2026, and March 14, 2027, the period during which winter time would normally have been in effect.

According to the authorities, 76 MW of the projected savings would come from making better use of natural light, while the remaining 50 MW are attributed to the photovoltaic solar power available during those hours. However, no details have been provided about how these calculations were made.

The decision comes at a very critical time for power generation, with the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the largest in the country, out of service because of a series of breakdowns even more extensive than usual at this major facility. In any case, it is not the only cause of the situation. This Thursday, the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes thermoelectric plant in Cienfuegos also went offline because of a failure whose cause remains unknown.

Also out of service due to breakdowns are Unit 5 of the Mariel thermoelectric plant, Unit 1 of the Santa Cruz del Norte plant, Unit 2 of the Felton plant, and Units 3 and 6 of the Renté plant. Units 3 of Santa Cruz del Norte, 5 and 6 of Nuevitas, and 5 of Renté are undergoing maintenance.

This Thursday, the deficit was forecast to reach 1,910 megawatts during peak hours, as projected generation was only 910 MW, against peak demand of 2,820 MW. The blackouts no longer distinguish between regions, and the capital is experiencing very long hours without electricity. The 14ymedio newsroom is in this situation, having now endured 37 consecutive hours without power.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Oil Tankers Loaded With Russian Diesel Could Head to Cuba Instead of the United States

Lawmakers from both parties point out that a congressional resolution adopted in 2022 prohibits the importation of hydrocarbons from Russia.

The arrival of the Agioi Fanendes, which departed Primorsk on October 22, was scheduled for November 7. / Marine Traffic

14ymedio, Madrid, October 29, 2026 – The oil tanker Agioi Fanendes, which was carrying 40,000 tons of Russian diesel fuel to the U.S., no longer lists New York as its destination and appears to be stranded while awaiting orders. The surprising situation has led the energy-focused website Oilprices.com to speculate that the product could end up in Cuba.

The arrival of the Maltese-flagged tanker, which departed Primorsk on October 22, was scheduled for November 7, but after briefly passing through Skagen, Denmark, on October 26, it was left without a declared port of destination. Its shipment was part of an agreement between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, who discussed the situation in a phone call on October 9.

That conversation, which was very poorly received by European allies and Ukraine, among other reasons because it bypassed sanctions on Russian energy sources, established that Russia would send more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to U.S. and global markets, another 500,000 tons during November, and 1,000,000 tons thereafter. continue reading

On October 27, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut demanded that the tanker turn around because it was violating federal law

The plan was intended to alleviate rising fuel prices, which stood at $102.78 in the U.S. this Wednesday (Texas crude oil per barrel). The war in the Middle East has driven gasoline prices to levels that make everyday life difficult for American citizens and threatens to seriously hurt Republicans in the midterm elections scheduled for November 3, hence Trump’s agreement with Putin.

On October 27, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut demanded that the tanker turn around because it was violating federal law. He addressed his demand directly to Thanassis Martinos, managing director of the tanker’s owner, Eastern Mediterranean Maritime. The senator added that the company should refrain from any future agreements to send Russian diesel to a U.S. port.

According to Blumenthal, the 2022 Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act prohibits this type of cargo, and its legal authority supersedes that of General License 135 issued by the Treasury Department, which authorizes transactions involving Russian diesel through April 7, 2027. “The president may have issued a license to facilitate this transaction, but only Congress can make it legally valid,” he wrote.

In his letter, the senator gave the company until October 31 to identify the seller, buyer, charterer, insurer, and terminal operator, as well as to disclose any other details received from the Treasury Department or another federal agency.

The outlet bases its argument on Donald Trump’s statement last March regarding the Anatoly Kolodkin, which brought 730,000 barrels of Russian crude oil to the Island without the president raising any objections

According to Oilprices, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has warned all parties involved, including port authorities in Houston, Corpus Christi, Beaumont, and New York/New Jersey, about the civil and criminal consequences of accepting this cargo.

But there are also two other oil tankers, the Leruo and the Talismán, transporting Russian diesel to the United States, with the added complication that both are subject to sanctions. Maritime data company Kpler puts the total cargo aboard the three vessels at 924,000 barrels. They would be joined by another vessel, not yet identified but announced by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, whose departure was scheduled for yesterday, Wednesday.

In the U.S., in addition to the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act, there is the Graham Act, named after Republican Lindsey Graham, the late senator from South Carolina who championed it. This law imposed tariffs of 500% on Russian imports and 100% on countries purchasing both oil and gas from Moscow, particularly its main buyers, which helped circumvent sanctions.

The objective of both laws was always to cut off Russia’s main source of funding for its war in Ukraine, but Trump has now not only provided relief through the authorized exemption but has also described the lawmakers who criticized him as “not serious people.”

According to Oilprices’ speculation, “with no declared destination, and with U.S. banks and ports having been warned, the Agioi Fanendes could be redirected to Cuba.” The outlet bases its argument on Donald Trump’s statement last March regarding the Anatoly Kolodkin, which brought 730,000 barrels of Russian crude oil to the Island without the president raising any objections. “They have to survive! I have no problem with it,” the U.S. president said, despite having signed an executive order preventing oil from reaching Cuba from any country.

That has been the only exception he has made, however, since the Sea Horse, a Hong Kong-flagged vessel carrying Russian oil, had to change course while discreetly heading toward the Island.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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U.S. Humanitarian Aid Reaches the Poorest Families in Guasimal, in Sancti Spíritus

A second shipment landed in Santa Clara with 1,400 food and hygiene kits that Cáritas will distribute in rural communities in Sancti Spíritus.

The director of Cáritas Santa Clara, Vanesa Hernández Toledo, received the supplies on the runway at Abel Santamaría Airport. / Diocese of Santa Clara

14ymedio, Madrid, October 29, 2026 – A second shipment of humanitarian aid from the United States Government arrived this Thursday at Abel Santamaría International Airport in Santa Clara, carrying 700 food kits and another 700 hygiene kits intended for poor families in Guasimal, a rural community in the municipality of Sancti Spíritus, in the province of the same name, according to information published by the Diocese of Santa Clara on its social media accounts. The aid will be delivered by the Catholic Church through Cáritas, as part of the $100 million assistance program announced by Washington last May.

The director of Cáritas Santa Clara, Vanesa Hernández Toledo, received the supplies on the airport runway. Bishop Arturo González Amador specified that the shipment is intended for the parish of La Purísima Concepción in Guasimal, where the Sisters of Jesús Verbo y Victima work. Although it belongs to Sancti Spíritus, this locality falls under the Diocese of Santa Clara, which encompasses Villa Clara and much of the neighboring province.

Bishop Arturo González Amador specified that the shipment is intended for the parish of La Purísima Concepción in Guasimal

The nuns will receive the supplies that same afternoon to distribute them among “the poorest families in the various towns within the parish territory,” with the assistance of Cáritas and local volunteers. The diocese stated that those responsible for the deliveries had already organized the work for the coming days. continue reading

González Amador drew attention to the difficulties facing an area “so geographically distant from urban centers” and urged those participating in the distribution to stop and attend to “the poor and those who suffer,” offering them “human closeness and assistance.” The bishopric did not specify how many families would receive the donations.

The first shipment to Santa Clara arrived on September 11, with a similar quantity of supplies intended for Quemado de Güines and Rancho Veloz, in Villa Clara. On that occasion, González Amador acknowledged that needs were far greater than the available resources and that only the most urgent cases could be addressed. He also warned that this was a one-time aid delivery, not a permanent social assistance program.

The shipments are part of the $100 million in humanitarian aid offered by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Of that amount, $60 million is being channeled through the Catholic Church, with the participation of Cáritas Cuba and the U.S. organization Catholic Relief Services. The remaining $40 million is allocated to independent humanitarian organizations.

The shipments are part of the $100 million in humanitarian aid offered by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio

The launch of the program was preceded by a confrontation between Washington and Havana. On May 8, when Rubio stated that the United States had offered the assistance and accused the Cuban Government of rejecting it, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez dismissed the announcement as a “fable” intended, according to him, to deceive both peoples.

Six days later, Havana was no longer denying the existence of the proposal but continued to question Washington’s intentions. Rodríguez then stated that Cuba was willing to study it, while describing the offer as “apparent generosity” and demanding that the assistance be provided without political conditions.

The United States stipulated that the donations be delivered directly to the population by religious and humanitarian organizations, without going through the Cuban authorities. Havana, for its part, has accused Washington of using the assistance for political purposes while maintaining sanctions that worsen the Island’s crisis.

The program began to be implemented in July, with a shipment intended for Havana. Since then, the dioceses of Santa Clara, Cienfuegos, Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila, Pinar del Río, and Matanzas have also received supplies. The latter received a second shipment on October 22, while Pinar del Río received its shipment on the 27th, intended for the communities of Guanajay and Bahía Honda, in Artemisa, which belong to that diocese.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Floating Pier in Havana, a Project That Was Stillborn and Is Now Being Dismantled

Several young men are trying to pry loose the pier’s metal beams with hammers, probably to sell them as scrap metal.

The platform has lost practically all of its wooden decking, and the iron beams form an open grid over the water. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Darío Hernández, Havana, October 28, 2026 – The floating pier at the Alameda de Paula in Old Havana is a project that was stillborn. Inaugurated just eleven years ago as part of the restoration of the Old Havana waterfront, it began showing signs of damage shortly after opening to the public and today is an idle, pointless, floating skeleton. This Tuesday, while walking along Avenida del Puerto, 14ymedio saw several young men attempting to pry loose the metal beams with hammers, probably to sell them as scrap metal.

The platform has lost practically all of its wooden decking, and the iron beams form an open grid over the water. Several young men move among the supports and repeatedly strike the structure to detach the beams, even at the risk of falling through one of the numerous gaps.

Selling scrap metal, either to the Union of Raw Materials Recovery Companies or through informal channels, is an attractive business given the official purchase prices, which reach between 400 and 500 per kilogram of copper, depending on its quality.

At the entrance to the floating ruin, a sign belonging to the Avenida del Puerto Investment Group warns: “Access Prohibited” and “Pier Under Repair,” accompanied by the warning “Avoid Being Summoned.” Someone has scribbled on it with a black marker. The young men ignore it and concentrate on dismantling the structure, directly defying the sign.

The scene is reminiscent of the so-called “stone pickers” who, for decades, have dismantled the ruins of the Juraguá Nuclear Power Plant in Cienfuegos to extract all the reinforcing bars and usable materials from that great abortion of Castroist triumphalism. continue reading

The floating promenade was part of a renovation project for Avenida del Puerto promoted by the Office of the Historian of Havana during the final years of Eusebio Leal, now deceased. The aim was to restore Havana residents’ contact with a bay from which the city had been practically cut off for decades.

In November 2014, renovation work on Avenida del Puerto extended from the Muelle de Caballería to the San José warehouses, which had been converted into a commercial and cultural space. The surrounding area’s renovation also included the Alameda de Paula; the Emboque de Luz, which was the terminal for the small boats serving Regla and Casablanca; and the former Wood and Tobacco Warehouse, which had been transformed into a brewery.

Inaugurated in late 2015, the pier soon became a place to stroll at sunset, admire the bay, talk, fish, or enjoy the breeze. Couples even began placing padlocks on the railings as a symbol of eternal love, following a custom widespread on bridges in other cities, such as the Pont des Arts in Paris, where authorities banned the practice in 2015 because of the damage caused to the structure by the weight of the padlocks.

Deterioration began almost immediately after its inauguration in 2015. Less than a year later, the first damage appeared on the decking

But deterioration began almost from the start. By 2016, damage had already appeared on the decking. In 2019, architect Orlando Inclán, one of the designers of the project, acknowledged the problems affecting the installation to the official newspaper Tribuna de La Habana. “After the initial installation, many of the planks were replaced because the first batch did not meet the required quality standards, but the second one did,” he explained, identifying both the poor quality of that first shipment and damage caused by some visitors as reasons for the deterioration.

Inclán also admitted that there was no specific maintenance plan for the promenade. “It is certainly necessary now to provide maintenance for a structure that has been in intensive use for almost five years,” he warned. Even the railings, designed in stainless steel to prevent corrosion, needed attention, although at the time he believed the deterioration could still be reversed because relatively few sections were missing.

The promenade was closed in April 2021 because of the danger posed by its deterioration. A resident consulted by the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press said that he had not seen any repair work being carried out.

In 2024, several complaints described a structure with gaps, deteriorated railings, and signs of neglect. In August 2026, a photo report by OnCuba documented raised boards, light fixtures without cables, and dangerous sections, while other citizens raised the alarm about missing components and railings and appealed to the authorities. In recent weeks, videos have circulated on social media showing residents carrying away the boards that made up the structure’s decking.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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On Havana’s Monte Street, the Garbage Has the Right of Way

A dump that stretches for more than a block forces pedestrians to walk among tricycles and trucks.

En la esquina de Antón Recio, una montaña de desperdicios ha crecido tanto que ya se extiende por más de una cuadra y se ha adueñado de la vía pública. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 28 October 2026 / On Monte Street, one of Havana’s most popular avenues, a new road hierarchy has been established. Garbage has priority, followed by vehicles, and, if any space is left, pedestrians can use it. At the corner of Antón Recio, a mountain of waste has grown so large that it now stretches for more than a block and has taken over the public roadway, blocking passage along the sidewalk.

This Wednesday, the gigantic garbage dump reigned over the avenue. With its cardboard boxes, burst bags, plastic containers, papers, and pieces of old household appliances, the dump formed an irregular mountain range alongside the porticoes where the avenue’s commercial life once thrived. The accumulation of waste also covered part of the pavement, where electric tricycles, almendrones that serve as shared taxis, and people competed for space.

Perhaps soon some outraged passerby will decide to carry their own sign to warn drivers: “Caution, people walking”

A woman and a child walked alongside the garbage dump, just inches away from motorcycles and trucks. When a pickup truck passed by them, they climbed onto the filth to avoid being run over. Faced with a choice between the danger of microbes and being struck by a vehicle, they chose to risk exposure to the foul fumes. “We’re going to have to wash those sneakers,” the child’s mother lamented as soon as she saw him sink his soles into banana peels and other food scraps that were difficult to identify. continue reading

Historically associated with commerce and the constant movement of goods, Monte has become a showcase for the filth spreading throughout the city and the entire country. Even the authorities have finally acknowledged that the so-called micro-dumps have turned into mega-dumps. On this thoroughfare, the garbage does not occupy just one corner; it has also taken over the porticoes, sidewalks, and roadway.

Although no one has yet put up a sign warning of the danger, perhaps soon some outraged passerby will decide to carry their own sign to warn drivers: “Caution, people walking.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuban Political Prisoner Félix Navarro Has Spent 66 Days in Isolation in a ‘Serious Health Situation’

His stay in that cell “is not part of any medical treatment and is being used as a covert punitive measure,” Cubalex denounces.

Félix Navarro was the victim of a “brutal beating” last April at Agüica prison / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, October 27, 2026 – Cuban political prisoner Félix Navarro is experiencing a “serious health situation” after spending more than two months in isolation in a cell in the infirmary of Agüica prison, in Matanzas. The legal advisory organization Cubalex denounced this Monday that “his stay in that cell is not part of any medical treatment and is being used as a covert punitive measure.”

For 66 days, the organization added, Navarro has not received “the required medical attention,” and it warned that “in the case of a 73-year-old person with diabetes and other ailments, the authorities must specifically assess the risks that prolonged separation may pose to his health. If isolation does not serve a genuine medical need, if there is no adequate health supervision, or if it is used as punishment, the situation raises additional concerns about the legality, necessity, and proportionality of the measure.”

Cubalex also emphasized that medical care in prison “cannot depend on the will of officials or be used as a mechanism of pressure.” In an extensive report, it added that “people deprived of their liberty retain their right to health, and the State has an obligation to guarantee them care that is essentially equivalent to that available in the community, without discrimination based on their political opinions or the nature of the charges brought against them.”

For this reason, the NGO stressed that the treatment of Navarro “demonstrates the continued use of prison isolation and medical negligence as systematic mechanisms of repression. When a sick person remains isolated for weeks without receiving the care they need, this is not merely a disciplinary or administrative matter: their health, dignity, and right to humane treatment are at stake.” continue reading

The treatment of Navarro “demonstrates the continued use of prison isolation and medical negligence as systematic mechanisms of repression”

The organization reported that in October alone, it has documented 18 incidents involving punishment or isolation cells in the country, placing the month among those with the highest incidence this year. “A total of 95 people have been victims of these practices in Cuban prisons, with alarming repeated cases involving political prisoners such as Danisbel Labrada, Fausto René Ramos, Ediolvis Marín Mora, and Virgilio Mantilla,” Cubalex detailed. The organization insisted that these practices flagrantly violate the UN’s Mandela Rules, which guide states in the treatment of people deprived of their liberty, and the Convention against Torture.

Félix Navarro, who is serving a nine-year prison sentence on charges of “assault, contempt, and public disorder,” was the victim of a “brutal beating” last April at Agüica prison.

Saylí Navarro, the activist’s daughter, who is also imprisoned and was sentenced to eight years for the same crimes as her father, as well as for “disobedience,” disclosed in a telephone call that her father had been dragged more than 100 meters “handcuffed, with his hands behind his back, to a punishment cell in the area known as the Vivac.” There, he was beaten and kicked in his right foot. “Navarro was confined to an isolation cell for nearly two hours” afterward.

The opposition activist was left with his face “torn on the right cheek, the mark of the officer’s hand from when he tried to silence him by force, and marks on his wrists caused by the excessive pressure of the handcuffs,” his daughter described at the time in a statement published by Martí Noticias.

The opposition activist was left with his face “torn on the right cheek, the mark of the officer’s hand from when he tried to silence him by force, and marks on his wrists”

In response to the assault, Amnesty International demanded days later the “immediate and unconditional release of Félix Navarro, urgent guarantees for his life and physical integrity, immediate contact with his family, and justice for this serious human rights violation.”

The organization stated on X that repression in Cuba now has “another dimension: punishment directed at families who seek information, provide care, offer support, and denounce abuses.”

It also stated that “prisoners of conscience in Cuba face arbitrary imprisonment, incommunicado detention, threats, punishments, and other forms of mistreatment for peacefully exercising their rights. Their relatives, especially women, also often bear the burden of harassment, anguish, emotional exhaustion, and institutional abandonment.”

Both Félix Navarro, who was among the prisoners of the 2003 Black Spring, and his daughter were arrested on the morning of July 12, 2021, when they went to the police station in the Matanzas municipality of Perico to inquire about the fate of those detained the previous day, following the historic 11 July 2021 demonstrations.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuban Meteorologists Forecast an Unusual Winter Season on the Island

Specialists predict the arrival of more cold fronts, with notably low minimum temperatures and significant rainfall.

Customers bundled up at a market in Sancti Spíritus. / 14ymedio

EFE/14ymedio, Havana, October 27, 2026 – Cuba could be on the verge of an unusual winter season, during which meteorologists expect the arrival of more cold fronts, with notably low minimum temperatures and significant rainfall, especially between February and April 2027, state media reported on Monday.

During a forum on climate outlooks held yesterday, specialists from the Climate Center of the Institute of Meteorology, as well as from provincial Forecasting and Meteorological Centers, indicated that the presence of a “very strong” El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event in the equatorial Pacific Ocean will affect Cuba’s weather conditions, making them “anomalous and unstable” during the six-month period from November 2026 to April 2027.

The ENSO event is expected to reach its “maximum intensity” between November and January, which will have direct implications for the behavior of the coming winter on the Island, explained Idalmis González, head of the Climate Center, as quoted by the newspaper Granma. continue reading

The ENSO event is expected to reach its “maximum intensity” between November and January, which will have direct implications for the behavior of the coming winter

Regarding temperatures, meteorologists are drawing attention to the likelihood of “maximum and minimum temperatures below” the historical average during the February–March two-month period in the western, central, and eastern parts of the country, which is accustomed to generally warm winters.

Their forecasts indicate that cold air masses bringing very cold minimum temperatures could arrive as early as next December, while during February and March they consider it possible that extratropical low-pressure systems will form in the Gulf of Mexico, causing rain, strong winds, and possible coastal flooding.

Specifically, for the November–January quarter, their projections warn that precipitation will be above the historical average in the western region, close to the average in the central region, and below average in the eastern part of the country.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuba Closes the Country’s Largest Zinc and Lead Mine Due to “External Causes”

The Castellanos project, in Pinar del Río, was operated by a joint venture involving Geominera, which was sanctioned by the U.S.

The Castellanos project, in Pinar del Río, produced around 100,000 tons of zinc and 50,000 tons of lead annually, destined mainly for China. / Granma/Ronald Suárez Rivas

14ymedio, Madrid, October 27, 2026 – The Ministry of Energy and Mines has ordered the temporary closure of the Castellanos-Santa Lucía Polymetallic Project, in Minas de Matahambre, Pinar del Río. The project was operated by the joint venture Minera del Caribe S.A. (Emincar), a partnership between the state-owned Geominera and the Dutch company Trafigura.

The shutdown, scheduled to remain in effect until January 30, 2027, comes four months after Trafigura stopped shipping zinc concentrate from the Pinar del Río mine to its customers, amid fears of Washington’s sanctions against foreign companies linked to the Cuban regime.

Although the closure of the mining project was announced this Monday, the Ministry’s decree was published in the Official Gazette on October 2. Resolution 49 attributes the decision to close the Castellanos mine to “external causes related to logistics, exports, and the energy deficit” that make it impossible to continue exploiting the deposit and processing the mineral.

The news has not gone down well with residents of the community. In comments on the official announcement, they complained about the loss of jobs for “thousands” of workers and the additional employment incentives provided by the joint venture. According to testimonials on social media, the project had provided jobs for many unemployed people in the area. Others criticized the environmental damage caused by the industry and the exploitation of natural resources without the population ever seeing the results of the profits, which went exclusively to the State. continue reading

The decision to close the Castellanos mine was due to “external causes related to logistics, exports, and the energy deficit”

Castellanos had an annual production capacity of approximately 100,000 tons of zinc concentrate and 50,000 tons of lead concentrate, almost all of which was destined for the Chinese market. In June, Trafigura informed Chinese smelters that it would replace those shipments with supplies from other sources because of “growing pressure from the United States.” The company said it continued to supply its customers “in compliance with the sanctions applicable to it.”

Although Trafigura was not itself directly targeted by sanctions, the Cuban state-owned company Geominera, which owns 51% of Emincar’s shares, was directly sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) last June under Donald Trump’s May 1 executive order, which extends the threat of penalties to any foreign company doing business with sanctioned entities.

Along with the closure of the Castellanos project, the Ministry of Energy and Mines also terminated Empresa Geominera Pinar del Río’s geological exploration concession in the Arcilla Malcasado area. Resolution 52 of 2026 declares that the area may be subject to “new applications for mining activities.”

Along with the closure of the Castellanos project, the Ministry of Energy and Mines also terminated Empresa Geominera Pinar del Río’s geological exploration concession in the Arcilla Malcasado area

Washington’s offensive against the Island’s mining sector is part of the pressure the Trump administration has exerted on the Cuban regime this year, demanding profound political and economic changes in the country.

In this context, OFAC has also sanctioned Minera La Victoria, a company equally owned by Australia’s Antilles Gold and Cuba’s Geominera. The Australian company suspended its involvement in management and financing, and the Chinese contractor halted the construction contract for the Nueva Sabana copper and gold mine in Ciego de Ávila.

Antilles has proposed to the State Department that U.S. investors purchase at least 51% of its subsidiary so that it can obtain an OFAC license and continue operating on the Island. In August, it announced a binding agreement with GEM Global Yield, a Luxembourg-based fund controlled by individuals subject to U.S. jurisdiction, which would acquire 25% of the subsidiary while awaiting Washington’s approval.

Similarly, Canada’s Sherritt International, Cuba’s partner in the Moa Nickel nickel and cobalt plant in Holguín, halted its operations on the Island in May, when Washington sanctioned the joint venture. Sherritt suspended its withdrawal plan after Gillon Capital, the firm owned by Ray Washburne, a Texas businessman close to Donald Trump, expressed interest in taking control of the Canadian company.

On October 20, Sherritt reported that OFAC had granted it a license to transport fuel, fuel oil, and sulfur to Moa. It is the first of several emergency licenses intended to restart operations. Sherritt also signed a preliminary agreement with Moa Bay Mining, which holds a certified claim under the Helms-Burton Act concerning the properties in Moa, a lawsuit that had complicated negotiations to continue operating these Cuban mines.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The U.S. Acknowledges That the Cuban Regime Diverts Fuel Intended for the Private Sector

A State Department spokesperson maintains that the Havana government “must now resort to subterfuge and illegality” to obtain fuel.

The U.S. State Department celebrates that Washington’s policy toward the Island “has broken the Cuban regime’s monopoly on fuel.” / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, October 24, 2026 — The U.S. government acknowledges that some of the fuel it exports to Cuba’s private sector may end up in the hands of the regime. This is stated by a State Department spokesperson in a statement sent to journalist David Adams, to which 14ymedio obtained access.

“We cannot rule out some diversion to figures or entities linked to the regime, but we will continue cracking down on its efforts to evade sanctions, targeting any company that knowingly supplies the regime,” the spokesperson states, adding that “the regime must now resort to subterfuge and illegality just to obtain a small portion of the fuel entering the country, instead of controlling the entire market.”

The statement celebrates that Washington’s policy toward the Island “has already brought about the greatest privatization in the history of the Cuban economy,” and recalls that after Venezuela cut off its free oil supplies to the regime, some of which was resold abroad for foreign currency, the spokesperson notes, the Trump administration maintained fuel exports to Cuban private business owners. These, the spokesperson says, “now import and sell to other private businesses, humanitarian NGOs, and diplomatic establishments,” meaning that “the regime’s monopoly on fuel has been broken.” continue reading

“The Trump administration continues to target key sources of revenue for the illegitimate Cuban regime by imposing sanctions. We are also combating the regime’s evasion of sanctions,” the State Department emphasizes.

The regime must now resort to subterfuge and illegality just to obtain a small portion of the fuel entering the country, instead of controlling the entire market.

This statement was issued in the context of Washington’s offensive against fuel shipments intended for the state sector. On October 7, agencies of the Department of Homeland Security announced the seizure of 90 shipments of biodiesel, 71 at Port Everglades, Florida, and 19 in Houston, Texas. Their value was around $2.8 million, and their destination was the state-owned company Enetec, which was added to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list on July 13.

Washington’s acknowledgment confirms what this newspaper has been documenting since April, when the authorities began leasing state-owned gas stations to MSMEs* like Acapulco, in Nuevo Vedado, to dispense fuel purchased in the United States. It had been possible to establish since then that the Ticket platform, managed by Cimex, a corporation belonging to the Gaesa military conglomerate and sanctioned by OFAC, was already selling gasoline and diesel in dollars in Havana when only private businesses were permitted to import them from the United States.

A month later, this newspaper confirmed that Transmed vehicles and those of other state-owned companies were refueling at the former Shell station in Guanabacoa, using pumps leased by private operators, which U.S. regulations expressly prohibit.

In September, 14ymedio revealed this connection in a more disturbing way: the El Eficiente gas station, one block from Villa Marista, was supplying vehicles belonging to the state-owned Sepsa, trucks operated by the so-called Black Berets—special brigades of the Ministry of the Interior—and Suzuki motorcycles belonging to State Security. More than five months had passed since the last oil tanker carrying hydrocarbons had arrived in Cuba—the Anatoly Kolodkin, from Russia—and since the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, had publicly declared: “We have absolutely no fuel oil; we have absolutely no diesel.”

Among the documents demonstrating this connection is an invoice dated September 21 from Cimex-Mariel to an Oro Negro service station for more than 23,000 liters of gasoline

Just a few weeks ago, an incident once again exposed this connection: a fire in a fuel tank at Azutecnia, a subsidiary of the state-owned Azcuba company, in Granma province. The official information does not specify what type of fuel burned or where it came from, but Cuba lacks the capacity to produce refined fuel from its domestic crude oil.

As of today, the Ticket platform, which continues to sell fuel at state-owned service stations, remains the most visible indication. Not only are gasoline and diesel sales still taking place in the provinces, but prices have also fallen over the past several months.

An investigation by ADN Cuba and Martí Noticias, published this Friday, has confirmed that Cimex purchases fuel from 21 suppliers, at least 16 of them MSMEs*, and resells it through its network of service stations, in addition to supplying the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. Among the documents demonstrating this connection is an invoice dated September 21 from Cimex-Mariel to an Oro Negro service station for more than 23,000 liters of gasoline. Cimex does not appear as a direct importer, but rather as a purchaser of fuel supplied by Cuban MSMEs.

From January through August of this year, the total value of petroleum products exported from the United States to the Island reached $231.74 million, an unprecedented figure in the entire history of trade relations between the two countries.

These specific figures did not prevent De la O Levy from stating in a recent interview with Reuters about those imports: “I would venture to say that the quantity entering the country does not even cover 3% of its fuel needs.”

“No Cuban state-owned company has managed to secure a fuel contract, whether for small or large quantities,” the minister said at the time.

*Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Prison Sentences of 4 and 5 Years for Several Starlink Antenna Sellers in Santa Clara, Cuba

A pro-government account claims that 37 devices were confiscated and threatens to apply the law to buyers, transporters, and distributors.

““Legalize other companies that compete with Etecsa’s terrible service, and you’ll see that no one will risk losing so much money,” a user claims./ 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, October 24, 2026 – Several citizens of Santa Clara were sentenced to between four and five years in prison for selling Starlink antennas, according to a post circulated by the pro-government account Alejandro Noticias Cuba in the Facebook group Mipymes Santa Clara/ Motorcycle Parts. The message claims that 37 satellite internet connection devices were confiscated and threatens to extend the sanctions to everyone involved in this clandestine market, including transporters and buyers.

According to the post, the detainees were part of a network dedicated to illegally bringing in and selling these antennas. During searches conducted at the homes of those involved and the buyers, the authorities seized all 37 devices. The text states that the transporters were also sanctioned, while those who received the equipment were fined 100,000 pesos and had their antennas confiscated.

However, the account does not identify the convicted individuals, specify which court issued the sentences, or present judicial documents that would make it possible to verify the events. The information attributes the convictions to alleged “sources close to the defendants’ families.”

The account demands that citizens report anyone attempting to bring in, transport, sell, or buy Starlink antennas

The message goes beyond reporting a police operation. “Let no one be under any illusions; this is not an isolated confiscation or a theoretical warning,” it states, before asserting that the sentences are final. It then demands that citizens report anyone attempting to bring in, transport, sell, or buy Starlink antennas. “Don’t become the next case,” it concludes.

The warning is circulating at a time of growing tension between Havana and Washington. This Friday, U.S. President Trump said during a rally in Florida that the military ships deployed in the war against Iran would pass along the Cuban coast on their return. He even spoke of stopping one of them about 45 meters from the Island and then sending Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “close the deal.”

Rubio, for his part, encouraged those seeking political change in Cuba to cooperate discreetly with the CIA. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez rejected Trump’s statements and warned that the Cuban coast would be an “inhospitable” territory for anyone arriving with hostile intentions.

In this climate of confrontation, the pro-government camp has repeatedly sought to associate independent satellite communications with possible operations against the Government. The Santa Clara post explicitly mentions the armed incident in Corralillo, Villa Clara, which occurred last February, when the authorities intercepted a vessel coming from the United States, killing half of its crew. According to the official account, a Starlink terminal was among the equipment seized.

The Starlink devices sold to private individuals in Cuba and other countries are not the specialized Starshield systems that SpaceX develops for defense applications

The message uses that precedent to justify the crackdown on commercial antennas. However, it omits a fundamental distinction: the Starlink devices sold to private individuals in Cuba and other countries are not the specialized Starshield systems that SpaceX develops for defense applications and that Ukraine uses in certain drone operations. Although they share technological infrastructure, Starshield is designed for government and military missions, while Starlink is simply a commercial satellite internet service.

The Cuban authorities’ offensive against Starlink did not begin now. In April 2025, the Cuban Government confiscated 20 satellite kits and 85 routers through Customs, after official agencies warned of fines and confiscations. In May 2026, the Ministry of Communications updated import regulations and maintained restrictions on satellite terminals operating without agreements with the Government.

Article 295 of the Penal Code establishes prison sentences of three to eight years for those who organize, distribute, finance, or profit from unauthorized telecommunications services, as well as for those who sell equipment intended for such activities.

“If Etecsa doesn’t work, then you get a Starlink and that’s that”

Despite the prohibitions, the clandestine market continues. In April, this newspaper documented the presence of these antennas in Havana, Matanzas, and Santa Clara, with prices ranging from $1,300 to $1,800. Some owners also redistribute the connection to neighbors through small private networks. Another report published in July collected accounts from users who paid between $50 and $80 per month to access these connections.

The publication of Alejandro Noticias Cuba has prompted numerous expressions of disapproval. “The real crime is being outside the State’s control,” comments Josué Castillo. Other users believe the authorities should improve Etecsa’s service instead of pursuing alternatives.

“Legalize other companies that compete with Etecsa’s terrible service, and you’ll see that no one will risk losing so much money,” demands Edel Gálvez.

An anonymous participant sums up the frustration with a comparison: “If Cupet can’t sell you gasoline, you find another option; if UNE doesn’t provide you with electricity, you look for renewable energy, and if Etecsa doesn’t work, then you get a Starlink and that’s that.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Rubio Asks Cubans to Cooperate With the CIA; Regime Invites the Pope in Response

The intelligence agency publishes a guide to help contact it anonymously from Cuba, and Bruno Rodríguez issues threats against the U.S.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in an archival photograph. / EFE/Ricardo Maldonado Rozo

EFE/14ymedio, Washington/Havana, October 24, 2026 — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged on Friday those who want to bring about a change of government in Cuba to embark on “discreet collaboration with the CIA.”

Rubio published the message on X: “For those seeking to bring about positive change in Cuba, this is the moment. Faced with disappointment over unfulfilled promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of a few, seize this opportunity to create the change you want through discreet collaboration with the CIA.”

This Saturday, the CIA published a seven-step guide on its official Instagram account, aimed at Cubans who want to contact the agency safely and anonymously. The text accompanying the post is explicit: “The CIA wants to know the truth about Cuba, and we are looking for trustworthy people who know the truth and can communicate it to us. Your information may be more valuable than you think.” continue reading

The guide directs users to the intelligence agency’s official website and recommends that those who want to make contact use a new device and email address unconnected to their identity, as well as a VPN with a server outside Cuba and other countries that Washington considers hostile.

Rubio’s message came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump declared, during a rally in Florida, that once the war against Iran was over, the U.S. Navy would navigate to the Island. According to Trump, following its arrival, representatives of the Cuban Government would “raise their hands,” and he would send “Marco Rubio there to close the deal.” The president maintained that Washington would “simply put” Rubio in Cuba and that “he’ll get it done.”

“The CIA wants to know the truth about Cuba, and we are looking for trustworthy people who know the truth and can communicate it to us”

Trump’s statements come amid the election campaign in Florida, Rubio’s home state and the location of the largest Cuban American community in the country.

For his part, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel reacted on Friday by accusing the U.S. of harboring “ambitions of domination” over the Island. He also reiterated the official government narrative that “it is good to remember that we Cubans achieved our true independence on January 1, 1959, and we are determined to defend it.”

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez also lashed out on social media against what he called “any threat involving U.S. ambitions” toward the Island. In a belligerent tone, the foreign minister stated that Cuba’s shores have “beautiful beaches,” but warned that they also have “dog’s teeth”: inhospitable terrain for those who arrive with hostile intentions and a desire for domination.

On Thursday, the Cuban Government had already taken advantage of a meeting with journalists at the Holy See to invite Pope Leo XIV to visit the Island and once again demand the lifting of the U.S. embargo. Cuba’s ambassador to the Vatican, Leyde Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández, conveyed the invitation to the pontiff during a meeting with journalists. The diplomat repeated the official message: “Cuba is not a threat; the blockade is.”

His statements come just days before the United Nations General Assembly debates, on October 27 and 28, the resolution that calls every year for an end to the embargo against Cuba. The Vatican has not commented on the invitation, so there has been no public acceptance by the pontiff and no date has been set for a possible visit.

This exchange of messages is taking place amid a climate of confrontation that has intensified since January, when the U.S. imposed an oil blockade on the Island. Since then, Washington has progressively added “maximum pressure” measures targeting vital sectors of the economy and companies doing business with the Cuban regime, seeking political change in Cuba.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Sea Opens Up to Cubans With the Opening of Havana’s First Nautical Store

Delcos Marine, linked to a Spanish company, offers products for maritime activities, a sector closely monitored by the regime.

The new Delcos Marine nautical store, next to the Almendares River in Havana. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, October 22, 2026 – Alongside the Iron Bridge over the Almendares River, at the boundary separating Havana’s El Vedado and Miramar neighborhoods, several men have been working for weeks to renovate an industrial warehouse. This is the location Delcos Marine has chosen to open its first nautical store in Cuba, a country surrounded by water where all maritime activities are considered matters of national security.

What was once an abandoned, shabby warehouse is now a freshly painted light-blue building, equipped with several solar panels and decorated with eye-catching advertising signs: a smiling woman splashing in the sea, a man on a paddleboard, a hand holding an immaculate fishing rod, two divers in full gear, and the railing of a boat, all set against crystal-clear waters.

The opening of a private business on the Island is not news, but Delcos Marine’s specialty is an event in itself: it offers “everything for sailing, fishing, diving, or simply enjoying a great day at the beach” in a country where sailing, fishing, and diving are subject to strict controls. On its website, which still lists neither prices nor sales, Delcos Marine features several sections offering every type of sea-related product, from water sports equipment to marine hardware and recreational items. Rods, hooks, fishing line, snorkeling equipment, swimsuits, wetsuits, masks, fins, and outboard motor spare parts are among the items on the list, at least on paper. continue reading

Delcos Marine offers “everything for sailing, fishing, diving, or simply enjoying a great day at the beach.” / 14ymedio

“Your next catch starts here” is the slogan the store uses on its social media accounts to announce its upcoming opening, which, nevertheless, has yet to take place. The store’s Facebook account has been active for almost three years, and the first post introducing it as a “nautical marketplace” is dated April 15, 2024.

The Number of Electric Vehicles in Cuba Is Skyrocketing, but Charging Stations Are in Short Supply

The Cuban Government reports that passenger transportation has declined by 75%, and by as much as 90% in the case of buses for workers.

Cuba’s fleet of electric vehicles has doubled in just one year. / Radio Cadena Agramonte

14ymedio, Madrid, October 22, 2026 – Cuba’s fleet of electric vehicles has doubled in just one year, says Transport Minister Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila. In an interview with the British news agency Reuters, the head of one of the sectors hardest hit by the fuel shortage puts the number of these vehicles on the Island at 150,000, including cars, motorcycles, and electric tricycles.

According to his figures, one million vehicles circulate throughout the country, meaning that officially, electric vehicles account for 15% of those operating in Cuba, although Rodríguez Dávila believes the number could be much higher, since a large number are thought to be unregistered.

The minister has provided a considerable amount of data that clearly illustrates the bleak outlook for mobility on the Island. Among the most disastrous figures is the number of passenger journeys, which has fallen by around 75%. Last year, statistics recorded 781.8 million trips, meaning that, after this decline, the number of journeys made by people using public transportation would stand at around 195.45 million. continue reading

Passenger journeys in Cuba have fallen by 75%, from the 781.8 million recorded in 2025 to an estimated 195.45 million this year

Even worse is the decline in journeys on buses for workers, which has reached 90% and takes on particularly serious significance when considered alongside figures from the National Office of Statistics and Information. In 2025, there were only 32.6 million such trips, following a sharp decline from just over 37 million the previous year. This year, the figure would fall to barely 3.2 million. Daily trips from Havana to the other provinces have dropped from 419 to just 11, while the number of national bus routes has fallen from 100 to only 21.

“Traditional public transportation is at one of the lowest points in its history,” Rodríguez Dávila summarized. He is one of the current government’s most highly regarded ministers because of his interactions with users on social media. The official told Reuters that the Island is working “at full speed on the construction of solar charging stations”—known as solineras—to change the energy source as quickly as possible. He said that 60 such facilities are expected to be established throughout the country.

The Island is working “at full speed on the construction of solar charging stations”—known as solineras—to change the energy source as quickly as possible

In the midst of the energy blockade, which began when the U.S. president prohibited shipments of crude oil to Cuba from any country in January 2026, the only fuel reaching the Island is precisely the fuel that private businesses purchase in the neighboring United States and that the State obtains in violation of export regulations. Under these circumstances, gasoline is a scarce commodity and, moreover, extremely expensive for individual consumers.

“These are families who cannot travel, people who cannot visit sick loved ones, and others who cannot get to a hospital. The underlying human drama of these shortages is complex,” Rodríguez Dávila said in the days leading up to the United Nations General Assembly vote on the resolution against the embargo, which the regime promotes every year and for which the United States is trying, more forcefully than ever, to secure a less unfavorable outcome than usual. This has triggered an exchange of accusations and propaganda campaigns on both sides that are more intense than in previous years.

Domestic freight transportation is expected to fall to around 20 million tons this year, slightly more than one-third of the 70 million tons transported in 2025

The minister also said that domestic freight transportation is expected to fall to around 20 million tons this year, slightly more than one-third of the 70 million tons transported in 2025.

The British news agency reported that the minister took journalists on a tour to present yellow electric tricycles owned by a state-run company that were sitting idle in a parking lot because there was no electricity available to charge them. “The frustrated taxi drivers expressed their dissatisfaction,” the report says, concluding with an account of Rodríguez Dávila grimacing as he acknowledged the situation. “These are the problems we have,” he said.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The People of Artemisa Dream of Reviving the Soroa Tourist Complex with the Private Sector

Small and medium-sized private businesses are becoming lifelines for state-owned companies throughout the country.

The hotels were already on their last legs since the pandemic and are now closed. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, October 22, 2026 / Soroa has long been buried in oblivion because of the decline in tourism. The coronavirus pandemic devastated one of the Island’s most privileged areas. Its location, just 80 kilometers from Havana, and the beauty of its natural landscapes had earned it, quite deservedly, the nickname “The Rainbow of Cuba.” But its case perfectly illustrates the blow dealt to an industry that has never been able to recover since COVID-19 and that recent U.S. sanctions have finally finished off.

For the past four months, the tourist complex has been firmly shut, with the exception of the six security guards and 15 workers who, according to a report in the local press, “are dedicated to maintaining the place, at least keeping it free of weeds, dust, and other predictable effects, as they bring even the hands of the clock to a halt.” El Artemiseño states that, in addition to the shortcomings of the electrical system, there is an “absence of drinking water.”

The article notes that a “No Entry” sign warns of the situation at the complex, located in Artemisa—in the Sierra del Rosario and very close to Candelaria—and comprised of a hotel, an orchid garden, several lodging villas, and the picturesque Castle in the Clouds. Hurricane Rafael, which struck the province nearly two years ago, left “damage that has yet to be repaired,” the outlet acknowledges, although it remains optimistic. continue reading

“We learned from the Artemisa Tourism Delegation that there are non-state economic actors interested in taking over management of the complex,” it states confidently, while also acknowledging that “in fact, when speaking with some of the workers at the Soroa hotel, they have no clear idea of where the negotiations stand.”

“We learned from the Artemisa Tourism Delegation that there are non-state economic actors interested in taking over management of the complex”

The article devotes numerous paragraphs to encouraging investors to take an interest in an area with specific potential for ecotourism because of its natural attributes, a sector that offers tax and fiscal benefits to business owners. “The changes make it possible both to add new options to the business models already in place (joint ventures and management contracts) for tourism activities and to lease properties to foreign investors, Cubans residing abroad, and those living in the country,” El Artemiseño states, warning of the risks posed by the authorities’ inaction if they fail to implement the much-publicized 176 measures to transform the economy.

The article emphasizes the importance of restoring Soroa for the more than one hundred workers who have now had to be reassigned to other destinations, the new opportunities for tour guides and other tourism professionals who have received new authorizations to work independently of the State, and a series of other advantages. There are so many that they raise doubts about the private sector’s purported interest in managing the complex.

“If there is no prompt action on the established timetable to approve the model to be followed at the appropriate levels; if workers are kept in the dark about what is happening and how it will be done; if the property lacks the essential maintenance needed to prevent deterioration; and if the decision is pushed beyond the immediate present, the cost of reviving it will be high,” the report adds.

Soroa’s abandonment is far from recent. Although El Artemiseño indicates that the deterioration affects “the facilities that once offered unique experiences in those parts,” the turning point dates back to 2020. That year, 14ymedio visited the region to report on how a population that until then had depended on tourism, both directly and indirectly, had been profoundly disrupted by the closure of the borders.

Those who rented rooms, offered excursions or horseback rides, prepared meals, or even sold orchids—the result of widespread illegal cultivation—were then forced to reinvent themselves to the point of turning their land into vegetable gardens. This newspaper even interviewed a woman who had lost her job after the hotel closed and could not even find work cleaning houses. None of those interviewed was optimistic about escaping a predicament they had never faced before.

And they were not wrong. Despite the very slow and modest recovery in tourism following the reopening of the borders, visitor numbers plummeted, especially beginning in 2023. This continued until the final collapse in 2026, when only 450,353 international tourists arrived on the Island between January and August, 64.4% fewer than during the same period in 2025, which had already been a very bad year. The September figures will be released in a few days

As long as problems such as the lack of flights due to fuel shortages remain unresolved, along with shortages of electricity, water, and food supplies, which hotels can circumvent through investment, and the absence of managers for the facilities since most foreigners left because of the sanctions, the incentives that the press highlights for Cuban or foreign investors will do little good.

“The complexity of securing financing kept postponing the project until, in coordination with the small and medium-sized private company VitallCons, with which working ties already existed, it was decided to begin the project”

Nevertheless, the private sector is beginning to become, albeit on a very small scale for now, the national economy’s only lifeline. On Wednesday, the Las Tunas press reported on the restoration of the old railway station, which will be brought back to life as an intermodal terminal for trains, buses, and trucks, complete with a fuel station. “The complexity of securing financing kept postponing the project until, in coordination with the small and medium-sized private company VitallCons, with which working ties already existed, it was decided to begin the project,” the report explains.

The same has happened in the food sector with the Artemisa Poultry Company and Don Pereda, a medium-sized private company, which have joined forces in an association to reestablish the José Antonio Labrador farm. The facility recently suffered a shortage of animal feed, and after 29 days with no feed at all, it lost most of its poultry stock, while production fell from 28,000 eggs a day to just 38.

“With the guarantee of importing animal feed, the new management model takes responsibility for more than 80,000 laying hens, nearly 42,000 of them already adults, with the remainder being young hens awaiting their first laying cycle,” the report states. According to the article, wages have doubled, and incentive payments can reach 15,000 pesos, three times the monthly salary.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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