Thieves Decimate the Ration Stores in Sancti Spiritus with the Complicity of Cuban Officials

14ymedio, Havana, August 1, 2023 — Some ten bodegas (ration stores) in the province of Sancti Spíritus have suffered violent robberies, while in another five – in addition to a food processing center – cases of corruption have been detected so far this year. The stolen products affected the delivery of the “basic basket” to … Continue reading “Thieves Decimate the Ration Stores in Sancti Spiritus with the Complicity of Cuban Officials”

Cuban Police Dismantle a Clandestine Tobacco Factory in Placetas

14ymedio, Havana, 8 June 2023 — The Facebook page “Fuerza del Pueblo,” an account linked to the Ministry of the Interior, details a police operation in the factory known as Chinchal de Tabaco, in the town of Báez, where agents seized several bags of material, molds and tools for the preparation of cigarettes. In addition, … Continue reading “Cuban Police Dismantle a Clandestine Tobacco Factory in Placetas”

Authorizing the Controlled Slaughter of Livestock Was a ‘Mistake’ Cuban Officials Say

14ymedio, Juan Izquierdo, Havana, 3 May 2023 — The livestock scenario in Cuba, marked by brutal robberies and police inaction, could not be more chaotic. Resolution 88 of the Ministry of Agriculture, which approved in 2022 a “procedure for the slaughter and consumption of beef for self-consumption” for authorized entities and producers, is now seen … Continue reading “Authorizing the Controlled Slaughter of Livestock Was a ‘Mistake’ Cuban Officials Say”

The Livestock Stolen in 2022 in Cuba Is Equivalent to 22 Million Pounds of Meat

14ymedio, Madrid, 24 April 2023 — The numerous cases of theft and slaughter of livestock that producers in Cuba have been reporting for months and that the official press of the provinces reviews in the balance sheets of the sector finally have national figures that demonstrate the seriousness of the problem. In the last year … Continue reading “The Livestock Stolen in 2022 in Cuba Is Equivalent to 22 Million Pounds of Meat”

With the Blackouts, Charcoal Making Starts Up Again in Cuba

14ymedio, Yankiel Gutiérrez Faife, Camajuaní, 21 February 2023 — The hands of Emilio, a 66-year-old farmer, say everything about his trade: rough, firm, and smeared with soot. For decades he has gotten up at dawn, along with his brother Daniel, and they go to work in the fields of Vueltas, a town a few kilometers from Camajuaní, in … Continue reading “With the Blackouts, Charcoal Making Starts Up Again in Cuba”

With Reservoirs at a Low, Las Tunas is One of the Cuban Provinces Most Affected by the Drought

14ymedio, Havana, 3 February 2023– The drought in the province of Las Tunas, which last year caused the deaths of 4,400 head of cattle, will not let up in 2023, with the reservoirs now at a third of their capacity. The latest bulletin from the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH) reports that the 23 … Continue reading “With Reservoirs at a Low, Las Tunas is One of the Cuban Provinces Most Affected by the Drought”

The Proposed Law on Livestock is Typical for a Meat-Producing Country, Not for Cuba

14ymedio, Havana, 12 December 2022 — Without knowing exactly why, satisfaction reigned in the parliamentary agro-food commission for the announced Law on the Promotion and Development of Livestock, which in recent days has been the focus of several reports in the local press. The preliminary draft, without any real innovations, can influence the pressing problem of … Continue reading “The Proposed Law on Livestock is Typical for a Meat-Producing Country, Not for Cuba”

Broken Dreams / Cubalex

Translator’s note: The references here to the empty offices and the inability to work relate to a police raid that occurred in September of last year, during which much of the organization’s equipment was confiscated. Cubalex, 20 February 2017 – It is an ordinary November day. Cubalex members are visiting the headquarters, the emptiness of the … Continue reading “Broken Dreams / Cubalex”

The Socioeconomic Legacy Of Fidel Castro / Miriam Leiva

ABC International, Miriam Leiva, 26 November 2016 — Fidel Castro left Cuba in disastrous economic conditions after exerting absolute power for more than 47 years. His brother received a country “on the precipice” on 31 July 2006. Raul Castro has had to eliminate the “genial” initiatives of the comandante en jefe, without repudiating them, presenting … Continue reading “The Socioeconomic Legacy Of Fidel Castro / Miriam Leiva”

Cuba’s Private Restaurant Owners are Worried / 14ymedio, Luz Escobar

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana 20 October 2016 — Chinese, Italian or international food fill the menus of Cuban paladares, but lately fear has starred as the main dish on the menu of these private restaurants. The jewel in the crown of entrepreneurship on the island is experiencing moments of uncertainty after the government froze the … Continue reading “Cuba’s Private Restaurant Owners are Worried / 14ymedio, Luz Escobar”

Carcinogenic or not, Cubans Want Red Meat / 14ymedio, Orlando Palma

14ymedio, Orlando Palma, Havana, 29 October 2015 — “For me, no one can get me to quit this bad habit, I’ve tried vegetables and beans,” intones the troubadour Ray Fernandez in one of his songs. The main character in this song is named Butcher, and he spent ten years in prison for the theft and … Continue reading “Carcinogenic or not, Cubans Want Red Meat / 14ymedio, Orlando Palma”

Twelve Ladies in White Arrested Outside Combinado del Este prison / 14ymedio

14ymedio, 1 October 2015 – The regime opponent Martha Beatriz Roque denounced the arrest Thursday of 12 Ladies in White protesting outside the Combinado del Este prison in Havana. The activists presented themselves at the place to complain about the prisoners Ricardo and Ariel Gonzalez Sendiña, sons of the Lady in White Lazara Barbara Sendiña, who … Continue reading “Twelve Ladies in White Arrested Outside Combinado del Este prison / 14ymedio”

The Cost of a Steak in Cuba / Cubanet, Alberto Mendez

Cubanet, Alberto Mendez Castello, Las Tunas, 21 August 2015 — “The crime of theft and slaughter of cattle continues at high levels in Puerto Padre,” the official press reported in July. The prosecutor Jose Luis Pupo Rueda said in an interview broadcast on the radio that, beyond the lack of control of the cattle and … Continue reading “The Cost of a Steak in Cuba / Cubanet, Alberto Mendez”

Beef, Only for the Privileged / Cubanet, Roberto Jesús Quiñones Haces

Cubanet.org, Roberto Jesus Quinones Haces, Guantanamo, 12 June 2015 – Among the list of prohibitions imposed on Cubans from 1959 until today is freely fishing, having a boat and wandering around the island or giving our children an education in non-state schools, among others. Until recently it was forbidden to stay in a hotel, sell … Continue reading “Beef, Only for the Privileged / Cubanet, Roberto Jesús Quiñones Haces”

Some Seven Thousand Cows ‘Disappear” in Villa Clara Province / 14ymedio, Orlando Palma

14ymedio, Orlando Palma, Villa Clara, 15 November 2014 – Around 7,000 head of beef cattle were presumed disappeared in the space of a year during a count carried out in ten cattle ranches in the province of Villa Clara, according to a report by the newspaper Juventud Rebelde. The inspection, carried out by the province’s … Continue reading “Some Seven Thousand Cows ‘Disappear” in Villa Clara Province / 14ymedio, Orlando Palma”