Translator: Regina Anavy – Page 44

Ten-Hour Blackouts Come to Cuba’s Isle of Youth Despite Its Energy Autonomy

Authorities punish entities that do not participate in the rational use plan with the withdrawal of electricity service for seven days.

The authorities claim that efforts are being made to improve the situation, but the equipment is overexploited, and there are no resources for repairs / Periódico Victoria

14ymedio, Madrid, June 18, 2025 — The only territory that had been kept out of the scheduled blackouts and the electricity deficit thanks to its independent energy system, the Isle of Youth, has also suddenly entered a crisis. On Monday, the electricity company, for the first time, reported blackouts lasting up to five hours per block, although many customers report up to 10 hours. On Tuesday, the authorities went one step further and announced emergency measures, faced with only half the power generation that is needed.

The Municipal Energy Council said that of the 18 generators on the island, only eight are running, providing 11 megawatts (MW), when more than 24 MW is needed. The situation is so critical that the first secretary of the Municipal Committee of the Party, Rafael Ernesto Licea, convened a meeting in the Caribe cinema in Nueva Gerona, where representatives of the electric company explained how to deal with the situation.

Starting this Tuesday, a tough savings package comes into effect that includes the suspension of climate equipment in the state and private sectors, with the sole exception of those “considered technological and approved by the National Office for the Control of the Rational Use of Energy in Cuba (ONURE).” continue reading

Starting this Tuesday, a tough savings package comes into effect that includes the suspension of climate equipment in the state and private sectors

“Since Tuesday, we have allowed the use of generators for production and service processes; hence, Alimentaria, for example, will produce bread with a generator and not with electricity from the grid in order to relieve congestion and affect the population as little as possible,” said the official. He stated that there is fuel, and that, in fact, the problem of the engines is not lack of fuel but is related to the “many years of operation” of the equipment and the “lack of resources to reactivate its functioning.”

The leisure sector will be most affected. The facilities of the Gran Caribe are obliged to use generators from 8 pm to 6 am, while the recreational establishments may be open only from Friday to Sunday, whether state or private. In addition, they cannot use air conditioning systems, and in the case of restaurants, they cannot use the ovens from 6 pm to 8 am, directly affecting the meal schedule.

One of the hardest measures is for cooling: refrigerators, storage rooms and containers must be turned off from 6 am to 6 pm, (half a day ), with the risk of spoilage and loss, unless they are powered by generators.

Licea was in the meeting with Yuladis García Segura, president of the Assembly of People’s Power, as well as other managers and representatives of mass organizations, politicians and students. At the meeting, the municipal mayor, Adiel Morera Macías, criticized several entities for not having delivered to ONURE the plan required for the control of the rational use of energy that corresponds to the current month, so “they will be withdrawn from service as of this Tuesday for seven days for violating the established rule.”

The measures -planned by law, said Morera, “now begin in a joint way and will stop as the availability increases and the municipal electrical system is restored, for which it already has the support of the country’s brigades.” The first time that President Miguel Díaz-Canel mentioned the word “joint” to refer to the electricity shortage was in 2019, and a situation began that has become structural and worsened day by day throughout the country.

“The interesting thing is that a few weeks ago it was leaked on the street by people who work in that area that we were going to start having blackouts, said a user of Islavisión about the announcement. I did not believe them at the time because the Isle of Youth operates with a system that is independent of the national one, but today I can see that they are using exactly the same strategies and justifications as in the rest of the country.”

“I did not believe them at the time because the Isle of Youth operates with a system that is independent of the national one, but today I can see that they are using exactly the same strategies and justifications as in the rest of the country”

Several commentators have recalled that in 2023, a group of Japanese came to the Isle of Youth to assemble a generation plant. “Is it already broken?” asked several with discomfort.

In April 2024, the authorities came together to hold an “Isle of Youth Electricity Improvement Project Completion Ceremony.” The work, carried out with a state subsidy, included the installation of the necessary equipment and devices, such as storage batteries, installations for energy reception and transformation, facilities and control equipment” to increase renewable energy from 5 per cent to 18 per cent. However, this has not been able to alleviate the current crisis, and the officials have asked the people to save electricity, pushing their patience to its limit.

“There is no more understanding!” someone commented. “What there is is hunger, heat, mosquitoes. Do not gather anymore and face the people without solutions! We are tired of so much lying and being told to save more than we are already getting. Eynough!!!” Proof of the fatigue accumulated by the citizens of the former Isle of Pines circulates on social networks. There are even demands for independence and calls to form an “autonomous republic” with its own laws, including free trade or
associated with the Government of Cuba through some form of agreement.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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New Documents Reveal That Mexico Has Paid Almost 93 Million Euros for Cuban Doctors

The newspaper ‘El Universal’ has obtained official information through the transparency portal

A group of Cuban doctors in the state of Tlaxcala (Mexico) / @EmbaCuMex

14ymedio, Madrid, June 18, 2025 — In just two years, the amount of money paid by Mexico to Cuba for health services has increased by 70.3 million euros. According to information published this Tuesday by El Universal, the total amount corresponding to contracts signed between July 2022 and May 2025 amounts to 92,525,569 euros, a quantitative jump from the last time data were collected, when the amount was 23 million euros.

The Mexican newspaper has again requested transparency about the available contracts and has analyzed them in a way that can be consulted openly on the Compras MX platform. In 2024, the same media published information corresponding to three contracts -between July 2022 and May 2023- for which the Cuban government would send 610 doctors to rural areas in Mexico, although the new documents indicate that the number was actually 809. Of these, according to an investigation, 48 escaped.

The new data show a very high amount, although not all of the money goes to the salaries. It is not known what part will be paid to the Cuban government’s Service Commercialization Agency, since the amount is the total corresponding to the transportation and maintenance of the health personnel. The service includes chauffeured transportation to medical units, safe and permanent lodging, “special diets delivered three times a day” – presumably for meals – and 24-hour personal care. continue reading

The new data show a very high amount, although not all of the money goes to salaries

The information provided by the Mexican Institute of Social Security for Welfare (IMSS-Bienestar) gives a account of the three known agreements, according to which the doctors were distributed in 15 Mexican states: Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Hidalgo, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz and Zacatecas.

According to a contract accessible on the Compras MX platform, the IMSS-Bienestar paid in pesos the equivalent of 12.5 million euros to nine Mexican companies for the “services of lodging, food and ground transportation for health personnel.” The number of beneficiaries varies by state, between four and 40 members, distributed in Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Mexico, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Sinaloa, Puebla, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatán and Zacatecas.

Another contract, starting on April 1 and ending on May 31, 2025, provides for payment in pesos of about 53 million euros more to five Mexican companies for the same reasons, and in this case for doctors assigned to a total of 24 states. What is striking here is the quantity, since the number of healthcare personnel ranges from 1,966 at the least to 4,845 at the most.

El Universal gives details about the entire process of installing the doctors from the time of their arrival in Mexico to when they are transferred to the destination unit. If it is far away, they are expected to have guaranteed transport seven days a week, 24 hours a day, at alternate times and on mixed dates. If necessary, the doctors are relocated.

As for accommodation, it can be temporary or permanent and must be no more than one kilometer from their work center. Lodging includes hotels, houses, single rooms for those who go alone or shared rooms for couples. It also specifies the equipment of the accommodation, which must have supplies – electricity, water, gas and sanitation – in addition to one bed per person, a closet, washing machine, microwave, sofa, TV, sink, bathroom, desk, stove, refrigerator and table with two chairs.

The provider must also guarantee three meals a day and customer care -in person, by telephone or email- for management and the health personnel

The provider must also guarantee three meals a day and customer care -in person, by telephone or email- for management and the health personnel.

The newspaper reports that the US has recently taken measures against officials who facilitate Cuban medical missions, considering them a form of labor exploitation and indentured servitude. This is based on the fact that the Cuban Government keeps between 70% and 95% of the salaries paid out for the health workers. According to the sanctions introduced by US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, foreigners who facilitate these contracts will remain without a visa to enter the United States.

These and other measures of pressure have led the Government of the Bahamas to announce the termination of contracts with the Government of Cuba. As announced on Monday by the Bahamian Minister of Health, Michael Darville, Cubans interested in staying will “sign a new employment contract,” a solution that, according to Archivo Cuba, would not be enough if the regime in Havana forces them to “donate” their wages to the State.*

*Note from Translating Cuba: Added clarity on what this might mean, from Reuters: “June 16 (Reuters) – The Bahamas is preparing to cancel contracts with Cuban healthcare professionals after discussions with the U.S. government, Bahamian Health Minister Michael Darville said in a parliamentary address on Monday. Darville said his ministry would enter into direct employment contracts with Cuban healthcare professionals in the Bahamas. ’Those who are not interested in this new arrangement will be given time to wrap up their affairs and return to Cuba,’ Darville said.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Aroldis Chapman Has Two Options To Play in the World Classic: Great Britain and the US

The British team agreed to be part of the preselection, although the Americans also want him.

Chapman is looking forward to being a free agent in the US Major Leagues/ Instagram/_thecubanmissile54

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, June 17, 2025 — Baseball player Aroldis Chapman, the “Cuban Missile,” has chances to play in the 2026 World Classic, but not with Cuba. Great Britain extended an invitation to him, and although the athlete said yes to being part of the roster (preselection), it all depends on whether he will get free agency this season after playing six years in the US Major Leagues. In addition, the US team asked him if he was available for consideration.

Chapman’s grandparents are from Jamaica, a former British colony, so he can apply for citizenship.

Chapman told Swing Completo that “before telling them that yes, I can be on the roster, I told them I was going to talk to my dad and that it depends on what he says.” The player said this father told him: “Come on, let’s go there.”

Chapman has expressed his annoyance at Cuba’s call for exiled players / Instagram/_thecubanmissile54

British managers have made adjustments for the World Classic. They appointed Bradley Marcelino as manager of the national team. The coach, who is a Minor League batting coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks, knows Chapman’s potential well, and to make his incorporation official, he will be a starter for two international events: the European Cup, where Great Britain is part of Group B and has France, Israel and the Netherlands as rivals, and the World Classic, where Great Britain is in Group B with the United States, Mexico, Italy and Brazil.

As for the possibilities in the US, says Chapman, there was an approach. American citizenship opens the door for him, but there is nothing concrete yet.

The issue of Cuba is closed, yes? The ball player deserted in 2009 during a tournament in Rotterdam, and the regime placed him on the list of traitors. In 2008, the government had accused him of an escape attempt and wouldn’t let him go to the Beijing Olympics. “I was a sellout,” he said a few weeks ago.

Chapman expressed his annoyance at Cuba’s call for exiled players. He recalled that all those who leave a delegation or tournament are called “traitors, worms,” but now because of the needs of the Cuban team, “they want them to go and play.”

“All those people who are calling the players who are here and those who are going to the Classic, I think they are the first ones that should be respected and not be calling everyone,” he said.

The Cuban Missile is part of the group that US-based journalist Yasel Porto Gomez named as players who have refused to be part of the Cuban national team. Among them are Yordan Álvarez, José Adolis García, Jorge Soler, Raisel Iglesias, Lourdes Gurriel, Edgar Quero, Luis Robert, José Iglesias, Adrián Morejón, Yandy Díaz, Yulieski Gurriel, Cionel Pérez and Nestor Cortés.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Despite the ‘Titanic Work’ of the Authorities, Santiago de Cuba Is Again Without Gas

Outrage is growing against Cupet for failing to fulfill its commitment to deliver 14,000 cylinders a day for 24 days.

This Tuesday, the official State newspaper Granma dedicates an extensive article to the effort made by workers linked to the sale of a gas that, so far this year, has been unavailable / Granma

14ymedio, Madrid, 17 June 2025 — After so many months of waiting, the distribution of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which began at the end of May when the government was finally able to pay to unload the ship that was waiting in the port of Santiago de Cuba, has ended in the blink of an eye. This Monday, the company Cuba Petróleo (Cupet) in the eastern province announced the suspension of the sale of LPG until more is available.

The population’s indignation has been major, provoking a quick response from the official press: an article in the newspaper Granma explaining the enormous effort made by workers throughout the island to get the cylinders to the population. “If the second ship arrives at the estimated time, all customers will receive one, and distribution will not be interrupted,” said Lucilo Sanchez, director of Trade and Supply of the state-owned company. Only a few hours later, Cupet announced the opposite.

The message had been broadcast on the Telegram platform of Santiago’s Cupet early in the morning and provoked numerous reactions, which reflected the discomfort of customers over the broken promise. “They opened their mouths to say that there was gas for 100% of the population. Now there’s no name for this, neither disrespect, nor liars… No, this has no qualification, because they have already surpassed themselves,” said one user. The vast majority protested that they had been guaranteed more days and more beneficiaries.

“They opened their mouths to say that there was gas for 100% of the population. Now there’s no name for this, neither disrespect, nor liars”

On May 27, when the distribution of LPG began, the director of the Territorial Division of Fuel Marketing, Lisset González Sardinas, said that “the organizational conditions for distribution and marketing were created” so that “coverage of one hundred percent over a 24-day period” was expected. The entire plan was detailed, which included the use of the Ticket application, for which 80 daily turns were to be released. “Its clients will occupy a separate line,” the official said.

The forecast was to fill 14,000 cylinders daily, of which 7,500 were for Santiago de Cuba – 4,000 in the morning and 3,500 in the afternoon, provided there were no “setbacks in the industry” – starting with those who continue reading

last acquired them in January or earlier and continuing for those who had not bought since before February 15. “Each customer will buy only once, regardless of the cycle interval of their group. They will not be able to make a new purchase until all customers have been able to buy. This decision seeks to cover all the demand that exists today”, said the newspaper Sierra Maestra.

“I do not understand anything; it’s a total lack of respect for the people. I haven’t been able to buy my turn on Ticket, because last week it wouldn’t download. It’s one lie after another. All of them are liars. I want to know what business they are doing with what belongs to the people, with the work that goes on in this country,” complained another customer. “I haven’t been able to get gas since October, and I’ve had my turn since February. If the gas is coming and the turns don’t work, what’s going on?” cried another.

Among the reactions were reproaches, even by the official press, accused of spreading propaganda. “It’s a game of bandits, bullies, liars, disrespect. Even the journalists belong to the same cult with the news they give: transmitters of lies, saying that there was gas for everyone. And the Ticket lines, another gang of thugs; we are buried underground with our misery,” wrote another customer. In the most serious case, some pointed out that they have been unable to buy gas since last year.

“In my case, I haven’t been able to get gas since last year, and because of work, I decided to wait for a turn on Ticket. And now they say this. They should think about respecting the people and at the same time invest in managing such an important service as this. I recognize that communication has improved by using this app, but they have to improve the timing for the turns,” said another.

“In my case I haven’t been able to get gas since last year, and because of work, I decided to wait for a turn on Ticket. And now they say this. They should think about respecting the people”

This Tuesday, Granma’s note addresses the issue without recognizing the seriousness of the situation and even softens it with respect to the statements of the Minister for Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, who last month stated that out of 150 days in the year, Cuba was out of gas for at least 117. “So far this year, the island has suffered more than 60 days of crisis from a shortage of LPG. In some households they had to ’stretch the gas’ and use only what is indispensable, and in others they had to ’invent’ with coal or wood,” notes the text.

In its review of the facts of recent weeks, the media recalls that on May 27, the ship was able to unload at the Hermanos Díaz Refinery, in Santiago de Cuba, after weeks of deadlock because “economic constraints prevented payment.” Once unloaded, the ship then went to Havana before passing through Nuevitas (Camagüey), where it also left cargo.

After describing the work done – “We can’t rest,” “We can’t stop,” “We had to put it where it really needs to be,” “We are willing to work so that the population is satisfied”- it reports that everything was done accurately, including the filling of the cylinders, despite the fact that an earlier breakdown in one of the machines paralyzed the “continuity of service.”

The text also accounts for the preparations at dawn for the delivery trucks, which must be ready early for the deliveries to Granma and Guantánamo – “a titanic job”- and the complicated management of Ticket and Mi Turno, which customers say doesn’t work: a long article completely denied by the reality.

*A Cuban website for buying a turn in line.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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‘After Difficult Negotiations.’ Bahamas Cancels Medical Contracts With Havana

Cuban health workers interested in staying will sign a new employment contract with the country’s Ministry of Health.

Bahamas Health Minister Michael Darville speaking to Parliament on Monday / Screen capture

14ymedio, Olea Gallardo, Havana, June 17, 2025 — As announced, the Bahamas will directly hire Cuban doctors who are serving on the islands and cancel its agreements with the regime. This was announced by the Bahamian Minister of Health, Michael Darville, in a speech to Parliament on Monday about the government budget for 2025.

Darville said he was in Havana two weeks ago to “review the hiring protocols” of health workers with Cuban recruitment agencies. “After difficult negotiations, we are ready to announce the cancelation of all existing contracts with the Government of Havana and the signing of direct contracts with Cuban health workers,” he said.

Health workers who agree with the new terms, said the minister, will “sign a new employment contract with my ministry” and be able to stay in the country, deployed on the Family Islands (the myriad of islands that are not Grand Bahama and New Providence, whose capital is Nassau). “Those who are not interested in this new agreement will have time to settle their affairs and return to Cuba,” he emphasized.

The Cuban health staff currently consists of 35 persons: 3 ophthalmologists, 3 nurses, 10 biomedical engineers, 8 laboratory technicians and 11 x-ray technicians

As specified by the minister, the Cuban health staff currently consists of 35 people: 3 ophthalmologists, 3 nurses, 10 biomedical engineers, 8 laboratory technicians and 11 x-ray technicians, who, he said, “have recently completed a new training program at Princess Margaret Hospital” in Nassau. Most of them, he said, are willing to serve on the Family Islands.

Darville emphasized that all Cuban workers “receive the same benefits” as local workers. “They are well treated, they are respected in our country, we are grateful for their service,” he declared, while assuring that the contracts between both countries were articulating the changes.

In his address to Parliament, the Minister highlighted the shortage of health professionals in the country, including doctors and nurses from Ghana. At the same time, he promised that they will train and hire Bahamians to “fill in the gaps.” continue reading

He also said that the recruitment of Cuban teachers and health workers is suspended pending the outcome of talks with the US, which last February threatened to restrict visas for officials from foreign countries involved in what it called “labor exploitation” of Cuban workers abroad, including health workers.

“They are well treated, they are respected in our country, we are grateful their service”

Two days after the Bahamian Prime Minister, Philip Davis, held a meeting with US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, on May 6, Davis told the press that he would renegotiate the labor agreements with Havana and that, from then on, he would pay all the Cuban health workers directly.

At the meeting, according to Davis, he explained the situation to US officials and denied that the Cuban doctors were being exploited for their labor. “We were able to communicate this to them, and I think they were satisfied that we are not involved in any forced labor that we know of,” he said.

“If forced labor is occurring in our country with the Cubans, we have no record of it,” he added, while indicating that an exhaustive analysis was being carried out to determine whether there was any “element” of this type present in the employment relationship. “If we discover something like this, it will be corrected,” he said.

Davis argued, with relevance, that the method of payment through the Cuban government was not extraordinary. The Prime Minister resorted to recalling how the US paid part of the wages of Bahamian seasonal workers to the UK before the islands became independent. “That is not an unknown concept or construct. But it is now considered an ingredient of forced labor. So we will address that and say to anyone we hire, ’Look, we’ll pay you directly into your account’.”

Archivo Cuba, at the end of April, published an investigation showing that the professionals on mission to the Bahamas receive only between 8% and 16% of what the Bahamian government pays to Havana or them – between 5,000 and 12,000 dollars a month. It added that the Bahamian statements were mainly for the US State Department, and it urged Nassau to hire the Cubans directly.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Up to Eight Years in Prison for Those Arrested for the Altercations at the Finca de Los Monos

Of the 20 defendants, 18 will go to prison for between four and eight years and two were sentenced to correctional labor without confinement.

Trial in the Provincial Court of Havana, on Tuesday, for those arrested for the altercations at the Finca de los Monos*, in the municipality of Cerro / Capture/Canal Caribe

14ymedio, Havana, June 13, 2025 — The 20 defendants for the street fight that took place a year ago at the Finca de los Monos*, in the municipality of Cerro in Havana, received their sentences this Friday. In a statement from the Ministry of the Interior issued by official media, it was reported that 18 of them received between four and eight years’ imprisonment; one was punished with seven years of correctional work without internment and another with three years of the same penalty.

At the trial, which took place on Tuesday, they were accused of public disorder and illegal carrying and possession of weapons and explosives. According to Cubadebate, seven of the detainees had provisional detention, and two were tried for “committing other subsequent acts,” without the details. The remaining 11 are still at large.

With its usual pedagogical prose, the government emphasized that “the rights and guarantees of the accused” were respected, and that the trial sought to “contribute to the formation of awareness of respect for socialist legality, order, discipline, citizen peace and correct observance of social coexistence rules.”

They did not, however, disclose the identities or ages of the defendants

They did not, however, disclose the identities or ages of the defendants. The Prosecutor’s Office stated that investigations into other potential participants are “temporarily on hold, subject to reactivation if new evidence emerges.” continue reading

The facts for which they were tried happened on Saturday, June 8, 2024 and, at first, they were not very clear. Teenagers and young people were involved in the violent clash, and several were injured, according to the testimony collected at the time by 14ymedio from several people who were there. The clash took place mainly between members of gangs that exist in Havana, they reported.

According to one of the witnesses, “it all started by a stomp” at the concert of “repartero” music* celebrating the beginning of summer, which was finally suspended. “There was a little boy who was an initiate in the Santería religion, and he accidentally stepped on a gang member. He apologized, but the other was with a large group of bullies, who started the fight,” said the source.

Research on other potential participants is “temporarily on hold, subject to reactivation

Social media and messaging apps circulated videos showing groups of teenagers running in various directions in the middle of the blows, and some carried machetes and sticks. Immediately, photos of alleged deaths in the fights began to circulate, which were denied shortly after.

The absence of law enforcement officers was also evident during the fight, although in one of the videos that this newspaper could see, apparently recorded long after the fights began, it was possible to see a teenager inside a patrol car surrounded by dozens of young people.

The government released a report more than 24 hours later, denouncing the lies propagated by social networks. An official identified as Claudia Cancio said on Facebook, along with the tags #FakeNews and #FincaDeLosMonos, that “there are no deaths; investigations will be carried out and action will be taken, the authorities report.”

The Provincial Court of Havana considered as “aggravating factors” in the trial the place and circumstances of what happened: “a public activity with high attendance, including minors, where those involved acted with the intention of harming and imposing authority through violence.”

*The Monkey Farm was a former colonial mansion whose owners built a small refuge for exotic animals, including monkeys. It is now a recreational space for outside activities.

** A fusion of reggaeton, hip hop and dance music

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuban-American Enrique Tarrio Creates a Digital CDR to Report Illegal Migrants

The app rewards cryptocurrency to those who report criminal activity by undocumented immigrants.

Tarrio and other members of the Proud Boys* filed a lawsuit against the FBI after being sentenced to prison / EP

14ymedio, Havana, 14 June 2025 — The former leader of the Proud Boys of Miami, Enrique Tarrio, has not lost any time since Donald Trump pardoned him earlier this year from his sentence of 22 years in prison for the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol. Last Wednesday, in his eagerness to support the policy of the president – considered an unconditional one – he announced that he will be the head of Iceraid, an application to report undocumented migrants in the style of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs) from Cuba, where his parents were born.

“Enrique Tarrio, an American patriot and immigration activist, becomes the czar of Iceraid to lead the Web3 application for criminal control,” the platform’s website announced in a statement. It also says that the Cuban-American, although born in Miami, “brings a dynamic combination of entrepreneurial experience, activism and patriotic fervor to this fundamental role.”

Tarrio said he was honored to “lead a platform that empowers Americans to protect our nation’s values and security. I am committed to ensuring that Iceraid becomes a powerful tool for communities to uphold the rule of law and restore security in the United States.”

Iceraid rewards whistleblowers by giving them $RAID, a cryptocurrency that app users can obtain and redeem in exchange for “capturing, uploading and validating photographic evidence of eight categories of alleged criminal activity” by migrants. The more photos and locations they submit, adds the site description, the more rewards the platform offers.

As for the appointment of Tarrio, Iceraid states that it comes at a “crucial” moment due to the “insurrections” throughout the country

The system, although more lucrative than the Cuban CDRs, is based on the same idea: turn citizens into tools of surveillance in exchange for incentives. continue reading

As for the appointment of Tarrio, Iceraid says that it comes at a “crucial” moment because of the “insurrections” throughout the country, especially in Los Angeles, which require more than ever that “citizens collaborate with federal law enforcement. His extensive network of contacts and experience make him ideal to guide Iceraid’s mission to empower and reward communities,” it adds.

The platform offers a brief biography of Tarrio, whom it presents as an “outstanding community leader” raised in Miami’s Little Havana. His Florida leadership of Latinos for Trump, it adds, “highlighted his ability to unite diverse groups around a shared vision of patriotism and civic responsibility.”

The “first generation Cuban-American” is also the head of a coalition of former Proud Boys, who are currently suing the Department of Justice and the FBI for $100 million for allegedly violating their rights when they were tried and jailed in 2021, after they assaulted the US Capitol in Washington.

The launch of the application comes at a time of maximum stress for US immigration authorities

The launch of the application comes at a time of maximum stress for US immigration authorities, who have launched raids on illegal aliens throughout the country under the pretext that they are pursuing dangerous criminals and terrorists. They have also invited US citizens on more than one occasion to report undocumented immigrants.

According to El Nuevo Herald, several organizations that defend the rights of migrants have denounced these policies, which they believe only create more division among citizens and can be used to intimidate and extort migrants.

In order to present itself as a responsible organization, Iceraid enabled a method for undocumented immigrants to obtain rewards if they legalize their status in the US and self-declare themselves as irregular. That is, as long as they are “honest and hard-working migrants with no criminal record.”

Registration on the application, it warns, does not guarantee a favorable resolution of legal status, but Iceraid assures that “America values honesty and believes in second chances.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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A Mother Managed To Get Her 10-Year-Old Daughter out of Cuba a Few Hours Before the Visa Suspension

Many other families living in the US were not so lucky and are experiencing the drama of separation.

Reunification visas are only being issued to immediate family members of US citizens / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, 13 June 2025 — A week before the visa waiver for Cubans came into effect, Tania received a call that offered her an opportunity few had. Working in a clinic in Miami and residing in the US, the Cuban woman had long ago started the procedures for her daughter to reunite with her. With the ban about to begin, the US Embassy in Havana had to expedite as much of the backlog as possible, and her case was one of the first on the list.

Her daughter, she was told, had to come urgently to the Embassy with the proper papers. Tania had nothing prepared, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity. On the Friday before the travel restrictions came into effect, her daughter left with her passport stamped and shortly thereafter arrived in Miami, she tells 14ymedio.

The Cuban woman knows that she was very lucky to be among those who were able to solve her case in record time. Others have not been so fortunate. Travel and visa restrictions that the Trump administration implemented in early June for Cuba and other countries have ended the hopes of many families on the Island to reunite soon. Those who also left their children behind to secure a future in the U.S. and avoid the hardships of illegal migration have suddenly been deprived of a direct way to reunite their families, given the suspension of visas for relatives of residents.

Tania knows she was very lucky that her case could be solved in record time

This Thursday, El Nuevo Herald published the testimonies of several Cuban families whose reunification procedures have been cut short by Trump’s proclamation. It authorizes only US citizens to apply for family reunification and only with immediate relatives – spouses, parents and minor children – justifying the decision by the need to protect the country from “foreign terrorists.” continue reading

Lia Llanes is one of the Cubans who, having been resident in the US for some years, had already begun the process to meet with her 10-year-old daughter. The request had been approved by the US Embassy in Havana last May, and only the interview and visa were needed. Washington’s new move, however, turned both their lives upside down.

“It’s very heartbreaking to know that your claim is approved and this happens,” said Llanes, who runs her own café. Her daughter, who posted a video on social media urging the president to “think it over,” spent several days without talking to anyone after learning that she could not join her mother as soon as she expected.

The case is similar to that of Clara Riera, who arrived in the US in 2019 and owns a cleaning business in Tampa. Riera had been preparing for the arrival of her children, aged 16, 17 and 19, who were also waiting for the interview. The teenagers live in Cuba with their grandmother, who was diagnosed with cancer, which made reunification more urgent. To top it off, her eldest son has heart problems which, according to Riera, are due to the stress of the separation.

“I hope that the people up there will bear in mind that we, the permanent residents, also have our children in a prison country”

After the ban announced by the White House, and with her children’s beds already bought and accommodated to receive them, Riera posted a video on social networks. “I hope that the people up there who sign and make the laws will keep in mind that we, the permanent residents, also have our children in a prison country, and we want them here with us,” she said, devastated.

Cubans are not the only ones affected by visa suspensions and travel restrictions for nationals of countries that do not comply with US immigration security measures. Venezuela and Cuba have partial restrictions, while Haiti is included on a list of 12 countries with total entry restrictions.

Another Cuban interviewed, 26-year-old Glaydys Sardá, left with her husband in 2022, determined to get to the US through the southern border. Then, fearing the dangers of travel, she left her three-year-old baby in the care of her grandparents. Now six, the child is constantly asking to live with his parents, who are also expecting their second child. “When we are there, the three of us are very happy, but since we left, I feel terrible. Now I am also expecting my second son, and it would break my heart to go to Cuba with one son, return with one and leave the other there,” she confesses.

Travel restrictions and entry permits are not the only immigration policy of Trump that has affected Cubans. On Thursday, the US Department of Homeland Security notified hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti that temporary protections to live and work in the country granted by the previous government are no longer valid.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuba’s Arts Students Criticize the ‘Aggressive’ Attitude of the State Communications Company Etecsa and State Security

They emphasize students’ willingness to engage in dialogue, but point out that the conditions for this “cannot be imposed from above.”

Headquarters of the Art Faculty of Audiovisual Media of the Instituto Superior de Arte / @famca_isa/Instagram

14ymedio, Havana, 15 June 2024 — Cuban academics continue to refuse to submit to the pressures of the Regime. This Saturday an official statement of the of the Audiovisual Media of the Higher Institute of Art (ISA) Faculty was added to individual complaints made by several students on social networks and in assemblies. The document refers to the “aggressive and indolent” attitude of Etecsa — the State telecommunications company — and State Security, and the harassment of students and the institution. It also disconnects the ISA from the multidisciplinary group created by the Federación Estudiantil Universitaria (FEU) to address the Etecsa rate hikes, dubbed el Tarifazo.

The faculty put forward three main reasons: the State-run communications department manages meetings on its premises and “on its own terms,” leaving teachers and other professionals out of the debate and establishing a “route” to follow where the solution has been to offer “perks that exclude large segments of the population.” Second, the students found it “unacceptable” to keep the new rates in place amid discussions about their unpopularity and called for their temporary cessation.

They also stated that they will only admit a commission for the debate if it has the participation of teachers, students and “specialists from civil society.” Finally, the fourth point focuses on denouncing the “pressure” exerted by State Security on several students who protested against the tarifazo, which “merely confirms the authorities’ vertical and aggressive attitude towards a horizontal and peaceful student movement.”

Students who have been “flagged by State Security” will sit out the activism to protect their physical integrity

The text emphasizes the students’ willingness to have a dialogue but notes that the conditions for this “cannot be imposed from above.” It also announces that students who have been “flagged by State Security” will sit out the activism to protect their physical integrity and that the Faculty will not promote independent activities “until a consensus among universities continue reading

has been consolidated.”

Raymar Aguado Hernández, one of the activists who openly supported the protests from Havana and who has also been intimidated by the authorities, published a complaint on social networks Saturday against the repression exercised by the political police against students. “The student strike in Cuban universities was not stopped organically by the majority will of the students, but because of the harassment and intimidation carried out by the repressive organs of the State against several students, members of their families and part of the teaching staff who supported it,” said the activist.

According to the 24-year-old, who dropped out of a career in psychology in 2022 because of the Regime’s harassment, “students’ demands were ignored by government authorities.” Instead of a dialogue, the State unleashed a “witch hunt,” he says.

“Denunciation of harassment and repression is the only form of protection that citizens have against abuses by the government and its law enforcement agencies”

“Allegations of harassment and intimidation against the students by State Security were made public from different faculties in the country,” said Aguado, who placed the focus of protests mainly on schools in the capital and in the provinces of Las Tunas, Villa Clara and Granma.

He also criticized the multidisciplinary group, which he described as “a handful of minions handpicked by different levels of political power. In short, it is only a well-orchestrated staging to give the false image of popular support, horizontality, democracy and consensus.”

Aguado stressed the need to make visible the “forms of repression” suffered by the students. “Denunciation of harassment and repression is the only form of protection for citizens against abuses by the government and its law enforcement agencies. It is the most effective way of gaining support and weaving networks of solidarity in the face of authoritarianism.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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An Opulent Hardware Store Opens on One of the Most Impoverished Streets in Havana

Amidst ruined buildings, La Valía sells tools, appliances, furniture and even beauty products.

La Valía hardware store, on Calle Monte in Central Havana / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 16 June 2025 — A new private business has been illuminating Calle Monte in Central Havana for just a few days. The verb is not exaggerated. On a street filled with ruined buildings, closed premises, rubbish at the corners, beggars asking for alms and a persistent smell of urine, there suddenly emerged a gigantic hardware store selling in pesos called La Valía.

Located on the stretch between Ángeles and Águila, the shop has everything and is perfectly clean and air conditioned. There are work tools, plumbing articles, household appliances (washing machines at 65,000 pesos), electronic devices (televisions, at 150,000 pesos), cookware such as pressure cookers (over 20,000), water pumps (up to 11,340) and even furniture (a set of table and chairs, 152,000 pesos). They also have a section of watches and another of beauty products, including creams and shampoos, some of Japanese (O’ujiashi) and Korean (Roushun) brands.

Located on the stretch between Ángeles and Águila, the shop has everything and is perfectly clean and air conditioned / 14ymedio

Prices, although high, are perceived to be somewhat lower than on sites like Revolico or among informal resellers. “This is awesome,” commented a young man who came out of curiosity this weekend. “They have things I’ve never seen, like electronic door locks and a giant fan – I guess for private businesses, because who’s going to put that in their house, and who’s going to be able to pay?” he said, pointing at the label, which was marked 550,000 pesos.

A woman looks at La Valía through the window / 14ymedio

For months, passers-by and neighbors in the area saw the renovation work going ahead at full speed. Last September, even with walls, doors and ceilings still under construction, an opulent space was expected. In those days of May, the one who seemed to be the owner or manager supervised the work, going back and forth to his car with a K number plate, which indicated that he was a foreigner.

Fan for sale in pesos in La Valía / 14ymedio]

In the WhatsApp group reporting the offers, it is specified that the trade is “retail sale”, although while it was under construction, a poster on the back wall saying “wholesale sale” could be seen. The workers shrugged their shoulders when asked about this change: “I don’t know”.

Water pumps for sale in La Valía / 14ymedio

There is little information about the shop. La Valía, like similar businesses, does not appear on the list of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) of the Ministry of Economy and Planning. Nor does it have a website, which is normal for new private businesses, and it has only one Facebook page apart from the WhatsApp group.

They also have a watch and beauty products section / 14ymedio

In that sense, it resembles the A&M Bazaar, which, with several branches located in buildings and on unsafe streets, also draws attention for its opulence. Asked if La Valía has anything to do with A&M, an employee categorically denies it.

Last September, even with walls, doors and ceilings under construction, an opulent space was expected / 14ymedio

“Here if you do not buy, at least it serves to get away from the rubbish and lines,” said another woman with a dazed gesture of her hand embracing the panorama on Monte street. “It’s like an oasis in the desert.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Ballplayer Ediel Ponce Left Cuba To Escape Military Service and Will Now Play in the Major Leagues

Two more players, Ronald Lázaro Mena and Yermin Neyra, have settled in the Dominican Republic.

Ediel Ponce says that Cuba never gave him the ’Rookie of the Year’ trophy in 2024 / Francys Romero

14ymedio, Havana, 15 June 2025 — Ediel Ponce reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Angels this Saturday. The ballplayer left Cuba in 2024, resentful because, after representing the island at the pre-World Baseball Championship in the under-18 category in Panama, he received an order to enlist for military service. That was his award for being the top pitcher of the team at the event.

Ponce told the platform Tigres Avileños that, despite their good level of play, he could not avoid the compulsory military service, and no manager did anything to release him from the call. “It hurt a lot. I never thought that would happen to me in Ciego de Ávila,” said the player.

The athlete revealed that he experienced constant neglect by the Provincial Baseball Commission in his native Ciego de Ávila. “When I was in the National Series they told me that I was their ’child’ and that they liked me very much, but all that changed. Nor did I ever receive the ’Rookie of the Year’ trophy in 2024. All that bothered me quite a bit,” he recounted last September.

The young man settled in the Dominican Republic, where his initial goal was to perfect his technique so he could compete for a US Major League contract. He was embraced by the academy continue reading

of Fausto Chiqui Mejías, who is a reference among Major League pitchers.

Ballplayers Ronald Lázaro Mena and Yermin Neyra left the island and settled in the Dominican Republic / Francys Romero

Ponce appeared before the scouts and, according to journalist Francys Romero, “several of them highlighted an innate ability to throw strikes as his strongest asset.” In addition, “his best pitch is the change-up, and he also masters the curve and sinker. He is able to throw a straight between 89 and 91 miles per hour.” With these qualities, he is assured of a rapid advancement in the Minor Leagues.

While the Ponce agreement was being announced, the departure of two other prospects for Cuban baseball to the Dominican Republic was confirmed. These are Ronald Lázaro Mena and Yermin Neyra.

Mena, said Romero, “was one of the best pitchers in the youth category in 2025.” In this stage he recorded 37 strikeouts, four wins and reached a 2.12% ERA. His straight has come close to 92 mph. The athlete was closely followed by teams from the Professional League of Japan.

For his part, Neyra is a central outfielder, with outstanding power and speed in the bases.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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A Group of 20 Cuban ‘Balseros’, Including Several Children, Await Deportation in the Bahamas

The migrants join 37 others who were rescued last January by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Cuban balseros boarding the ship ’Margaret Norvell’ / X @USCGSoutheast

14ymedio, Havana, June 13, 2025 — Since last Tuesday, a group of 20 Cuban balseros [rafters] have been in custody in the Bahamas and are awaiting deportation. The migrants, in their attempt to reach the United States, were stranded on the uninhabited island of Cayo Anguilla and rescued by the crew of the US Coast Guard ship Margaret Norvell.

According to a statement, agents of the National Security Investigations in Miami were informed of the situation and sent a US HC-144 Ocean Sentry turboprop aircraft, which “dropped food, water and a radio for communications.”

According to Univision journalist Javier Díaz, “several women and children” are among the Cubans. The deportation process in the Bahamas, he said, can take months. “Previously other migrants have been imprisoned in the country for more than six months,” so he recommended that family members “be patient with this return.”

The most recent case is that of 37 Cubans who were rescued last January after being stranded on the islands of Cal Sal Bank and Cayo Anguila. The deportation process for these persons has not yet been finalized. continue reading

US Coast Guard Lieutenant Fernando Pla warned the balseros with a now-familiar statement that “anyone who attempts to enter the United States illegally by sea will be intercepted and repatriated to their country of origin.”

Pla emphasized that they constantly patrol the maritime approaches to the Florida Strait, Windward Passage, Mona Pass and the Caribbean Sea in support of Operation Watchman Sentry.

According to official figures, since the beginning of fiscal year 2025 on October 1, Coast Guard crews have returned 103 migrants to Cuba.

The route of emigration by sea is one of the most dangerous for Cubans. The Missing Migrants Program of the International Organization for Migration reported in August last year that at least 291 people disappeared during their crossing. Of that number, 142 were from the Island.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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A Cuban Is Accused of Human Trafficking and Could Spend 50 Years in Prison

Moment of arrest of Yasel Vinent in Cancun, Quintana Roo

14ymedio, Ángel Salinas, Mexico City, 13 June 2025 — Cuban Yassel D. Angelo has been in prison since last Tuesday for the crimes of human trafficking and prostitution in Cancun. Authorities found a US resident document with the name Yasel Vinent on it. Officer Ezequiel Marrufo told 14ymedio that if found guilty “he could serve 50 years in prison plus be fined by the judge.”

The Cuban was reported last May by his victim, a 22-year-old woman. She told the authorities that he forced her to prostitute herself. “He charged 2,500 pesos ($132) for having sexual relations in his home.” If the service was in hotels, she had to dress as the client requested. “He charged them 3,000 pesos ($158) for 40 minutes, and the money increased for some services.” According to investigations by the authorities, Vinent obtained up to 25,000 pesos (more than $1,300) in one day.

“The woman was punished for any complaints from customers.” According to the official, “the possible relationship with a trafficking network in the United States is being investigated, but this is not confirmed.” The Cuban was found with a US resident card issued in 2017. “All the evidence is part of the process, as well as the verification of his name, because in the document it appears as Yasel Vincent, and at the time of his capture he said he was named Yassel D. Angelo.” continue reading

Document found on Yasel Vinent at the time of his arrest / Noticias Q. Roo

The Mexican women and Vinent were dating for several months until she agreed last February to move in with him. According to her statement to the authorities, Vinent went from being nice to “beatings and insults.” However, after the aggressive episodes, he always apologized.

On one occasion, she tried to leave him, but he threatened to “kill me and do the same to my family.” On advice from some close friends, the woman “took courage and returned home.” Officer Marrufo says that “such was the control this Cuban had over the girl, that he went to her parents’ house and convinced her to return with the promise that everything would change.”

Upon returning, “I experienced hell,” the woman said. Vinent let her know that she would do whatever he wanted or “my family would pay for it.” He took her cell phone and “when he could, he checked my messages and put my phone on speaker to listen to my conversations.”

The prosecutor’s Office for Combating Human Trafficking took up the case and, following the complaint by the young woman, requested and obtained from a judge an arrest warrant against Yassel D. Angelo.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Owner of the ‘Cuban Costco’ Has Been on a Hunger Strike for Two Weeks With Deteriorating Health

Cuspinera’s case has caused deep concern in the private business sector / Collage

14ymedio, Havana, June 14, 2025 — Frank Cuspinera, owner of Diplomarket, the “Cuban Costco,” imprisoned in the Combinado del Este, completes two weeks without eating this Saturday. The Cuban-American businessman began his fast on June 1, and his health is deteriorating rapidly, according to a family member who spoke to 14ymedio. ” He remains determined to continue until justice is done in his case,” confirms the source.

“It’s bad,” says Luis, close to the inner circle of Cuspinera, 48 years old, but with his name changed for fear of reprisals. The entrepreneur, who is being investigated for tax evasion, currency trafficking and money laundering, has been in solitary confinement since refusing to eat. The strike also began with a refusal to drink, but last Tuesday the Cuban-American drank “some water”.

The prison authorities have allowed Cuspinera to make phone calls to his family in an attempt to have relatives convince him to stop the hunger strike, but so far they have not managed to get him to eat anything. The first week of fasting, he received a visit from his wife, Camila Castro, who was free but also being investigated for the same crimes, to perform “family dynamics,” says Luis. This is what they call it, “when the relatives of a plantado are brought in to convince him to stop the strike.”

The strategy didn’t work either: “They wanted to appeal to the family dynamic without even knowing Frank’s emotional profile, without even having found out why he is carrying out the strike,” Luis said. “Obviously they were only complying with an institutional protocol, so it will be recorded in some file that they complied with their part, that they met with the family.” continue reading

Cuspinera’s wife did not accept the “dynamic”, and although she traveled to the prison, she was not allowed to see her husband

Cuspinera’s wife did not accept the “dynamic,” and although she traveled to the prison, she was not allowed to see her husband. The relatives fear, says Luis, that the Cuban-American will end up in the hospital, and his body will suffer permanent damage from not eating because he suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure.

Cuspinera announced his hunger strike in a handwritten letter signed on May 21 and sent from the Combinado del Este prison, almost a year after his arrest and with absolutely nothing known about his whereabouts. In the letter, he made “an appeal to the international community and international and human rights organizations,” as well as to the United States Department of State, “to intervene with the Cuban institutions for the constant violations of my rights and the denial of legal guarantees for my defense by the Cuban State institutions and their representatives.”

The businessman attacked State Security and the Cuban judicial apparatus “that are viciously activated against me” and that managed, with “multiple falsehoods,” to start an investigation against him “without the right of defense.”

The case of Cuspinera has caused deep concern in the private business sector on the Island. The lack of procedural guarantees and the ferocity that he denounces from prison have increased the suspicion of entrepreneurs about investing in Cuba. While some accuse the Cuban-American of being naive for putting his money into a local business, others see his arrest as a revenge of the government.

“They had a complaint for tax evasion, without ever having done a prior audit,” says Luis

“They had a complaint for tax evasion, without ever having done a prior audit,” says Luis. These officials “reviewed everything,” and then the Technical Directorate of Investigations was introduced. The entrepreneurs were arrested and their business licenses taken away “immediately” from both Cuspinera SURL, the firm under which the supermarket operated, and Kmila-mart (his wife’s company), leaving them “inoperable.”

For the couple it was, says Luis, a shock: “They thought it would be a misunderstanding, that they would let them reopen the companies after solving it, that they would allow them to return the goods to some suppliers or even that Frank could respond to the process on bail, but they have not agreed to any of this.” The authorities were, he says, “more severe and arbitrary as time went on.”

At the time of the arrest, officials claimed “that the money from the sales was not deposited in the bank and caused damage to the State and discontent among the population,” says Luis. “Here everyone knows that all the MSMEs do currency trafficking, because when they made the private business law, it was done knowing that there would never be availability in the bank to obtain the currency legally. It is known that the largest percentage of everything sold in Cuba are imported products obtained with transactions in currency, because here nothing is produced, so you have to import to produce later,” says the source.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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US Informs Thousands of Cubans, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans of the Cancelation of Humanitarian Parole

“This notice informs you that your [humanitarian] parole has been canceled. If you do not leave the country, you may be subject to enforcement action,” reads the message sent to hundreds of thousands of people.

Several people waiting for their flights at Miami International Airport on April 8, 2023 / 14ymedio

EFE (via 14ymedio), Washington, 12 June 2025 — The US Department of Homeland Security has notified hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti that the temporary protections for living and working in the country granted to them by the previous government are no longer valid.

This was reported by CNN, which had access to one of the emails sent to the people concerned.

“This notice informs you that your [humanitarian] parole has been canceled. If you do not leave the country, you could be subject to coercive measures including, among others, detention and expulsion, without the opportunity to do the paperwork and return to this country in an orderly manner,” says the message sent to hundreds of thousands of people.

The email also notifies them that work permits linked to that program will be revoked.

Sending these notifications is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to encourage millions of immigrants to leave the country

This notification is related to a ruling issued by the US Supreme Court on May 30 that allows the Trump administration to withdraw the temporary legal protection that the Biden administration granted to some 532,000 Cubans, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans and Haitians. continue reading

The US Supreme Court granted the emergency request made by the Department of Homeland Security to challenge a federal judge’s ruling that blocked the measure signed by Trump as soon as he returned to the White House in January.

The Biden administration announced in 2023 that it would grant temporary protection to migrants from these countries who meet certain requirements (such as having a sponsor in the US), a program criticized by Republicans that sought to reduce illegal entries into the country.

Sending these notifications is part of the efforts of the Trump administration to encourage millions of immigrants to leave the country and to expel them directly, as shown by the raids at the discretion of the Immigration and Customs Control Service (ICE) that have set off protests and riots for days in Los Angeles.

Many other places in the US are seeing demonstrations these days that criticize the immigration policy of the current government.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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