It is a question of discrediting tourism, since this “may affect the greater inflow of foreign currency to the country in times of the economic crisis on the Island”
14ymedio, Madrid, October 14, 2025 — After several days of circulation on quasi-independent blogs and state media, the official press has decided to publish an article in which the political analyst of Razones de Cuba, Arthur González, insinuates that the epidemiological situation did not happen “by chance” but forms part of the “biological war” against Cuba, which the US, he claims, is behind.
The article, entitled Suspicious coincidence of virus in Cuba obliges us to remember the past, was originally published in El Heraldo Cubano, an official blog dedicated to “divulging the truth that is censored by the media monopoly.” This does not refer to Cuban state media but to the press supposedly linked to the US. It was reproduced this Tuesday by the provincial newspaper of Cienfuegos, 5 de septiembre, to give official support to the conspiracy theory.
The author points out that chikungunya has not been in Cuba since the 2015 epidemic, but only this July, ten years later, was the first outbreak detected in Matanzas, “where Varadero beach is located, one of the most important sun and beach tourist destinations in the country, with the largest number of visitors. It is considered among the best beaches in the world according to international institutions, with excellent hotels run by prestigious international chains.”
The author points out that chikungunya has not been in Cuba since the 2015 epidemic, but this July, ten years later, the first outbreak was detected in Matanzas
After a description of Varadero in July 2025 that little resembles the reality — that month, the whole island received just 190,747 tourists — the post identifies the point where the first cases began to be reported: the municipality of Perico, almost 70 kilometers from the resort, located on a key. From there, it says, it spread to Máximo Gómez, more than 50 kilometers away.
The Ministry of Health identified several cases of chikungunya in July, a focus that was almost exclusively confined to Perico, although health brigades were sent from different parts of the province. In the middle of the month, that focus was controlled, although surveillance continued due to the increase of Aedes Aegyptis mosquitos during the season.
It was not until September that the situation worsened again in the province of Matanzas, in this case affecting more virulently the capital city and Cárdenas. After weeks of warnings on social media and the independent press, the official media ended up admitting the gravity of a situation in which lack of water, blackouts, garbage and shortages of medicines and health facilities have been ideal breeding grounds for the spread of dengue, oropouche and chikungunya.
González argues that this is not by chance and he is right. The above cases have been recognized by the official press itself in recent days. But for him it is, at the very least, something that could impact tourism, since this “may affect the greater inflow of foreign exchange into the country in times of the economic crisis that Cuba is going through.”
For the author, the beginning of the crisis coincides with the launch of Cuban tourism in several international fairs and the holiday campaign of different destinations — summer or winter — depending on the latitude. “The outbreak quickly advanced in the municipalities of Matanzas and Cárdenas, where most of the tourism workers in Varadero reside. They can get sick and transmit it to tourists,” he says.
In the midst of the worsening situation, the US issued a warning to travelers two weeks ago, giving health recommendations to those who eventually have Cuba as their destination. These measures are normal. Almost all countries advise their nationals of the risks or measures to be taken into account when going abroad, whether to warn them of natural phenomena, the possibility of terrorist attacks, shortages of products or precautions against theft. But for González these warmings are a suspicious act.
For González, the situation recalls “what happened in May 1981, when the hemorrhagic dengue epidemic was similarly detected” in Boyeros, where the José Martí International Airport is located
It is striking that on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, the U.S. government issued a health alert for its citizens in Cuba before the outbreak of chikungunya, when Americans are forbidden to travel to the Island as tourists and President Donald Trump removed the licenses that allowed them to visit Cuba, which sends an alarm to all possible visitors from other parts of the world,” he says. “Why did they issue this alert when the number of American visitors to the Island is minimal?”
For González, the situation recalls “what happened in May 1981, when the hemorrhagic dengue epidemic was similarly detected” in Boyeros, where the José Martí International Airport is located. “We can never forget what Eduardo Arocena, a terrorist killer of Cuban origin and member of anti-Cuban organizations in the service of the CIA declared to the New York Court in 1984: ‘I belong to a group whose mission was to obtain certain pathogenic germs and introduce them into Cuba’.”
The text goes on to mention the articles dedicated to biological warfare against Cuba written by journalist Warren Hinckle and former FBI agent William Turner. It argues that the Island “has been the victim of dozens of actions” by the US to “affect its economy,” including African swine fever, which led to the slaughter of the country’s pigs.
“Chikungunya was first detected in 1952 in Tanzania, and Cuba never suffered from this virus until a few years ago. Therefore, these epidemics cannot be by chance.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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