Category: Translator: Regina Anavy

The model is already practiced by the Ministry of Public Health with university hospitals, Ruiz explained

“Only third- and fourth-year students will be considered, since it is at these levels that they can begin to apply the knowledge acquired in a real environment. For first- and second-year students, the focus will be on the acquisition of fundamental knowledge such as chemistry, physics and mathematics,” he said.

According to Ruiz, some 84 entities were evaluated before implementing the measure, but only half met the requirements. Of these, 19 are electrical institutions; 11 are in oil; seven in mining; five in nickel; one is a salt mine; and the Institute of Geology and Paleontology is included. “Quality is not negotiable,” he said, alluding to the possibility that – due to inexperience – young people might do a bad job.

They will earn a minimum wage; they will be part of the staff as long as the “model” lasts; they will be paid for “fundamental specific projects”; but the Ministry cannot – according to Ruiz – guarantee that they will have a permanent position when they finish their training. The manager took no responsibility for the granting of places, saying that it was up to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, “depending on the country’s priorities, although in some cases changes can be made legally.

Other education officials – the vice-rectors of the Central University of Las Villas (UCLV) and the Technological University of Havana (Cujae) – said that the measure implies a correction of “historical deficiencies” in the articulation of teaching and work in Cuba. “We want students to be more connected with the work environment,” they explained.

“We want students to be more connected with the work environment”

Although Granma does not mention it, Cuban universities have been sending students to work for years – at the expense of their own free time and without basic conditions of transport and food – in centers that need workers. Under the concept of “pre-professional practice,” the Ministry of Higher Education sends pre-university and first-year technical school students to work.

Jorge, a graduate of English Language at UCLV, remembers that every day he and his classmates had to go to the neighboring Lázaro Cárdenas polytechnic school to teach all kinds of subjects, as decided by the management of the center. “Lázaro Cárdenas is one of the worst schools in Santa Clara. No one wants to teach there, and they are always looking for teachers because no one lasts long,” he explains.

From his faculty to the polytechnic he had to walk almost half a mile along the edge of the road, which has a highly dangerous curve for pedestrians. “Trucks and buses go around at full speed, but it’s the only way to get to school.” Originally a Salesian school and expropriated by Castro, the current Lázaro Cárdenas school is a massive building in Girón style.*

“The worst part is not the students, who are stigmatized even in their own families for not having been able to opt for the pre-university, but the faculty and managers,” says Jorge. Those who had been there for several years looked “menacingly” at the “intruders,” because they had to give a report on their experience at the end of the semester.

“Everyone was dumped on the Lázaro Cárdenas. Neither those who went to the Ipvce (the pre-university of sciences) nor those who had to attend other pre-universities in Santa Clara complained in that way,” he explains. In the long run, the collaboration between the two institutions cooled, and those who continued going could have the luxury of attending the first weeks and then drifting out of the classroom. “It was enough to return in the final stretch of the course,” he says. “From the ’work-based training models’ there is no longer anyone who tells stories to Cuban students.”

*Unlike the ornamental style preceding the Revolution, this modern “brutalist” apartment complex was built in 1967 to house the workers of the Girón Bus plant.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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This week a letter signed by more than 200 journalists, activists, intellectuals and academics was released demanding his immediate release. The letter emphasized that the reporter was “arrested for political reasons,” which constitutes a “frank violation of his rights.”

The text, which was signed by journalists Boris González Arenas, Camila Acosta Rodríguez and Yoe Suárez; playwright Luis Enrique Valdés Duarte; the coordinator of the Patmos Institute, Mario Félix Lleonart; analyst Juan Antonio Blanco; political scientist Armando Chaguaceda and academic Alina Bárbara López, among others, exposes the “concern for the news related” to Barrenechea’s lack of legal defense.

The signatories of the document join in a unanimous statement: “We demand the immediate release of the writer and activist and, by extension, of all political prisoners in Cuba.”

Barrenechea has been in the crosshairs of the Cuban political police for years for his collaborations with several independent media such as Árbol Invertido, Cuba Encuentro and 14ymedio. Since 2019 he has been subject to harassment and persecution by the regime, which has “regulated” him, preventing him from leaving the country.

His arrest is part of a series of arrests linked to the protests that took place after the passage of Hurricane Rafael and the consequent new collapse of the national electricity system. The organization Justicia 11J recorded the arrest of at least 23 people in Cuba since last October 18, when the national electricity system collapsed for the first time this year. Since that day, there have been 68 protests.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The organization “deplores and condemns this act of violence, which shows the systematic dehumanization of conditions in Cuban prisons

The organization “deplores and condemns this act of violence, which shows the systematic dehumanization of conditions in Cuban prisons. Nothing in the prison regulations authorizes prison agents to inflict permanent physical punishment on those who, like José Daniel Ferrer, do not bow to injustice and humiliation for the exercise of their rights .”

The CTDC, which calls José Daniel Ferrer “a courageous pro-democratic fighter,” is forceful, “making it clear that the Cuban Government is solely responsible for the consequences, whatever they are” on the health of the opponent. The organization also sends its “support and solidarity” to the family of the UNPACU leader, as well as to his friends and members of that organization.

“The international community must urgently speak out against this abuse that many Cuban prisoners suffer,” the statement concludes.

The last time Ferrer’s family had news from Mar Verde prison was on November 4, when, for the umpteenth time, they were denied the right to visit him. They have been denied access for 20 consecutive months,
according to his sister.

They have been denied access to that right for 20 consecutive months, according to his sister

Ana Belkis Ferrer, who currently resides in the United States, told Martí Noticias that he is also denied the right to receive “phone calls.” The leader of UNPACU has been in prison since 2021, and his family was barely able to see him on 11 occasions, although nine marital visits were allowed, all under strict control.

“March 2023 was the last time he had visits and was able to talk to his wife and his son, Daniel José,” said his sister, adding that Ferrer suffers from mistreatment and isolation in a punishment cell with little lighting.

The Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, Dionisio García Ibáñez, and the priest Camilo de la Paz, in charge of the Pastoral Penitentiary of the diocese, visited Ferrer on September 7, said his wife, Nelva Ortega Tamayo. She was glad at least that “after so long, a “person of God” was able to visit her husband and offer him “encouragement.”

That meeting revealed that his state of health was not entirely good, with heartburn, stomach pains and a “practically useless” arm. However, he was mentally “stable” and firm about remaining in prison despite the regime’s offers.

“They have maintained their harassment, repression and threats. They remind him that he could spend his whole life in prison if he doesn’t decide to leave the country, and he has made it very clear that he prefers to die inside rather than leave,” Ortega stressed. Her husband is considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International and other organizations.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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On the Island, building a house by “self-effort” translates into buying materials that are often not available

On the Island, building a house by “self-effort” translates into buying materials that are often not available or, if found, are usually adulterated. It also implies hiring bricklayers and individuals working on their own, without guarantees of being able to claim for a poorly executed job, and with only the sporadic assistance of the community architect. This is without taking into account how many years it can take from the moment the first blocks are placed to when the house is finished, which means that the oldest parts of the structure have spent a lot of time outdoors and can be weakened.

Even so, without alluding to the difficulties in building a house by oneself, the authorities insist on pointing out the defects that “increased the negative impact” of the quakes. According to architect Liana María Sosa Hernández, several houses had walls of blocks or bricks that were not properly anchored to the wooden structure of the building. “Those are two incompatible materials, and the columns have to be made to provide security,” she explained. For the same reason, many roofs, especially those made of fiber cement, ended up collapsing.

“The soil in seismic areas is also very important. The first thing that moves is the soil, and one of the recurring mistakes that we found is floors that lift or sink because the soil wasn’t compacted correctly during the construction process,” says Sosa.

The architect adds that, “in contrast,” many buildings “that were well executed” are still “intact.” Sosa does not exempt the State sector from construction irregularities: those that “did not have an adequate constructive sequence, because modifications were made or levels were added to them, also show effects.”

“Due to the magnitude of the earthquakes, damage has also been recorded in structures that were well executed (although to a lesser extent), which demonstrates the need to build according to the construction and earthquake codes,” says Granma.

Even the professionals were surprised by the impact of the quakes

In the end, even the professionals were surprised by the impact of the quakes. “It was really very shocking to get to places in Pilón where the earthquakes threw entire houses to the ground, and in others where they cracked walls, lifted floors, tore off plaster and split columns in two, and all in just a few seconds. I’ve never seen anything like this,” Castro Cabrera said.

Although revealing in some aspects, the article of the Communist Party’s official media focuses especially on the “solidarity” of the technicians and specialists who came to the municipality to assess the damage. Their presence, it says, “constitutes a significant incentive for the affected inhabitants.”

“We have been evaluating, diagnosing and calculating based on whether the Government can make decisions and use the most convenient resources for recovery. At the same time we have provided technical advice to residents, explaining the conditions of their homes as well as possible solutions, and people have thanked us for that,” continues Cabrera. He recognizes, however, that “people are still afraid and are worried about the continuing aftershocks.”

The architect maintains that “people are much calmer after we visit their homes and explain, for example, how they can secure their wall, because there are some that are cracked but don’t have to be knocked down. They can still use them, like the roofs that were blown off but can be disassembled and reused with metal beams from the State.”

If so far it had not been possible to evaluate the damage, it is because the province did not have the staff

Sosa had a similar perception of the residents’ fear. “Our presence in those affected places helped to reassure people, because some see the cracks in their homes and think they’re going to collapse, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be like that,” she said.

As for the victims, “the neighborhoods that are below sea level have been identified for future relocation to safer areas, while temporary facilities are being created for people who suffered total house collapses. Alternatives are being sought on the premises of state entities, to adapt them and use them as housing,” says the media.

However, regarding the reconstruction of homes, the authorities do not promise anything: “We plan to initially solve the minor affectations, which take fewer resources, and the others depending on what we receive.”

So far it has not been possible to evaluate and quantify the damage precisely, because the province did not have the staff to do so and had to wait for specialists to arrive from other areas, said Dailín Pérez Castillo, deputy director of Housing. In one sentence, the official summarizes, despite the press’s attempts to minimize the situation, the complex damage scenario after the earthquakes: “They didn’t give us enough people to quantify it.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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But to get to that point, in many cases those people must cross all of Mexico from its southern border. According to IOM, 2,247 migrant deaths have been recorded in that country, 250 of which were violent.

In addition to the Cubans, there were illegal immigrants from Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, Nicaragua, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic

If undocumented immigrants manage to reach northern Mexico, they must face other difficulties. Some U.S. border states have implemented new restrictive laws against illegal migration. One of them is Proposal 314 in Arizona, approved in the November 5 elections , which grants local police departments the power to arrest undocumented immigrants and issue deportation orders. In Texas there is Senate Bill 4 (SB4), which makes it a state crime to cross the border illegally from Mexico.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott has been on a crusade against illegal migration for years. In 2021 he launched Operation Lone Star to stop illegal crossings. Since its implementation, 517,900 undocumented immigrants have been detained, and more than 46,000 arrests have been made on criminal charges, according to a statement by the Texas governor last August.

In the last four years, there has been an unprecedented migratory exodus in Cuba due to the serious economic crisis – which has a lacerating impact on the shortage of food, medicine and fuel – as well as the prolonged power cuts. This has caused the departure of more than 860,000 Cuban migrants to the United States in that period alone, according to data from the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In fact, it is estimated that the population of Cuba fell by 18% between 2022 and 2023, mainly due to migration, according to a study by Cuban economist and demographer Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos.

With the new Trump Administration in the United States, beginning January 20, 2025, it is expected that humanitarian parole will be eliminated. It currently benefits, in addition to Cubans, citizens of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti. The program has reduced migrant encounters outside official entry points by 98%, according to figures from the Department of Homeland Security. The extinction of the project would force a massive search by migrants for other, riskier ways to reach the United States.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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

The agent warned García that she could not leave her home, to which the activist replied that she was going to work

In the station to which García was transferred, “there was no electricity.” During the “dialogue,” the historian defended her right to leave her house. “I always spoke out loud so that everyone would hear – those who were outside the office too. I told them their work is shameful, illegal, arbitrary, reprehensible, and that those women dishonor the name of Mariana Grajales,” she added, referring to the police women’s brigades that bear that name.

The opponent explained that she had left her mother alone, for whom she had to prepare lunch. “The State Security agent pretended to be worried, like a blackmailing mafia, and asked me if my mother had her medicines. I replied that they were almost never in the pharmacy and that’s what they should be taking care of,” she says. Faced with the officer’s proposal to get her the medicine, García refused.

“I don’t want to be repressed with polite phrases. I don’t want any favors, even if it’s a medicine for my mother. I don’t accept that they use the patrol car as if it were a taxi and proposed to take me to the Galería where I work, wait for me and then take me home,” she says.

García, who reflected on the attitude of the political police officers, called on them to “also serve to protect citizens and feel proud of what they do. You are the ones who choose to be my repressors; don’t wait for me to bow my head or lower my voice,” she said.

“They are talking softly so that my neighbors don’t see them arrest me, hiding the patrol car behind the garbage containers, away from my house, fleeing from the photos. Yes, they are already aware of lying, hiding, masking themselves, pretending to have good intentions. That is, they are aware that what they do is wrong. But for many, like the ones I saw today, there is no shame for what they do. I know that one day, sooner rather than later, they will feel ashamed,” she said.

The detention lasted less than half an hour, and the activist was returned home

The detention lasted less than half an hour, and the activist was returned home. Hours later, García published another post on social networks from the park that she intended to reach in solidarity with Alina Bárbara López. “In a dirty park full of grass, I met Martí on November 18. There I sat with him to think about the point of dedicating the fuel of a patrol car and the work of several policemen and State Security agents to restrict me from leaving the house,” she posted.

On Monday, other activists and opponents who, like García, tried to support López’s peaceful protest for the freedom of political prisoners were also prevented from taking to the streets. The teacher explained on social networks that journalist Jorge Fernandez Era was also being watched by a patrol.

However, López, who on other occasions has been arrested, forced to stay at home and even faced a trial for her public statements of disagreement with the regime, was not disturbed this time. “Today I carried out the peaceful protest of every 18th in the Freedom Park without being disturbed. On this occasion I was accompanied by Mario Amílcar Quesada Zamora, a young man who, like so many compatriots, wishes for a civic and democratic transformation where we don’t spend our lives feeling hopeless. Madelyn Sardiñas Padrón in Camagüey and Mabel Melo in Artemisa were not harassed either,” she summarized.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuba faces the consequences of 65 years of dictatorship, a word that Isla Libre uses without dissembling

Cuba faces the consequences of 65 years of dictatorship, a word that Isla Libre uses without dissembling to define the “invisible chain that binds the hands of the Cuban people.” A system, they say, that has been perfecting its control mechanism for decades, adapted to each historical stage, and that seeks – and has achieved – perpetuity in power. Making Cubans feel that being born on the Island is a “historical fatalism” is part of the machinery, the text points out: it restricts every attempt to challenge power.

Through concise tables and lists – the Manual does not waste time and underlines its interest in “getting to the point” of the Cuban panorama – the document presents the Cuban reality and its differences in political, legislative, social and economic terms, compared to any functional democracy. The contrast is summarized in one sentence: “While the modern world debates about what kind of progress is better, in Cuba we simply fight to survive.”

Solutions? Isla Libre proposes that they be radical: restoring individual freedoms, establishing the separation of powers, promoting an open economy and guaranteeing human rights. Aware that change will not come alone, the book proposes concrete strategies to achieve it despite the obstacles imposed by the dictatorship.

Several of these strategies are oriented not only to citizen resistance, but to another way of fighting the dictatorship: improving – as much as possible and with the multiple obstacles involved in living on the Island – the quality of life.

Against the inhospitable panorama that the Government has generated, living according to certain principles of optimization and savings is not playing into the hands of the authorities, they argue, but demonstrating that you can live with dignity even if the dictatorship insists on erasing it.

Isla Libre recommends the breeding of small animals – laying hens, especially – efficient cooking and if possible communally, the use of fuel, the use of homemade products, maintaining bottles of ice and recycling. In addition, they promote barter networks – both for products and skills – between trusted groups, useful information exchange groups and child and elder care systems.

They also advise the creation of community libraries – not subject to censorship by state institutions – and study circles. “We need to document and communicate reality to counter official propaganda and show the world what is really happening.”

To those who demand a more radical action against the regime, Isla Libre responds that its goal “is not to create martyrs”

To those who demand a more radical action against the regime, Isla Libre responds that its goal “is not to create martyrs, but to achieve the change that Cuba needs.” However, they recognize that violent repression continues to be – especially after the Island-wide protests of 11 July 2021 – a “systematic and brutal” response from the Government.

Faced with this type of scenario, the project provides a detailed manual of techniques and advice, which include – before a possible arrest – being prepared for the usual tactics of State Security, such as sleep deprivation, threats to the family, using “false confessions” of a friend or colleague, and temporary disorientation. In addition, they invite Cubans to “learn to detect” certain objects and people, such as a car parked in an unusual place or some unknown person who appears repeatedly.

They also warn about the misinformation that the regime spreads on social networks and the role that rumors plays in this process. They recommend the use of the Signal messaging application, “the most secure by default.”

“In this Cuba where scarcity wears us out and repression drowns our voices, there is a truth that we still do not understand well: real power has always been in our hands. Not in rifles or decrees, but in our ability to unite and act as one,” summarizes Isla Libre.

The project also includes a contact page, and its managers are interested in collaboration with writers, visual designers and digital specialists.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Only 40 liters (10.6 gallons) of fuel will be sold “for each vehicle” and, “in the case of motorcycles, enough to fill the tank”

The manager of the Guanabacoa gas stations also recognizes that the “availability of more ’guns’ or pumps” is a frequent complaint from those who come to refuel at the Cupet facilities. The problem, however, will not be solved in the near future. “We are informed that there is no possibility [of adding new equipment], and there are currently negotiations about restoring the existing ones, a situation that will not be resolved immediately,” he says, repeating the canonical phrase, “due to the economic situation that we all know.”

The statement, which reminds customers of where to recharge the cards which Cubans must use to pay for the fuel, also explains that Cimex, which controls payments, transactions and commercial operations, will be responsible for the service at gas stations. To do this, the Computer Union of the province will ensure that the payment system remains “fluid and functional.” Complaints about the “failure of the system” and “cards that don’t work” have been frequent since the government announced that payments can only be made in that way.

The order of the lines and “the implementation of the most appropriate forms, which guarantee better organization and control,” is controlled by the Popular Council of La Rampa.

Despite the arrival of several fuel tankers in recent weeks, the Island shows no signs of improvement in its energy crisis. Even with the drop in temperatures that the country is experiencing this weekend, the deficit reported by the Unión Eléctrica for the peak hour is 1,421 megawatts, 40% of national consumption.

The PVT Clara oil tanker arrived in Havana Bay on November 14, under the flag of Panama and owned by the PetroVietnam Transport Corporation. The tanker’s cargo, which will arrive this Monday in Santiago de Cuba, was declared as “vegetable oil,” but the fact that food is stored in tanks used for fuel makes experts doubt that statement. In addition, the ship left Kaliningrad on September 14, near the location of the oil wells from which the Russian Urals crude oil is extracted, and it has been off the Cuban coast since October 2.

The tanker PVT Clara under the flag of Panama arrived in Havana Bay on November 14

Likewise, on November 11, the Elandra Redwood, coming from Amsterdam with fuel, docked in Havana Bay, and the Eco Merlin, with liquefied gas, has been off the Cuban coast for days.

At the end of October, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that she would send “humanitarian” donations of fuel to Cuba to alleviate the damage to the energy system after Hurricane Oscar. Coinciding with the statement, the tanker Vilma delivered a cargo in Cienfuegos at the beginning of November and, after returning to the port of Pajaritos-Coatzacoalcos, returned to the Island this Saturday.

The Ocean Mariner, which docked in Santiago de Cuba before the impact of Hurricane Rafael, is also heading back to that port from the Ciudad Madero refinery in Tampico. Its arrival is scheduled for November 20, according to maritime tracking applications.

The regime has also received help from Venezuela. The Alicia arrived in Matanzas in the first days of this month and is now in Havana after reloading in the port of José.

Finally, Russia gave a loan of 60 million dollars to the Island to acquire 80,000 tons of fuel. Cuba seems to have created the conditions to keep the electrical system afloat for at least a few weeks, but the authorities continue to schedule blackouts, reporting deficits of almost half the power generation and ensuring, like Esther, that there is no fuel.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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“The sustained and high deficit causes an adjustment of the electrical service; among other measures, the prioritized circuits are temporarily turned off”

The information specifies that there are nine thermal plants out of service in the country, leaving Santiago with a deficit of between 160 and 170 MW at peak time, and a generation of 20 to 30 MW, “which is equivalent to the demand of the prioritized circuits and part of the water supply.”

The national report issued this Sunday by the UNE placed the expected deficit at the national level at 1,421 MW, an amount lower than the 1,510 announced the previous day, culminating in a week in which more than 1,000 MW were missing every day despite the fact that the temperatures were not particularly warm. Part of western Cuba was disconnected from the National Electric System (SEN) until Tuesday.

Yesterday, the situation of casualties in the Cuban electricity network was catastrophic. Out of service due to breakdown are unit 5 of the Mariel thermoelectric plant, unit 6 of the Nuevitas, unit 2 of the Felton and units 3 and 6 of Renté. The latter, located in Santiago de Cuba, also has unit 5 down for maintenance, which leaves half of its six blocks without generation. In addition, the Erin Sultan Turkish floating power plant (patana) located in the province, with a capacity of 130 MW, is not running due to fuel shortages, which leaves the east of the Island in a situation of extreme precariousness.

Unit 2 of the thermal power plant of Santa Cruz del Norte and units 3 and 4 of Cienfuegos are also out of the SEN for maintenance, as are 49 distributed generation power plants – due to the lack of fuel – that provide 287 MW, and the Regla patana (54 MW) and the Moa Diesel Power Plant (150 MW), for a total of 558 MW. During peak hours the entry of unit 6 of Nuevitas, the engines of Moa, two others from the patanas of Melones and Regla (both in Havana) was expected.

Although Holguín, Guantánamo and Granma are also suffering long power cuts, the demand – due to its population – is much higher in Santiago, leaving the province in a situation very close to zero power generation, since it receives one-tenth of its need. Given this, the authorities have asked provincial leaders to keep the population informed on a daily basis in order to “organize life around the new electrical allocation schedule.”

The report has not received any comment, contrary to the barrage of angry responses that Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, first secretary of the Communist Party in Santiago, received after reporting the situation on her Facebook account with a message asking for “much solidarity and empathy.”

The report has not received any comment, unlike the barrage of angry responses received by Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, first secretary of the Communist Party in Santiago

“How long will this abuse last? If you can’t solve the problems of the people, resign your positions and ask any international country for help. You are forcing Cubans to emigrate. This is not the Cuba for which so many people died. José Martí said that when the people emigrate their leaders are superfluous,” wrote a man in Santiago.

Although there is apparent understanding, with some thanking the authorities for the information to be able to organize themselves, those who claim for the umpteenth time the inequality between the Island’s East and West in the distribution of power did not take long to arrive. “Why ask for empathy when we don’t all suffer in the same way. Why does Havana, which consumes the most electricity in the country, have cuts for only two hours in the morning? Aren’t we the same? Aren’t we Cubans? What we are not is equitable. Check for yourselves,” he reproaches.

More than 300 comments crowd the official’s page. Some ask for explanations of what happens to the oil that arrives or why, definitively, the country does not surrender to any foreign power. “It’s not enough for anything. That’s not an achievement, it’s a backwardness and a big one. And the ships that came from Mexico: where are they, for God’s sake? Let this country be taken over by Russia or the United States. All I know is that this doesn’t work anymore,” another lamented.

“There were also the ships that came from Mexico; where are they, for God’s sake? Let this country be taken over by Russia or the United States”

Santiago de Cuba, one of the provinces least prone to protest – “the cradle of the Revolution” – writes a user who demands respect for the territory. The city has taken to the streets on several occasions in the last two years due to the lack of power. In 2022, in the Luis Dagnes neighborhood, in the Altamira Popular Council, a group of demonstrators raised their voices against the Government for a situation similar to the current one, with four hours of electricity daily, causing the intervention of Johnson and, later, of the police.

The same thing happened at the end of October in the San Pedrito neighborhood, when several neighbors took to the streets to ask for the power to be restored after the island-wide breakdown of the SEN that occurred a month ago today. The passage of Hurricane Rafael, on November 6 with a category 3 through the west of the Island, left the second total collapse of the system in just 15 days.

The shortage of fuel – despite the fleets of ships from friendly countries – and the catastrophic conditions of the thermoelectric plants, which are now well past their useful lives, keep the energy situation in a state of extraordinary fragility. This was recognized by the Minister of Energy and Mines himself, Vicente de la O Levy, just 18 days ago. “The system is weak; there is a very large generation deficit,” he summarized, to no one’s surprise.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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

The owner of the hotel chain emphasizes, in case there were doubts, that “it is essential to have a good high season; the country and the Cuban economy need it”

It has been the current tourism minister’s turn to deal with an unprecedented pandemic that caused a closure of global borders, but while most of his competitors – both in the region and internationally – have been recovering their numbers prior to COVID-19, the Island now has, in 2024, worse tourism results than in 2023. Specifically, in September, the drop was 5.2%, leaving out the October figure, which is expected to be disastrous, as will be that of November. Tourism has been affected not only by the two hurricanes and the two earthquakes, but also by the two total failures of the National Electric System that keep Cuba on the edge of the energy abyss every morning.

Despite this, all the chips are still bet on the same color. García Granda indicated that the sector has a plan to renovate more than 80,000 hotel rooms, 75% of them in four- and five-star hotels, and to have 18 internationally recognized foreign hotel chains.”

The authorities predicted a target of 3.2 million tourists this year (lower than the target of 3.5 for 2023, a year when only 2.4 million arrived). In September, aspirations were reduced to 2.7 million international visitors, but there is still one million left to reach the goal. Perhaps forgetting the reduction, García Granda says today in Granma that the figure will not reach three million but insists that it must change. “Therefore, we have taken all possible measures to improve the indicators, while creating companies to supply wholesale tourism, some with 100% foreign capital, so we will have a better position than in last year’s high season,” he remarked.

The minister spoke about two new products from the Canadian hotel chain Blue Diamond – Resonance Blue and Resonance Musique – and others that will happen. The news comes just as the Sunwing Vacation travel agency in Canada has removed 26 Cuban hotels from its catalog, without specifying which ones.

The news comes just as the Sunwing Vacation travel agency in Canada has removed 26 Cuban hotels from its catalog, without specifying which ones

Samantha Taylor, the company’s marketing director, said in an interview that the hotels were withdrawn due to the drop in quality. “We didn’t feel that the hotels lived up to the expectations of the guests,” she said. The “noble” efforts made by the facilities to meet the needs of customers have been insufficient in their opinion, and there is a shortage of food, as well as failures in the air conditioning equipment.

Taylor unlinked the decision from the two recent total failures of the National Energy System (SEN), but she did make it clear that, although “there are incredible places to go in Cuba,” customers are “a little uncomfortable,” and it is the agency’s obligation to recommend other alternatives.

PAX magazine, which collects these statements, adds that the director of the Cuban Tourist Office in Toronto, Lessner Gómez, indicated a few days ago that the ministry led by García Granda has prepared to offer “better services, uninterrupted supplies, improved experiences at airports” and more new vehicles for the high season, as well as ensuring that 100% will have electricity. The efforts are remarkable, but in vain. The Canadian Government has already maintained, for a year, a precautionary alert when traveling to Cuba due to the shortage of food, fuel and medicine, and in August of this year the presence of dengue was added to the list.

Up to September, there is a decrease of 2% compared to the same period for 2023, while other tourism numbers increase, highlighting the Russian, which grows by 12%

In these circumstances, and with the proliferation of cases of failed vacations narrated by Canadians, travelers from this country remain in the lead as has been historical custom, but in retreat. Up to September, there is a decrease of 2% compared to the same period as the previous year, while other tourism numbers increase, highlighting the Russian, which grows by 12% but will not reach the expected amount either.

García Granda points out that there are already brigades working “hard” in Cayo Largo del Sur so that it is ready before November 30, including the Marea del Portillo hotel in Pilón (Granma province), damaged by the earthquake but which should be ready on December 15.

“Osniel and Zaily are two brothers aged 17 and 19 who live alone in Pilón,” wrote Yudelkis Ortiz Barceló, first secretary of the Party in Granma on his social networks. “Today we are going to see them and offer them all the help they need to recover,” he adds. But for them there is no schedule or set date.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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

President Barack Obama appointed him ambassador to Chile in 2013.

President Barack Obama appointed him ambassador to Chile in 2013, and several years later, in 2018, Donald Trump – during his first term – sent him to Congo. Hammer has been actively involved in conflict resolution in Africa. An example of this was his mediation, in 2022, between Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front – a nationalist leftist paramilitary group – to end the Tigray War.

In early 2023, he was involved in the Sudan conflict and held several meetings with diplomats from Kenya, Ethiopia and the African Union

Hammer arrives in Cuba at a time of maximum tension in Havana, with the imminent return of Trump to the White House and a Cabinet in which old enemies of the regime stand out, such as Senator Marco Rubio, who will serve as Secretary of State. In addition, his arrival occurs in the midst of a systemic crisis in the country, after the passage of two hurricanes, episodes of total blackout and unprecedented shortages.

The new Chargé d’Affaires will also have to continue with the agenda of his predecessor to improve diplomatic facilities, enable immigration procedures, support the private sector of the Island and – as Ziff said in his farewell statement – support the search for a “freer and more democratic future” for Cuba.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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

On the next level are the polyclinics, which are not in better condition. In the José Luis Chaviano, “just looking at the facade you can already guess what awaits you inside,” says Vilma, a neighbor of Pueblo Nuevo, where the health center is located. “I have no choice but to come and inject myself twice a day. Sometimes I wait for the nurse, who went to her house or to solve some personal problem. The reception is almost always empty, without even a custodian nearby. And, in addition, I have to bring a syringe, needle, ampule and cotton,” says the retiree.

The woman, who also suffers from asthma, explains that until a while ago you could at least go to the polyclinic for an aerosol spray. However, there are no longer enough oxygen tanks for all the patients who arrive requesting that treatment, although a truck unloading them is observed with some frequency. “I am not aware that they are doing illicit business with such a delicate matter, but it is very suspicious that the supplies are unloaded and then disappear. If they got here, where are they going to end up then?” she asks.

Located a few meters from the Muelle Real embarcadero, the polyclinic has the category of University, although it rarely receives medical and nursing students, increasingly scarce on the Island. On the contrary, it is not uncommon to find “a single doctor on duty, whose specialty is writing certificates for work absences and prescriptions for missing medicines,” says Vilma. “The sick now go directly to the hospital, because they know that there they will not find what they are looking for,” she adds.

Interviewed by 14ymedio, a receptionist at José Luis Chaviano says that outpatient consultations have practically disappeared “because there is a huge deficit of doctors in all specialties, and the few that remain were sent to the Provincial Hospital.” She doesn’t know for sure the state of other polyclinics, but since hers is “so central,” it’s logical that the rest are “the same or worse. Specifically in this area of health there is a very great lack, both in equipment and in personnel. The walls even have mold and the floors are dirty, because it is difficult for someone to accept work as a cleaning assistant for such a low salary. As a result, there is nothing and no one.”

Even the anti-vector fight, compares the employee, which attracted many students and fumigators to the surroundings of the polyclinic, to eradicate mainly the aedes aegypti mosquito, “ceased to be done a long time ago.”

Gabriel, a Cienfuegos man who has been “following the dentists” of the Provincial Hospital for months to have a procedure done, does not have a good opinion of this center, the most important in the city. “My daughter-in-law works in a private clinic and told me that she is going to help me get a prosthesis, but I first need the Provincial to analyze my case and indicate the treatment so that she can help me,” he summarizes.

“The problem is that they don’t have equipment or specialists for anything, and they are only doing extractions,” continues Gabriel. According to him, his daughter-in-law spent part of her internship as a student in the hospital itself, and even then “there was not enough water for her to wash her hands. She was gradually disappointed by all that,” he says, “and in the end she left before they pointed her out as hostile for her continuous complaints.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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