English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
The lack of official information once again fueled a chain of rumors that mixed politics, economics, and successions within the Cuban power structure. 14ymedio, Madrid, 11 July 2026 / Every month brings its harvest of rumors to Cuba. Some originate in an anonymous Facebook post, others jump from a Telegram channel to a WhatsApp group, … Continue reading “June, the Month When Everything Seemed Possible”
At the Karl Marx auditorium, packed with uniformed military personnel, Miguel Díaz-Canel celebrated the general’s 95th birthday and the 65th anniversary of the Ministry of the Interior with a totalitarian slogan: “Raúl is Cuba, and Cuba is untouchable!” 14ymedio, Havana, June 6, 2026 — Raúl Castro reappeared this Friday in Havana wearing a military uniform … Continue reading “Raúl Castro Appears in Public for the First Time Since His Criminal Indictment in the U.S.”
The Russian president recalled that the Island is “a friendly country” for Moscow and that bilateral ties continue 14ymedio/Agencies, Madrid, 4 June 2026 / Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on Thursday that Moscow has maintained contacts with Washington over Cuba, amid speculation about a possible US operation against the Island. The leader offered no details, … Continue reading “Putin Admits He Spoke with the US About Cuba Amid the Spectre of a Venezuela-Style Operation”
The man who a decade ago shook hands with the US president at diplomatic ceremonies is today an old man cornered by the justice system of that same country and reviled in Washington I walk by the corner of Carlos III and Rancho Boyeros Avenue in Havana. A few meters from the Faculty of Dentistry, … Continue reading “Raúl Castro’s Most Bitter Birthday”
14ymedio, Havana, 30 May 2026 / The Federal Prosecutor’s Office for the Southern District of Florida maintains that the indictment against Raul Castro for the shootdown, 30 years ago, of the Brothers to the Rescue light aircraft is not symbolic and that it is seeking to bring him before a Miami court. “We are waiting … Continue reading “US Considers Raul Castro a “Fugitive” and Activates Measures to Bring Him to Miami”
Cuban pilot Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez was sentenced to seven months in prison after admitting he lied on immigration forms EFE/14ymedio, Miami, May 28, 2026 — Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, a Cuban pilot who was indicted last week alongside former president Raúl Castro for the shootdown of two planes belonging to the organization Brothers to … Continue reading “Prison Sentence for Immigration Fraud for One of the Military Officers Indicted Alongside Raúl Castro in the U.S.”
The digital outlet Axios cites a State Department source: with the heat, irritation will grow and people will take to the streets “The president does not want troops on the ground for more than 48 hours” 14ymedio, Madrid, May 28, 2026 — The leaks from the U.S. State Department to Axios that so irritate Havana … Continue reading “The U.S. Is Betting on a “Slow-Motion” Collapse of the Cuban Regime”
US authorities summon streamer Hasan Piker and Susan Medea Benjamin over their trips to Cuba 14ymedio, Madrid, May 24, 2026 — A total of 145 organizations established in the United States have been identified by Fox News as part of the network of influence that Donald Trump’s Administration suspects the Government of Havana has built … Continue reading “145 Organizations Are Accused of Lobbying in the U.S. in Favor of the Cuban Regime”
Joe García describes eight issues on the table, including political prisoners, the embargo, confiscated properties, internal reforms, and financial reintegration 14ymedio, Madrid, Yunior García Aguilera, May 24, 2026 — Much has been speculated in recent weeks about the secret agenda between Havana and Washington. But now, for the first time with this level of detail, … Continue reading “The Return of 500,000 Cubans Is Among the Points Being Negotiated by Washington and Havana”
I can imagine the number of onions, potatoes, mangoes, and peppers that won’t survive another day to be sold this Saturday. 14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Havana, May 23, 2026 / I need onions. I take advantage of the electricity and go down in the elevator, also carrying the garbage that has accumulated during the days of … Continue reading “Havana Chronicles: The Tulipán Market Closed: “They’ve Given the Order To Go to the March for Raúl””
By Julio M. Shiling | May 22, 2026 | This coming Monday, May 25, 2026, marks the 54 th anniversary of the death of Pedro Luis Boitel, a courageous Cuban patriot and emblematic victim of the Castro regime’s brutal political prison system. Boitel died on May 25, 1972, after enduring 53 days on a hunger … Continue reading “Honoring Pedro Luis Boitel and the Demand for Accountability”
The main speaker was Gerardo Hernández, one of the five former spies accused in the US of participating in the conspiracy to shoot down the Brothers to the Rescue planes 14ymedio, Dario Hernandez, Havana, May 22, 2026 / In a new attempt to display popular support, increasingly weakened, the Cuban government called for another mobilization … Continue reading “An Exhausted Bussed-in Crowd Attends the Rally in Defense of Raúl Castro in Havana”
Donald Trump ruled out any escalation and added that he would soon make an announcement on the oil blockade he imposed on the island. EFE (via 14ymedio), Miami, Hugo Barcia, 21 May 2026 – A thunderous ovation was the thanks that Cuban community leaders in Miami gave the United States Government following the indictment of … Continue reading “Cuban Exile Community Celebrates Raúl Castro’s Indictment with Applause: “Impunity Is Over””
The deputy foreign minister and other guests on Mesa Redonda justify the shooting down of the two Brothers to the Rescue aircraft 14ymedio, Madrid, 21 May 2026 / The United States’ ambivalent strategy toward Cuba has met its match in the island’s Foreign Ministry, which this Wednesday also responded to the same script with a bit … Continue reading “The Cuban Regime Calls Raúl Castro’s Indictment for “Defending His Airspace” a “Despicable Act””
The Secretary of State sends a video to the population on the day when the criminal indictment against Raúl Castro will be officially announced 14ymedio, Madrid, 20 May 2026 / Anticipation is running high on a Cuban Independence Day that will see the US indict former president Raúl Castro, news that was already more than expected … Continue reading “Marco Rubio to Cubans: “Trump Is Offering You a New Relationship With the United States””