Translator: Regina Anavy – Page 22

A Liter of Gasoline Reaches 750 Pesos in Havana and Up to 1,200 in Holguín

The oil tanker Mia Grace, which was heading to Cuba from Africa, will instead go to the Dominican Republic
Pots and pans bang in Havana in protest against blackouts of up to 13 hours

A family cooking with kerosene on a Havana street. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, Darío Hernández, January 23, 2026 – Havana experienced a totally dark day this Thursday, Diana, a second-year veterinary student went the entire day without eating. There is no gas left in her home, where she lives with her elderly grandparents, she tells 14ymedio. “They say pots were banging. I didn’t have the strength to listen or to bang a pot myself though I certainly felt like it,” the young woman says. “To make matters worse, I had an exam today and was hungry, because there comes a point when bread doesn’t fill you up, and it’s not that cheap either. I don’t know where this is going, but I’m exhausted.”

Irma, a 40-year-old Facebook advertising promoter, recounts her ordeal: “The power goes out and the connection disappears. I caught a cold going out onto the balcony looking for a signal and hanging laundry at night, because the clothes pile up, and when the electricity comes back, it’s rush, wash, make rice, iron the kid’s uniform.” The woman says her sister, a seamstress, is pulling her hair out because she doesn’t have light to work. “They give her power for one hour during the whole day. If this keeps up, she’ll have to sleep during the day and work at night. And the worst part is that it seems like you-know-who doesn’t care.”

“Here people live however they can. Many skip meals and baths; they resign themselves,” says a resident of Guanabacoa. “Yesterday the pots were banging in several areas here, and really loud. We’ll see what happens when the heat arrives, and on top of all this is the lack of sleep.”

“Here people live however they can. Many skip meals and baths; they resign themselves.”

On the streets at night, cooking in doorways lit by candles or by the glow of a cigarette, there are neighbors who take it with as much humor as they can. “I have no electricity, I have no soap,” sings a young woman almost melodically, to the tune of Juan Gabriel, continuing: “I have no money and nothing to give.” continue reading

Several municipalities in the capital reported more than nine hours in the dark, such as Marianao, where the power was cut at 3:00 pm and by midnight they were still without electricity. In the La Güinera neighborhood of Arroyo Naranjo, residents reported up to 13 hours without power, and in La Lisa there were protests with pots and pans. “I just confirmed by a video call that they restored electricity a few minutes after the demonstration. So, a word to the wise is enough,” said journalist Mario Pentón.

Mercedes and Antonio, two retirees who live alone, couldn’t cook their peas on Tuesday until 11:00 pm, when the power finally came back after 14 hours. “It was enough to drive you crazy,” says the man, an accountant when he was working; his wife was a doctor. However, “on Wednesday the blackout was even worse.”

The fuel shortage is also evident at gas stations. Since January 10, the Ticket system has not provided the list of the 24 gas stations open in eastern Havana, which could indicate that they are all closed. The list for the western sector is still being issued; this Thursday, 5 of the 14 stations there remained open.

Several municipalities of the capital reported more than nine hours in the dark, such as Marianao, where power was cut at 3:00 pm and by midnight they were still without electricity. / 14ymedio

Meanwhile, on the informal market fuel prices are rising at a dizzying pace. In Holguín, local sources report that a liter of gasoline has reached 1,200 pesos and a can of kerosene up to 15,000. In Havana, some users say they can find gasoline on the black market for 1,000 pesos per liter, although in most places prices range between 700 and 750. In Sancti Spíritus, the product is cheaper: five liters of “kerosene for the stove,” a resident explains, cost between 1,850 and 1,900 pesos; that is, between 370 and 380 per liter.

The situation is not easing, and the ship on the horizon fades away. In a strange twist of events, the Mia Grace, the tanker that was heading to Cuba from Togo to deliver some 314,500 barrels of diesel or 280,500 of fuel oil, according to University of Texas expert Jorge Piñón, has changed course. Geolocation data that this week indicated its departure from the port of Lomé with an expected arrival in Havana on February 4 have been modified.

The vessel, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, now appears off the coast of Guinea after having departed on January 13 from Takoradi (Ghana), with destination Río Haina (Dominican Republic), where it is due to arrive on February 2. It is unknown why the route detected last Monday by Piñón has changed. He was alerted to the tanker’s destination and told 14ymedio that it could be a “spot purchase” by the state company Cubametales, sanctioned by the United States, “through a European intermediary.”

The expert noted that “Togo does not refine oil, but it exports refined petroleum products and has extensive logistics and maritime transit infrastructure.” Now the origin points to a port in Ghana, located about 500 kilometers from Lomé.

Most significant is that as of this week the UNE has stopped reporting the deficit by type of energy.

Ghana’s oil industry has consolidated in recent years as one of the most flourishing, along with gold, although it is still a mid-level African crude power, especially compared to Libya, Nigeria, or Algeria. The latter country, which maintains excellent relations with Cuba, has contributed a small amount of oil to the Island, but only around two million barrels annually, the equivalent of 18 days of national consumption.

After nearly reaching a 2,000-megawatt (MW) deficit during peak hours on Thursday—well above the announced 1,775 MW—a similar shortfall is expected this Friday. Officially, the Electric Utility (UNE) has forecast 1,970 MW, but even during average hours the figures are staggering, with 1,200 MW affected. This is almost unheard of in a context where solar parks are operating correctly. This Thursday the 49 parks generated 3,186 MWh, with a maximum output of 711 MW. These figures are enough to imagine what would happen if they were not contributing at all.

The thermoelectric plants are constantly going in and out, as if they spent the day revolving through a turnstile. This Thursday, the electric company’s posts announcing shutdowns were so numerous that users could take no more. “All those shutdowns are aimed directly at the people. Thank you very much for your efficiency,” one responded bitterly. Announcements of “offline” and “back on the system” multiplied, prompting some darkly humorous comments amid the desperation. “Whoever runs the UNE’s profile must enjoy their job; they work more than anyone else at the company. Incredible incompetence,” someone remarked.

Most significant is that as of this week the UNE has stopped reporting the deficit by type of energy. This Friday’s breakdown indicates breakdowns at units 5 and 8 of the Mariel thermoelectric plant (CTE), unit 3 of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes CTE, units 5 and 6 of Nuevitas, and unit 2 of the Felton CTE. Under maintenance are unit 2 of the Santa Cruz del Norte CTE and unit 4 of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes CTE, totaling 466 MW out of service in thermal generation. But there is a complete absence of data on the shortfall due to fuel, a figure that has been reported for months and generally exceeds 1,000 MW.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Yohandy Morales: A Cuban Face Among Puerto Rican Baseball’s Champions

With the Cangrejeros, winners of the winter league, he was selected as the Most Valuable Player

Yohandy is the son of Cuban ballplayer Andy Morales, famous for his decisive home run against the Baltimore Orioles. / Screenshot / X

14ymedio, Matanzas, Andy Lans,January 23, 2026 – On January 20, the Cangrejeros de Santurce were crowned champions of Puerto Rican winter league baseball. Standing out on that team as Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) was Yohandy Morales, son of Cuban ballplayer Andy Morales, renowned for his decisive home run against the Baltimore Orioles.

Had Andy Morales not hit that crucial home run to steer Team Cuba to victory over the Baltimore Orioles in a 1999 exhibition series, it might have been more difficult for him to sign with the New York Yankees in 2000 after escaping the island by boat. Had Andy Morales not taken to the sea in search of freedom, the life of his son Yohandy Morales, born in Miami in 2001, might have been different, and had Andy not had the opportunity to sign with Major League Baseball franchises in the United States, his experience might not have been the same in guiding Yohandy’s athletic path. Today, Yohandy is a Minor League player with the Washington Nationals.

So, in a way, if Andy Morales had not hit that home run against the Orioles, you might not be reading this article about his talented offspring.

Yohandy is trending in Puerto Rico after being crowned champion and named Finals MVP of the winter league. The lanky 24-year-old, capable of playing both first and third base, was a key piece in the Cangrejeros’ six-game victory over the Leones de Ponce in a best-of-nine championship series. Santurce thus captured its 17th title, while the Cuban American experienced a pivotal moment in honing his talent. continue reading

He posted an impressive .395 batting average in 44 official at-bats.

It is no small detail that MLB Pipeline has ranked Yohandy 21st on the Washington Nationals’ Top 50 Prospects list for 2025. Andy Morales’s son has climbed to the Triple-A level within the organization and has also received invitations to Spring Training.

But why dwell on what Morales Jr. accomplished in the Puerto Rican league? The right-handed slugger joined the team when the 2025–2026 regular season was already well underway and, even so, recorded an impressive .395 batting average in 44 official at-bats. He added eight extra-base hits, including a home run, and six runs batted in: outstanding numbers that confirmed his consistency as a contact hitter.

In the postseason, Santurce faced the Criollos de Caguas in the semifinals before being crowned champions against Ponce. Across both stages of the championship, Yohandy Morales led in hits, collecting 17 for a .386 batting average, paired with a .471 on-base percentage (OBP), eight RBIs, and six extra-base hits. Of his 12 games in the playoffs, the most memorable was Game 3 of the final, in which he went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, three RBIs, and a hit-by-pitch.

The fact that Yohandy can perform in Caribbean baseball, where the game is played “hotter” and pressure is often greater than in the Minor Leagues, sets an encouraging precedent for his professional future.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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In Cuba the Dollar Reaches 500 Pesos on the Informal Market in Holguín and Sancti Spíritus

Economist Pedro Monreal points to the failure of the floating exchange rate created by the government a month ago in its latest attempt to revalue the national currency

At the La Cuevita market in San Miguel del Padrón (Havana), the dollar was being bought at 480 CUP. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Holguín/Sancti Spíritus, Havana, Miguel García, Mercedes García, and Darío Hernández, January 22, 2026 – Just over a month after the official floating exchange rate went into effect, promising to revalue the national currency, the dollar has soared to 500 pesos in some parts of Cuba, such as Holguín. That is 10 CUP more per USD than the rate reported this Thursday by the independent platform El Toque (490) in its daily tracking of informal-market currency trading.

This was confirmed by a resident of Holguín who owns the electric tricycle he uses for work, whose electronic control box burned out. When he asked about prices, a private seller told him it cost $190. “I asked him what that was in pesos, because I didn’t have USD and had no way to get them, and after insisting that he preferred dollars, he told me the dollar was at 500 pesos.”

At the same time, mipymes [‘MSMEs’ — micro, small and medium-sized private enterprises] in the eastern city have raised prices for basic goods such as cooking oil, spaghetti, and chicken. “Starting this week, it’s going to be huge,” a Holguín resident laments ironically. Some merchants argue that inflation is precisely due to the new price of the dollar. “Due to the rise of the USD, there may be some price changes in certain products, but it’s nothing serious; we’re making an effort to keep prices as fair as possible,” they promise in a WhatsApp group.

“It’s not at all fair. They say they made the last purchase at one price for the dollar, but the next one will more expensive, so they’ll have to raise prices”

“Can you imagine? It’s not at all fair. They say they made the last purchase at one price for the dollar, but the next one will be more expensive, so they’ll have to raise prices,” the same woman says. continue reading

In Sancti Spíritus, most informal stalls are offering the dollar at the rate reported by El Toque, 490 CUP, but according to a source in the city, “there’s a mipyme that’s taking it at 500.” Meanwhile, in Havana, in most neighborhoods the dollar can be found at 490 pesos, but two days ago, at the La Cuevita market in San Miguel del Padrón, it was being bought at 480.

That same Tuesday, Cuban economist Pedro Monreal documented the failure of the most recent exchange-rate measures, comparing them to preparations for the “war of the whole people,” announced after the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the U. S. in Caracas and the death of 32 Cuban soldiers in the operation. “Exactly one month passed between the announcement of a new official floating exchange rate and the notification of the analysis and approval of plans and measures for the ‘transition to a State of War’ in Cuba,” tweeted the specialist, who lives in Spain. “So far, the floating rate is fighting a losing battle.”

For now, Monreal continued, the peso “has depreciated 3.9% against the USD under the floating rate, failing to meet the government’s expectation that the ‘new official foreign-exchange market’ would help restore the purchasing power of the national currency.”

In effect, when the Central Bank of Cuba (BCC) launched without prior notice an official floating exchange rate on December 18, to be added to the other two operating in the country: one at 1×24 for centralized state allocations for goods and services deemed essential, and another at 1×120 for certain “entities with the capacity to generate foreign currency,” such as tourism. The government presented it as the start of a transformation of the foreign-exchange market aimed at “bringing order” to the economy and moving toward future monetary unification.

In practice, however, the Island entered an even more complex stage of exchange-rate segmentation amid the worst economic crisis in decades. It quickly became evident that the population was ignoring the official rate, which was paradoxically very close to El Toque’s, against which the government had waged a harsh propaganda campaign months earlier, and they continued exchanging dollars on the informal market.

The peso “has depreciated 3.9% against the USD under the floating rate, failing to meet the government’s expectations”

In the following weeks, it could be seen that at state-run currency exchange offices (Cadeca), where dollars are virtually nonexistent and where the dollar was theoretically selling this Thursday at 457.92 pesos, only elderly people came to collect their pensions.

On January 9, yet another policy was added to the already convoluted exchange-rate market. The BCC opened a banking channel allowing private mipymes to legally purchase foreign currency through banks, but under very strict rules.

Thus, purchases by these private entrepreneurs can only be made based on the new floating rate, only once a month, and without being able to choose the amount. The amount is calculated by the bank by taking the average of what the mipyme deposited into its tax account over the previous three months, using only half of that money and converting it at the floating exchange rate in effect at the time.

In practice, this means that if a mipyme has had low or irregular income, it will be able to buy very few dollars, even if it urgently needs them to import raw materials, pay for services, or fulfill contracts. And if the business is just starting and does not yet have an income history, it could simply be left out altogether.

The BCC also made it clear that the entire process would be “bankarized.” Cuban pesos must be debited from the tax account, and the purchased foreign currency can only be deposited into the economic actor’s own foreign-currency account. No cash, no informal transfers, and no room for maneuver. Before approving the transaction, the bank will review the client’s identity, accounts, and the origin of the funds, as part of the controls that currently weigh on any economic activity on the Island.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Cuban Government Blames Trump for Its Failure To Pay Its Paris Club Creditors

The countries acknowledge the Island’s efforts and highlight the importance of maintaining “the ties achieved”

The Cuban delegation met in the French capital with representatives of the Paris Club. / PL

14ymedio / EFE, Havana, January 22, 2026 – The Cuban government met with its main creditors in the Paris Club to take stock of the agreement signed a year earlier to restructure its debt payments.

According to a note in the official press, the delegation, headed by Vice Prime Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva, met in Paris with representatives of more than a dozen countries that acknowledged the Island’s “efforts” to comply with its debt repayment commitments.

The Cuban side laid out the “complex” economic and financial situation facing the Island, which it attributed to six decades of U.S. sanctions, “a policy intensified to unprecedented levels since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025.”

The Paris Club agreed with Cuba, the note says, on the importance of maintaining “the constructive ties achieved” over the past year.

In January 2025, the Cuban authorities and the Paris Club agreed to modify the terms of the 2021 and 2015 agreements in light of Cuba’s inability to meet its obligations. continue reading

The Cuban authorities and the Paris Club agreed in January 2025 to modify the terms of the 2021 and 2015 agreements in light of Cuba’s inability to meet its obligations

In a statement, the group of creditors indicated that the new pact offered Havana “more favorable conditions to address its economic and financial difficulties in the coming years,” as well as the possibility of “preserving” the financial relations between the parties.

In 2015, Cuba signed a historic agreement with the Paris Club, which forgave $8.5 billion of a total debt of $11 billion, with Havana committing to repay the remaining amount in installments through 2023.

However, following partial defaults in 2019 and 2020, the Island declared itself unable to make the corresponding payments and requested a two-year moratorium on a total of about $200 million in overdue payments. The Paris Club agreed only to delay the deadlines by one year, though with the possibility of renegotiation.

In mid-2021, the parties agreed on an additional extension for the commitments undertaken in 2015, but Cuba’s economy has only continued to deteriorate at a rapid pace.

The Paris Club includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

In addition, the Island has substantial debts with other states, as well as countless private companies from various countries.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The U.S. Prioritizes the Search for a “Traitor” in Cuba To Bring Down the Regime This Year

According to The Wall Street Journal, Washington is trying to replicate what was done in Venezuela with Delcy Rodríguez

Some analysts believe it will be very difficult to find someone on the Council of Ministers willing to break with the regime. / Presidency

14ymedio, Madrid, January 22, 2026 – The administration of Donald Trump is looking for its Cuban Delcy. As revealed exclusively by the New York–based Wall Street Journal (WSJ), White House sources say the U.S. government is seeking a high-ranking official on the Island capable of reaching an agreement with Washington before the end of the year. The move would replicate what happened in Venezuela, although several analysts believe that finding a “traitor” in Cuba could be very complicated.

“These guys are much tougher nuts to crack,” Ricardo Zúñiga, a former U.S. official who was key to the “thaw” and also worked with the Trump administration, told the newspaper. “No one would be tempted to collaborate with the United States.” The expert had already expressed a similar view to The New York Times in a report speculating about that option. In the same piece, Michael Bustamante, a professor of History at Florida International University, said: “Cuba is much more of a one-party state, something Venezuela never was.”

According to the WSJ, there is a sense of encouragement in Trump’s inner circle after managing to remove Maduro from power, which is spurring them to continue against the Cuban regime, weaker than ever after the loss of its preferred partner. “In meetings with Cuban exiles and civic groups in Miami and Washington, they have focused on identifying someone within the current government who realizes what is coming and is willing to reach an agreement,” a U.S. official told the New York daily.

“In meetings with Cuban exiles and civic groups in Miami and Washington, they have focused on identifying someone within the current government who realizes what is coming and is willing to reach an agreement”

These words align with the message Trump posted on his social network, Truth, on January 11, when he urged the Island’s regime continue reading

to reach an agreement “before it’s too late.” It was the same day he said there would be no more oil or money for Cuba and that talks with Havana were already under way. President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez categorically denied any dialogue and also reiterated through official media that this is U.S. propaganda aimed at sowing distrust.

The WSJ maintains that Trump is not in favor of “past regime-change strategies” and prefers any option other than a military one. “As in Venezuela, this could look like an escalation of pressure, while at the same time indicating that the White House is open to negotiating an exit,” said its source.

The U.S. has assessed the state of the Cuban economy as catastrophic, something that could worsen due to the lack of oil. The electricity deficit this Wednesday approached 2,000 megawatts, more than 60% of national demand, although this has not prevented Mexico from continuing to send crude to the Island. Among the theories most cited by analysts is that Pemex has been exporting sporadic amounts and not regular shipments like Caracas, so cutting that flow is not as indispensable. Moreover, a complete fuel shortage would cause the Island to collapse, with a possible mass exodus as a consequence, something Washington wants to avoid at all costs.

But beyond oil, the U.S. has set its sights on Cuban medical missions, the sector that still provides the regime with its largest revenues. Although the amount has fallen sharply since the cancellation of Mais Médicos in Brazil, there are still lucrative contracts abroad that Washington is trying to cancel by threatening to suspend visas for authorities who sign such agreements. The strategy has already succeeded in some Caribbean countries, such as Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Grenada.

“The rulers of Cuba are incompetent Marxists who have destroyed their country and have suffered a major setback with [the capture of] Maduro, whom they are responsible for supporting,” commented a White House official, who insisted on the idea of an agreement.

The State Department has also stressed that it is a matter of national security for the Island “to be governed by a democratic government and to refuse to host the military and intelligence services of our adversaries.”

The newspaper reviews some of the failed U.S. attempts to bring down the Castro regime, “including the CIA-backed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, to a severe embargo imposed in 1962, which became stricter over time,” although it has been eased by authorizing the export of all kinds of food to the Island.

“Cuba is a Stalinist one-party state that bans political opposition and where civil society barely exists, while Venezuela has an opposition movement, protests, and elections that used to be frequent”

The WSJ believes this reinforces the view that a negotiated exit is the only option, but it does not appear optimistic in that regard. “Cuba is a Stalinist one-party state that bans political opposition and where civil society barely exists, while Venezuela has an opposition movement, protests, and elections that used to be frequent,” the article notes.

The text also discusses how recent events in Venezuela have energized Cuban-American lawmakers, who dream of an immediate end to the regime and make no effort to hide it by posting memes on social media showing Marco Rubio himself driving a convertible through a renewed Havana.

Nevertheless, it insists that the Island’s government “has demonstrated great mastery in repressing dissent among an impoverished population” and recalls that there have been only two significant mobilizations in more than 60 years: the Maleconazo of 1994 and the Island-wide protests of 11 July 2021, known as ’11J’.

As for the warlike fervor displayed by the Island’s authorities, former Democratic congressman Joe García told the WSJ: “It’s theater. It’s a country that can’t collect its garbage and pretends it’s preparing for a conflict with the neighboring superpower.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Health Authorities Investigate a Possible Hepatitis Outbreak in Ciego De Ávila

So far there are no official data on the cases under study

For more than six months, the Island has been facing outbreaks of hepatitis and arboviruses. / Granma

14ymedio, Havana, January 21, 2026 – Health authorities in Ciego de Ávila reported this Tuesday, through official media, that they are investigating several suspected cases of hepatitis detected in different municipalities of the province.

The information was confirmed by Dr. José Luis López González, deputy director of Epidemiology at the Provincial Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology, who explained that after the first patients with symptoms compatible with the disease were detected, the protocols established by the health system were activated.

However, no official figures have been provided on how many people are under investigation or which areas may be the most affected. According to the official, samples are being taken and laboratory analyses conducted to identify the type of hepatitis involved and determine its possible origin.

At the same time, technical teams are carrying out investigations in the communities where the patients live, with the aim of identifying common risk factors. Among the hypotheses being considered are problems with the water supply or deficiencies in food handling, frequent causes continue reading

of digestive- transmission diseases on the Island.

No official figures have been provided on how many people are under investigation or which areas may be the most affected

For more than six months, the Island has been facing outbreaks of hepatitis and arboviruses; in 2025, the health situation has been the most critical since the time of Covid. This situation has overwhelmed the hospital and funeral systems. According to estimates by the Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory, the epidemic may have caused around 8,700 deaths, a figure far higher than that officially acknowledged. In light of this scenario, foreign governments, including Spain’s, recommended that their citizens not travel to the Island without prior vaccination.

The situation is well known in every corner of the Island: garbage piling up for days, dirty streets, constant failures in water and electricity supply, a poorly nourished population, and a general deterioration in living conditions. Amid the economic and social collapse the country is experiencing, this scenario has become the perfect breeding ground for the spread of disease.

As investigations into this possible outbreak continue, the Government called on the population to step up personal hygiene measures, such as frequent handwashing, drinking boiled or chlorinated water, and proper food preparation. It also recommends seeking medical attention if symptoms appear, such as yellowing of the skin and eyes, fever, nausea, or abdominal pain.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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China Sends Cuba $80 Million in Aid, Rice, and Aspirin

The Chinese ambassador says the business model for the photovoltaic parks donated by China is being developed and modified

The Chinese ambassador met this Tuesday with Miguel Díaz-Canel to convey information from his government. / Granma

14ymedio, Madrid, January 21, 2026 – There are no precise details about China’s new financial aid for Cuba, although the amount and its main destination are known. The package is valued at $80 million for “the acquisition of electrical equipment and other urgent needs.” The ambassador himself, Hua Xin, met with President Miguel Díaz-Canel to inform him that he had received “instructions from his government to convey this information to the Cuban side,” the official State newspaper Granma reports.

The diplomat explained that this proposal is the result of meetings held between authorities from both countries, especially Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez and China’s Special Envoy for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, Qiu Xiaoqi. He also cited Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, and the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy.

The parties agreed, said Hua Xin, to “designate an executive company” for this task, which explains the meetings with Pérez-Oliva.

What little the information reveals suggests that both were key to the aid, since China has decided to change the method under which projects are being carried out using the donations of 200 megawatts of photovoltaic capacity and 5,000 solar panels for homes in hard-to-reach areas. continue reading

The parties agreed, said Hua Xin, to “designate an executive company” for this task, the reason for the meetings with Pérez-Oliva.

In March 2025, the authorities announced that the Island planned to build 22 photovoltaic parks with a Chinese donation, seven of which already had “the initial endowment to begin construction,” although it was indicated they would contribute 120 MW. The project now under discussion is apparently independent of the 92 solar parks being built under contract with two Chinese companies. China has not specified, however, why it decided to “modify the method” for developing the projects.

In addition, after yesterday’s meeting with the Chinese ambassador, Díaz-Canel highlighted the “intense activity” being carried out by Hua Xin, making specific mention of the donation of 60,000 tons of rice that will arrive from China in the coming weeks. This Monday, Santiago de Cuba and Havana each received an initial delivery of 2,400 tons, with a ceremony held in Havana.

The Cuban leader also spoke of “Phase Four of the digital transformation program being carried out with Chinese support, everything that has been achieved in the high-definition television project and other technologies in which progress has been made.”

The last time Díaz-Canel was in China, in September 2025, few concrete agreements became public, unlike his previous trip in 2022, when he secured a donation of $100 million.

However, the president did bring back a biopharmaceutical collaboration for a new, 81-milligram aspirin, a drug used as a daily therapy to prevent heart disease and strokes. The medication would reach Cuba through “the transfer of technology from Medsol Laboratories to the Chinese company Hubei C&C, in Wuhan.”

Cuba received the first shipment on Tuesday; the boxes were shown but not the quantity. The drug is “intended to meet the demand of the Basic List of Medicines,” BioCubaFarma indicated.

“This mechanism,” the company adds, “uses part of the profits generated by sales of PPG [Cuban Polycosanol, a natural drug], the flagship product of the Cuban entity involved, to ensure the stability of the supply of this key medication for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Cuban Regime Prepares for the ‘War of the Entire People’

Instead of dialogue, Havana bets on the rhetoric of confrontation and updates its “plans and measures for the transition to a State of War”

By turning neighborhoods, communities, and citizens into an active part of the defensive apparatus, the doctrine transforms civilians into legitimate targets under the rules of war. / Facebook / Central Army

14ymedio, Havana, January 18, 2026 — The approval of the “plans and measures for the transition to a State of War,” announced tersely by the Cuban state press, marks a new turn in the regime’s confrontational rhetoric at one of the most fragile moments in the island’s recent history. With no details, no dates, and no public explanations, the National Defense Council once again resorted to one of the most extreme notions of Cuba’s political-military apparatus, historically associated with scenarios of external threat and, above all, with the suspension of any margin of civilian normalcy.

The note published by Cubadebate merely reports that the decision was taken “in compliance with the activities planned for Defense Day” and as part of the “War of the Entire People.” There is no reference whatsoever to the practical implications of this step, nor is it indicated whether this is a theoretical exercise, a partial drill, or a scenario the government considers plausible in the short term. It is also unclear whether it is being formally instituted or whether it is simply a review of protocols to be applied if and when a decision is made.

Cuban law formally reserves the declaration of a State of War to the National Assembly or, failing that, to the Council of State, while the president and the National Defense Council concentrate the real and operational direction of the process. This legal architecture allows the regime to activate states of exception with scant parliamentary oversight and no public transparency, reinforcing the centralized and militarized nature of power in times of crisis. It implies the highest degree of militarization of the country, the subordination of civilian structures to defense bodies, and the possibility of restricting rights and freedoms that are already quite limited.

The so-called War of the Entire People, according to the definition found in EcuRed and in official Cuban military doctrine, is a strategic conception formulated by Fidel Castro that deliberately blurs continue reading

the boundary between combatants and civilians. Under this approach, in the face of a large-scale military aggression, not only would the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Militias act, but the entire society would be incorporated into the war effort, with functions assigned by territory and no clear distinction between military defense and civilian life.

The forced militarization of the civilian population contravenes the principle of distinction set out in the Geneva Conventions

From the perspective of international humanitarian law, this conception is problematic. The forced militarization of the civilian population contravenes the principle of distinction enshrined in the Geneva Conventions and reiterated by bodies such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, which establishes the obligation to protect the civilian population and separate it from military objectives.

By turning neighborhoods, communities, and citizens into an active part of the defensive apparatus, the doctrine not only exposes civilians to direct combat risks, but transforms them into legitimate targets under the rules of war, effectively nullifying their civilian status and shifting onto society the human cost of a strategy designed by the political-military power.

The term State of War has appeared since the early years of the revolutionary regime and is linked to moments of greatest international tension. During the October Crisis of 1962 [called in the United States “The Cuban Missile Crisis”], although it was never formally proclaimed, the country was de facto placed in an equivalent situation: general mobilization, absolute control of information, and the total suspension of ordinary civilian life.

Later, the notion reappeared explicitly in Cuban military doctrine and in legislation associated with national defense. The National Defense Law and the regulations of the Defense Council establish that, in the face of a scenario of external aggression or imminent threat, the country may transition to a State of War, which activates a strictly military chain of command and grants extraordinary powers to the Executive.

In practice, this figure serves to justify exceptional controls over the population, the economy, and internal mobility. It is not merely about preparing for an armed conflict, but about reinforcing political control in contexts of crisis.

The announcement by the Defense Council comes amid a regional escalation following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. troops in Caracas, a strategic blow that has left Havana without its main political and financial ally. The official confirmation that dozens of Cuban military personnel and agents were operating in Venezuela, even within the security ring of the deposed leader, revealed an involvement the regime had repeatedly denied.

Cuba’s population faces a daily emergency that already resembles a state of war, with prolonged blackouts, crumbling infrastructure, extreme shortages of food and medicine, and outbreaks of preventable diseases

Since then, Cuba’s top leadership has reappeared in public wearing military uniforms, intensified its anti-imperialist discourse, and revived a besieged-fortress narrative that seemed worn out even to its own propagandists. The Defense Council itself, chaired by Miguel Díaz-Canel, has remained in permanent session since the onset of the Venezuelan crisis.

The tutelary presence of Raúl Castro, who “was kept informed” of the meeting and described it as “good and efficient,” reinforces the idea that key strategic decisions continue to pass through the historic military apparatus, beyond formal titles.

While the regime speaks of war, the population faces a daily emergency that already resembles a state of war, with prolonged blackouts, infrastructure in ruins, extreme shortages of food and medicine, outbreaks of preventable diseases, and inflation that devours wages and pensions. The repatriation of the remains of 32 Cuban military personnel killed in Venezuela during the capture of Nicolás Maduro was used as an emotional catalyst to reactivate an epic discourse that contrasts brutally with the precariousness of daily life.

The State of War, in this context, functions more as a political instrument than as a response to a concrete threat. It serves to rally the elite, justify closing ranks, divert attention from economic collapse, and warn citizens that any protest can be interpreted as an affront to national defense.

It is unknown which sectors would be mobilized, what economic measures would be activated, or what impact it would have on civilian life. That lack of information is part of the design, because keeping the population in uncertainty is also a form of control.

At the same time, the regime insists that it is willing to engage in “dialogue” with the United States, as long as it does not entail political concessions. However, the recourse to a State of War suggests the opposite: a bet on confrontation and on the survival of power at any cost.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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With Tourists Gone, Bookstores in Matanzas, Cuba Are on Life Support

In the “Athens of Cuba,” as in the rest of the country, “you can’t think about books when there isn’t enough for food”

Sparse foot traffic and shelves left untouched for days are the norm. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Matanzas, Pablo Padilla Cruz, January 19, 2026 — The collapse of tourism and the erosion of purchasing power have left Matanzas’ bookstores, especially those aimed at foreign visitors, on the brink of disappearance. Empty book stalls, nonexistent sales, and permanent closures paint a picture in which the book has become a dispensable item.

In the central Plaza de la Vigía, where imprints such as Ediciones Vigía and Ediciones Casa de las Américas converge, the scene repeats itself. There is little foot traffic, and the shelves remain untouched for days. Workers confirm that sales depend almost exclusively on tourism, which is now practically absent.

María Elena, who runs a mobile stall selling magazines and books from Casa de las Américas, explains that her offerings are designed for foreign visitors. “The drop in tourism affects me a lot. Sometimes small groups pass by, but the guides don’t let them stop,” she says. According to her, many tour operators prevent visitors from buying in places where they don’t receive a commission. “It’s normal to go a whole week without anyone even looking,” she adds. The worker fears that a possible closure of the plaza would leave her “in a kind of job limbo.”

The crisis has also hit long-standing private initiatives. / 14ymedio

A similar scenario played out until recently in Varadero, where a small bookstore specializing in foreign-language titles steadily saw its sales decline until it closed. Today, on Google, the business appears with an unmistakable notice: “closed indefinitely.” Two different places, but the same cause. The audience they catered to has vanished. continue reading

The crisis has also struck long-standing private initiatives. In 2012, Bayón, a retired professor, opened a bookstore in the living room of his home, one block from Parque de la Libertad. He sold books on consignment and managed to turn his passion for literature into a supplementary income. After his death, the living-room bookstore closed forever, though even before that it had been going through a steady decline.

“I hardly sell anything anymore. You can’t think about books when there isn’t enough for food,” he said shortly before he died. After the forced closure during the pandemic, the situation did not improve. “People look, they want to buy, but they can’t afford it. We all lose: them, me, and culture,” he summed up at the time. That day ended with the sale of a volume of poems by Rabindranath Tagore, the only one of the day and the last he would personally make.

Public libraries have not escaped the deterioration either. With intermittent closures and minimal attendance, many have had to reinvent themselves as venues for fairs, occasional sales, or activities unrelated to reading. Flor, a regular at the gatherings dedicated to Carilda Oliver Labra, recounts that after the poet’s death they managed to keep a monthly literary meeting going at the provincial library. “We always talk about what it means to be from Matanzas and spend a pleasant afternoon. Carilda is gone, but her spirit is with us,” she says.

Public libraries have not escaped the deterioration. With intermittent closures and minimal attendance, many have had to reinvent themselves. / 14ymedio

“It’s sad that such a great source of knowledge is empty. When a library’s main activity is selling bonsai trees or holding one discussion group a month, something isn’t working,” Flor laments. In Matanzas’ historic center there are at least five bookstores, all of them practically deserted. The contrast is stark when compared to grocery stores, gas distribution points, or any space tied to daily survival.

The problem, workers and readers agree, goes beyond culture. In a province and a country marked by precariousness, reading is seen as a luxury or a waste of time. Buying a book is, for many, an unjustifiable expense. Under that logic, libraries become symbolic spaces, and bookstores, even those in the best locations, turn into empty premises that serve only as landmarks when giving directions.

Matanzas continues to present itself as the “Athens of Cuba,” but reality contradicts the slogan. Without readers, without sales, and without policies to restore the value of books, literature is relegated to nostalgia, and the bookstores point, one after the ofher, to the sign that says “closed indefinitely.”

Translated by Regina Anavy
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Mourning, Propaganda, and a Survivor’s Version That Doesn’t Fit the Regime’s Epic Narrative

Colonel Pedro Yadín reveals that the officers were asleep and were attacked with “bombs and drones”

The survivor’s testimony paints a different picture: an opaque mission, with insufficient weapons, on foreign territory. / Juventud Rebelde

14ymedio, Havana,January 16, 2026 –- Havana once again deployed its political liturgy this Friday following the death of the 32 Cubans who fell in Caracas during the capture of Nicolás Maduro. At the Anti-Imperialist Tribune, facing the Malecón, the tribute ceremony functioned as a platform for ideological reaffirmation and political warning at a moment of evident internal fragility for the regime.

From the stage, the First Secretary of the Communist Party, Miguel Díaz-Canel, insisted that there would be no negotiation with the United States “on the basis of coercion.” Cuba, he said, is willing to engage in dialogue, but only “on equal terms and on the basis of mutual respect.” The speech, reported in excerpts by the official press, relied on a rhetoric of epic resistance, threats of external aggression, and closed calls for unity.

According to the president, the January 3 operation opened “a new era of barbarism, plunder, and neo-fascism” and was a hard blow to the Cuban government, which experienced “very bitter hours” of “indignation and impotence.” Venezuela, Havana’s main political ally and commercial partner for more than two decades, once again occupied the symbolic center of the official narrative, now under the banner of sacrifice.

However, the martial tone of the ceremony clashed abruptly with one of the most widely cited testimonies by the state press itself. It came from Colonel Pedro Yadín Domínguez, one of the survivors. His account, published by the State newspaper Granma and broadcast in a television interview, introduces fissures that are difficult to reconcile with the heroic version the regime continue reading

is trying to impose.

The statement is uncomfortable for a narrative that insists the 32 Cubans “fought back with gunfire” and died in combat

“We were sleeping, resting in the early morning hours,” the colonel told the cameras. “We barely had any weaponry,” he added, explaining that the group was performing support functions for the security of the Venezuelan president and was not in a combat posture. The attack, he said, was “disproportionate,” involving planes, bombs, drones, and Apache helicopters against a group that was neither on alert nor armed to resist.

The statement is uncomfortable for a narrative that insists the 32 Cubans “fought back with gunfire” and died in combat, as stated in the first communiqué announcing their deaths and declaring a period of national mourning. The image of heroic combat dissolves when the speaker is a senior officer of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, seated in a wheelchair, describing a night of rest interrupted by a bombardment.

While Díaz-Canel evoked the Sierra Maestra, Africa, and even Caracas as stages of a single historical feat, the colonel’s testimony sketched another picture: that of an opaque mission, without sufficient weapons, on foreign soil, and an attack that caught the personnel while they were asleep.

The propaganda machinery has tried to compensate for that void with overacting. On State TV’s Mesa Redonda official commentator Oliver Zamora raised the tone to the point of boasting. He claimed that the United States “had to kill” the 32 Cubans with a “tremendous” display of brute force, and that it even took hours to do so. For Zamora, the fact demonstrated Washington’s inability to “understand” a country like Cuba, hardened by decades of confrontation.

The profusion of images from the events and ceremonies has also served to expose numerous repressors

While the propagandist speaks of fierce resistance and enemies incapable of subduing Cubans, the surviving colonel insists they were practically defenseless and without adequate weaponry. One sells epic heroism; the other describes vulnerability.

The rift also spilled into the digital space. On YouTube, under the interview with the colonel, a user identified as @Jcontre3000 wrote: “We saw that coward in the videos of Venezuelan soldiers crying and running away; that’s why he’s alive. A coward dies a thousand times, and this one is a coward.” The comment, far from anecdotal, exposes the level of polarization and distrust that surrounds even official testimonies.

The profusion of images from the events and ceremonies has also served to expose numerous repressors. Several Cuban activists have identified among the crowd agents of State Security responsible for interrogations, harassment, and episodes of direct repression. This is significant, because these individuals rarely show their faces on social networks or on official media.

Among those who have identified these officials is activist Laura Vargas, who has documented and denounced episodes of surveillance and unauthorized access to her accounts as part of the digital repression exercised against critical voices. The artist Hamlet Lavastida has done the same; he is known for his cultural and political opposition to the regime and for having been detained and sanctioned as a prisoner of conscience due to his works and public actions. The images have also revealed former power figures fallen from grace, such as former foreign minister Felipe Pérez Roque.

At the event, Díaz-Canel again called for “closing ranks” and warned that if attacked, Cuba would defend itself “fiercely.” “They would have to kidnap millions or wipe this archipelago off the map,” he said. But beyond the slogans, the tribute laid bare a tension the regime has been unable to resolve: the distance between the rhetoric of permanent war and the reality of silent, poorly explained, and deadly missions, whose details emerge only when a survivor steps outside the script.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Second Shipment of US Aid for Those Affected by Hurricane Melissa Arrives in Santiago de Cuba

This shipment includes 528 non-perishable food kits and 660 personal hygiene kits.

The arrival of aid from the United States has generated reactions and controversy. / Caritas Cuba

14ymedio, Havana, January 16, 2026 — The city of Santiago de Cuba received on Friday the second shipment of humanitarian aid from the U.S. intended for families affected by Hurricane Melissa in several provinces in the eastern part of the country. On this occasion, the cargo includes 528 kits of non-perishable food and 660 personal hygiene kits, according to Cáritas, the Catholic Church organization in charge of distributing the aid. In its statement, the institution described the shipments as “a gesture of charity and solidarity whose goal is to alleviate some of the needs in the communities that suffered the greatest impact from the weather phenomenon.”

As warned two days ago by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, when the first plane carrying the aid promised to the Island departed from Miami after the cyclone, the U.S. is coordinating the assistance through the Catholic Church “to ensure that the aid reaches the Cuban people directly, not the illegitimate regime.” The supplies received this Friday will initially be transported to the community of El Cobre, from where their distribution to prioritized families will be coordinated, with the support of local volunteers.

The U.S. is coordinating the aid through the Catholic Church “to ensure that the aid reaches directly to the Cuban people.”

Both this shipment and the previous one, which arrived on Wednesday in the province of Holguín, are part of the Trump administration’s pledge to provide three million dollars’ worth of assistance to those affected by the cyclone. The shipments are expected to reach about 6,000 families, or 24,000 people. continue reading

International organizations such as Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Germany have participated in both operations, supporting the logistics and financing of the aid.

The arrival of assistance from the U.S. has generated reactions and controversy. From Havana, Cuban authorities have reiterated their rejection of any political use of the aid, although they have said they do not oppose receiving donations. At the same time, they have resented “learning about it” through Cáritas, even though the information has been public at all times.

Hurricane Melissa caused severe damage in the eastern part of the country, affecting tens of thousands of homes and basic service networks such as electricity and water supply. Although no fatalities were officially reported, the region has not been able to recover. The arrival of these aid shipments seeks to alleviate, at least partially, the situation of families still facing the consequences of the cyclone. The provinces that will benefit from this assistance are Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Granma, and Guantánamo.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Sánchez Joins Pagés and Estrada in Declining to Play for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic

The Toronto Blue Jays told Sánchez he must start in Triple-A, with Buffalo

14ymedio, Havana, January 15, 2026 — Ballplayer Rafael Sánchez will not be with Cuba in the World Baseball Classic. The Toronto Blue Jays, who signed him in 2023 for $350,000, suggested that he focus on having a strong spring training for the upcoming season. According to journalist Francys Romero, the Holguín native must report to the Triple-A level of the minor leagues with the Buffalo affiliate. His agent, Carlos Pérez, informed him of the decision.

Sánchez had a brief stint this winter with the Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico. He pitched five innings in which he did not allow a run, gave up only three hits, and struck out seven batters.

The Holguín pitcher thus joins Andy Pagés and Lázaro Estrada, weakening the core roster of manager Germán Mesa. The specialized outlet Pelota Cubana USA noted that the pitcher from the Canadian team “was one of the possible starters” for the so-called Team Asere at the event, which will take place in March with the participation of the top Major League stars.

For its part, Al Bat magazine warned that Pagés’s absence was a trigger for other athletes. The Artemisa native had expressed his intention to join the Cuban national team, but the Los Angeles Dodgers denied him permission. “His absence is a hard blow for Cuba. His ability to continue reading

‘clear the fence’ and his defensive skills are qualities anyone would want to have in an event of this magnitude.”

The absences have also revealed a lack of communication by official federation officials with the players who were called up. Pagés himself, before the refusal, said he did not know what the coach’s plans were. The same is true of Emmanuel Chapman, another player on the list, who said late last December that no one had asked him whether he was “available.”

In an attempt to put together a core team, Cuba will take part in the Americas Series in Venezuela from February 6 to 13, with a roster made up of several players from the list of 35 submitted to the World Baseball Classic organizers.

That will be followed by a stay in Nicaragua, where the team will play exhibition games against opponents yet to be determined. In addition, the preparation schedule includes two more games during spring training in Arizona: the first against the Kansas City Royals on March 3, and the next day against the Cincinnati Reds.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Hundreds Line Up for Chikungunya Aftermath Consultations in Cuba

After long waits, patients are given appointments more than ten days later

Most of those waiting outside Havana’s Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery were over 60. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, Juan Diego Rodríguez / Darío Hernández, January 15, 2026 — Berta has just managed to get an appointment, after trying for almost a month, at Havana’s Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, one of the places where the government has launched a specialized clinic for people recovering from the chikungunya virus. She will be seen in ten days.

Infected in early October, the woman, a resident of Centro Habana, spent several weeks bedridden, immobilized by pain. When the fever subsided, she still couldn’t go outside and had to borrow a wheelchair. More than three months later she is better, but she continues to suffer many aftereffects. “I can’t sleep; I spend my nights awake with pain in my hands and knees,” she told 14ymedio.

Since the Ministry of Public Health announced on December 22 the start of care for patients with chikungunya sequelae at the Neurological Institute, Berta’s husband had been trying to get her a spot, but he only succeeded two days ago.

“The first time the doctor sees you in the clinic, they give you medication, but if you then need physical therapy, they send you somewhere else”

Every day, hundreds of people relentlessly form a line to request appointments at the institution, located in El Vedado on 29th Street between F and D. This Wednesday, 14ymedio witnessed two lines: one to request an appointment and another for consultations. The first moved along fairly well; the second barely budged. “I’ve been here since 7:00, and from 8:00 when they opened until noon only four people had gone through,” said an elderly woman who was waiting. “This is far too slow.”

Appointments are being scheduled for roughly 15 days out. “The first time the doctor sees you in the clinic, they give you medication, but then, if you need physical therapy, they refer you elsewhere,” explained another woman, younger than the first. Most of the doctors observed were young and foreign. By contrast, most of those waiting were over 60. continue reading

“I’m hopeful they can help me, even though my husband doesn’t believe it,” Berta says. “At least on the news they say this actually works.”

Indeed, the information disseminated by official media could not be more optimistic. They promise the design of “personalized physical therapy programs to promote rehabilitation and a rapid return to daily and work activities.” The service, the Ministry of Health explained, is intended “for the management of neuropathic pain, joint disorders, and paresthesias,” some of the consequences suffered by chikungunya patients, in some cases chronically.

A crowd outside the doors of Havana’s Neurological Institute. / 14ymedio

“Our objective is to evaluate and treat each case individually, facilitating a path toward functional recovery and an improvement in quality of life,” promised Orestes López Piloto, director of the Institute of Neurology. The project is being carried out by a multidisciplinary team made up of neurologists, neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists, and physical therapists, the Ministry also assured.

In addition, health authorities painted a picture that included sophisticated studies such as CT scans, ultrasounds, and even “specialized anesthetic interventions” to relieve aftereffects. Asked about this, López Piloto said they could not know the exact number of people who would seek care, but that the Institute had the necessary resources. “The strength of our health system allows us to organize this kind of response,” he asserted.

The long wait outside the facility seems to contradict that claim.

“At least they have a clinic,” objects Amauri, a resident of Ciego de Ávila. “Here, those of us who had the virus are left with nothing but patience.” He, his partner, and his mother contracted the disease in November and still suffer its consequences. “In the mornings I wake up with numb hands; I have to move them a lot just to function halfway decently,” he confesses.

“In the mornings I wake up with numb hands; I have to move them a lot just to function halfway decently”

According to the Pan American Health Organization, based on official Cuban statistics, a total of 65 people have died from chikungunya and dengue. However, statistical calculations by the Cuban Observatory of Citizen Auditing and Cuba Siglo 21 place the figure at 8,700 people.

Most of the deaths in the official registry are minors. Within this age group, the most vulnerable are newborns, whose lives are at risk if they fall ill.

In 2025, 51,217 cases of chikungunya and 30,692 of dengue were recorded. The epidemic, as happened with covid-19, has exposed the fragility of the health system, once an emblem of the Revolution. In addition to the lack of medications and the deterioration of health facilities, there has been a 27% decrease in the number of doctors in just five years, from 103,835 in 2020 to 75,364 in 2024.

The challenge, wrote Periódico 26 this Thursday, is to find “the keys through a sound line of research in order to impact the recovery of patients experiencing aftereffects” of arboviral disease. Authorities still do not see things clearly. One of the measures has been to promote trials with Jusvinza, also known as Cigb-258, a drug created more than a decade ago by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) as an immune system modulator, originally intended for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and which has not yet proven effective for those recovering from chikungunya.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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“A Device With “Russian Components” May Be the Cause of Havana Syndrome

The Pentagon purchased the device in the final days of the Biden administration for a sum exceeding “eight figures,” U.S. media report

The emergence of these health incidents among U.S. and Canadian diplomats in Havana was one of the reasons the thaw initiated by Barack Obama failed / EFE

14ymedio, Madrid, January 14, 2026 — The U.S. government has spent a year testing a secretly acquired device that could be responsible for the mysterious symptoms known as Havana Syndrome. This was reported by U.S. media outlets such as CNN and CBS News, citing several knowledgeable sources, in separate reports published on Tuesday.

According to one of these sources, the device emits pulsed radio waves, the type of energy that some specialists have identified as the possible cause of the incidents, which affected hundreds of U.S. diplomats deployed not only in Cuba but also in other parts of the world. The same sources say the device, which is about the size of a backpack, “has Russian components,” although it “is not exclusively of Russian origin.”

The device, the reports continue, was purchased by a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) using Department of Defense funds in the final days of the administration of former President Joe Biden for a multimillion-dollar sum that exceeded “eight figures,” although the sources did not disclose the exact amount.

“The device is still under study and there is an ongoing debate”

Both CNN and CBS sought confirmation from the Pentagon, DHS, and the CIA, but all declined to comment. “The device is still under study and there is an ongoing debate (and in some sectors of the government, skepticism) about its link to the roughly dozens of anomalous health incidents that officially remain unexplained,” CNN’s report states, making clear that nothing has yet been definitively established.

The symptoms described by patients who have reported being victims of Havana Syndrome—officially called “anomalous health incidents” (AHI)—include chronic headaches, vertigo, tinnitus (the perception of sounds that do not originate from external sources), insomnia, nausea, psychophysiological impairment, and, in some cases, blindness or hearing loss. continue reading

The appearance of these health incidents among U.S. and Canadian diplomats in Havana was one of the reasons the normalization with Cuba initiated by Barack Obama during his presidency did not move forward. In 2017, during his first term, President Donald Trump decided to suspend consular services in Havana and reduce diplomatic staff on the Island to a minimum.

The Cuban government has always denied any responsibility and set up a commission of experts that found no scientific or criminal evidence

Meanwhile, the Cuban government consistently denied any responsibility and launched a commission of experts that found no scientific or criminal evidence linking the symptoms to possible sonic attacks, microwaves, or other deliberate actions.

On March 1, 2023, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), led by Avril D. Haines, published a report prepared by seven U.S. intelligence agencies stating that it was “very unlikely” that a foreign adversary caused what is known as Havana Syndrome.

However, an investigation by The Insider, 60 Minutes, and Der Spiegel, published in April 2024, claimed that the illness could have originated from “directed energy” weapons operated by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces (GRU, by its Russian initials). The report presented, for example, testimony from victims who said they saw members of the notorious Unit 29155 of Russian military intelligence at the sites of the attacks.

It also presented as evidence the fact that senior members of the unit received “awards and political promotions” for work related to the development of “non-lethal acoustic weapons”— that is, “directed energy devices,” using sound or radio frequencies, capable of producing “acoustic effects” in victims’ brains.

The 2023 ODNI report had also been criticized by experts such as Marc Polymeropoulos, a former senior CIA officer and himself a victim of the condition. In an interview with América TeVé that same year, he said he felt “betrayed” by the report and continued to point to Cuba and Russia as responsible for the attacks.

“It has all the characteristics of a Russian active measure. This is what a successful action looks like, one that frightens the adversary”

“I would say it has all the characteristics of a Russian active measure. This is what a successful action looks like, one that frightens the adversary, pulls people away from their duties, and distracts,” the former intelligence officer told the Miami-based network at the time.

Another report, published on December 5, 2024, by the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, sharply questioned the investigation conducted by Haines’s office. According to the document, subtitled Is the Intelligence Community Concealing the True Cause of This Phenomenon?, the conclusions of the body tasked with investigating the case are “at best questionable and, at worst, misleading.”

A subcommittee appointed by the House of Representatives reopened the investigation into Havana Syndrome after concluding that the findings of the Intelligence Community (IC), including the CIA—which maintains that no foreign agents were involved—were not reliable, “lacked analytical integrity, and were highly irregular in their formulation.”

“The Intelligence Community has at every turn attempted to frustrate the subcommittee’s investigative efforts to uncover the truth. Despite this, the subcommittee has found information that illustrates the problems that arose in the process of drafting, reviewing, and publishing the Intelligence Community’s report,” the congressional subcommittee added, urging the authors to urgently publish a new assessment that properly incorporated all the information collected.

Although at the time a spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence rejected the subcommittee’s conclusions to the U.S. press, it was precisely around those dates when, according to CNN and CBS sources, the Pentagon acquired the mysterious device that is still under study today.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Cuban Regime Tries To Project Normality Regarding Its Doctors in Venezuela

Canal Caribe airs a report in the country, with statements from Venezuelan patients, amid uncertainty over the future of a mission that traded work for oil

Report on Canal Caribe about Cuban doctors in Miranda, Venezuela. / Screenshot

14ymedio, Madrid, January 14, 2026– Uncertainty hangs over the thousands of Cuban doctors who remain in Venezuela, and rumors are multiplying in the absence of information. What will happen now to the agreement signed by Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro in 2000 to exchange oil for health personnel? Explicit mention has been made of a request from the White House for the new interim government of Delcy Rodríguez to break ties with China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba, which would of course imply the withdrawal of intelligence and security personnel from the country.

U.S. President Donald Trump also said this Sunday that “Cuba survived for many years thanks to Venezuela’s oil and money. In exchange, it provided ‘security services’ to the last two Venezuelan dictators.” The president then said there would be “no more oil” for the Island, and although he did not specifically mention PDVSA’s crude, that was how it was understood.

But the exchange also included health workers, and the question is whether Trump’s threat will materialize, reducing crude shipments to Havana to zero and, if so, what incentive Cuba would have to maintain a deployment of some 14,000 personnel whose absence, at this moment, would be significant for Venezuela.

What incentive would Cuba have to maintain a deployment of some 14,000 personnel whose absence, at this moment, would be significant for Venezuela?

In the absence of concrete information from those involved, rumors are flying, especially after the numerous flights of the Ilyushin Il-96-300 with registration CU-T1250 recorded by radars in recent days, which have led some to think the numbers are already declining.

On social media and in the independent press, testimonies of alleged defections have appeared. According to sources confirmed by 14ymedio, the situation depends on the location of the health workers, since some have been confined to barracks while others have continued to carry out their duties with a degree of normality. Last week, the provincial newspaper of Sancti Spíritus sought to curb the rumors and published a brief interview with the local head of the brigade, who made it clear that health workers had stopped working where there were risks but had continued working continue reading

in the rest of the country.

That was insufficient, and the week has continued to be filled with all kinds of comments, prompting the Cuban government to once again roll out its propaganda. Canal Caribe went to the Comprehensive Diagnostic Center La Urbina, in Petare, part of Miranda state near Caracas, to produce a short report aired on Tuesday’s newscast, showing doctors attending patients, several of whom were put on camera to praise the Cubans.

“No one goes home without being treated, regardless of the hour and much less the circumstances,” says the reporter, who speaks with some Venezuelans. “We are very grateful for the care given by the Cuban doctors because the poor people of the community come here and receive good care,” says one. “They fulfill their duty, as they should and as established by what they were contracted to do, and truly they are wonderful people,” says another patient.

The physicians also explain how good they feel in the country, without any mention of the current situation. “We feel deep pride and great solidarity, since we come with the mindset of internationalism, solidarity, and humanism that characterizes all Cubans,” says specialist Yarelis Cutiño. “We are going to provide the support that the Venezuelan people need for as long as they want, for as long as they decide,” she continues.

Nurse Anisleidis Martínez also looks straight into the camera and mentions how “at this moment our presence has a very important meaning” in Venezuela, which they will continue, she says, to support for as long as necessary.

The same spirit runs through the Facebook groups of Cuban doctors in the country, where “the recent difficult events” are mentioned more explicitly, in the face of which “solidarity becomes medicine”

The same spirit runs through the Facebook groups of Cuban doctors in the country, where “the recent difficult events” are mentioned more explicitly, in the face of which “solidarity becomes medicine,” says a message from the Agua Viva Medical Brigade in Lara state. “The Cuban medical brigade, together with its Venezuelan sisters and brothers, reaffirms its commitment to be where it is most needed: at the side of the people, caring for lives, offering hope. Health knows no borders. When people embrace, strength multiplies. Today, doctors from Cuba and Venezuela work shoulder to shoulder, demonstrating that unity is the best antidote to adversity,” says a poster that seeks to inject forced morale.

“Blah, blah, blah. This is how Cuba’s medical missions work, especially in Venezuela. Everyone is forced to post stupidities in favor of communism,” replies a single comment. The account shows a torrent of short videos of patient thank-yous.

In 2019, the newspaper Granma placed the number of Cubans on mission in Venezuela at 29,505, of whom 20,000 were health workers spread across the 25 states. By 2026, estimates put the number at around 14,000, among other reasons due to the decline in oil shipments. If the U.S. effectively forces Delcy Rodríguez to stop delivering oil, the 2000 agreements will be officially broken, and Venezuela will have to face the abrupt loss of thousands of doctors, with no clear idea of how they could be replaced in the short term.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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