English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
Everywhere you hear: “So-and-so was knocked down by a fever” or “So-and-so hasn’t been able to move her legs for a week” 14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, 26 November 2025 — Just a few months ago, “chikungunya” was an unpronounceable word for most Cubans. It sounded like a distant term, one of those exotic diseases that appear on … Continue reading “‘Chikungunya’, the Word of the Year in Cuba”
Dr. Durán returns to his daily television program to report on the arbovirus epidemic. 14ymedio, Havana, November 19, 2021 — A total of 63 patients are in intensive care units in Cuba due to chikungunya, including 19 minors in critical condition. This information comes from Dr. Francisco Durán, Director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of … Continue reading “Cuba: There Are 19 Minors in “Critical Condition” and 44 Adults in Serious Condition Due to Chikungunya”
After months of inaction, health authorities warn of an “exponential” rise in chikungunya and dengue fever. 14ymedio, Havana, November 7, 2025 — “At my workplace, there are 14 doctors, nurses and staff members recovering from the new viruses,” a worker at the Doctor Cosme Ordóñez Carceller polyclinic in Havana’s Plaza de la Revolución municipality tells … Continue reading “Sick Doctors and Overwhelmed Hospitals, the “Virus” Spreads Throughout Cuba”
All the conversations in both Havana cemeteries revolved around “that virus” that “everyone is sick” with. 14ymedio, Dario Hernandez, Havana, November 12, 2025 — “There’s more funeral activity these days.” The statement, made by a worker at the Colón Cemetery in Havana, once again contradicts the government’s reassuring messages about the arboviral epidemic plaguing the country … Continue reading “Faced With the Increase in Deaths, Cuba’s State Telecommunications Company Etecsa Is Converting Its Vehicles Into Hearses”
Performances by the National Ballet of Cuba are cancelled due to the “unforeseen indisposition” of several artists 14ymedio/SwingCompleto, Havana, November 9, 2025 — Cuba’s National Baseball Series experienced another interruption to its schedule. This Saturday, the game between Granma and Mayabeque was suspended because one of the viruses circulating in the country affected a large … Continue reading “A Virus Strikes a Large Part of Cuba’s Alazanes Team and Forces the Suspension of the Game Against Mayabeque”
After months of inaction, Cuban health authorities are warning of an “exponential” rise in chikungunya and dengue. 14ymedio, Havana, November 7, 2025 — “At my workplace, 14 doctors, nurses, and staff members are recovering from the new viruses,” a worker at the Doctor Cosme Ordóñez Carceller polyclinic in Havana’s Plaza de la Revolución municipality told … Continue reading “Sick Doctors and Overcrowded Hospitals: The “Virus” Spreads Throughout Cuba”
Prisoners Defenders records a total of 1,179 political prisoners on the island in October 14ymedio, Madrid, 6 November 2025 — Prisons have not been spared from the health emergency caused by several arboviruses spreading throughout the country. Absolutely not. According to the latest report by Prisoners Defenders (PD), published on Thursday, the epidemics, together with … Continue reading “Bacteria and Viruses Thriving in Cuban Prisons”
The Ministry of Health has released its first figures on the number of people affected by the virus: more than 20,000 to date. Poor nutrition, poor medical care and a lack of medication exacerbate the symptoms of the disease. 14ymedio, Havana, 4 November 2025 — More than a month after the United States issued a travel … Continue reading “The Cuban Authorities Finally Tackle Chikungunya, After Ignoring the Epidemic for Months”
The government speaks of a “controlled outbreak” while a doctor from Villa Clara explains that she is “very worried about this chikungunya situation” 14ymedio, Dario Hernandez, Havana, November 3, 2025 — In recent weeks, hospitals and clinics across Cuba have been filled with patients suffering from high fever, rashes, joint pain, and extreme fatigue. The … Continue reading “The ‘Virus That Is Going Around’ and Wreaking Havoc in Cuba Has No Name”
It is not the virus that is making Cubans sick, it’s the system 14ymedio, Madrid, Eugenia Gutiérrez, October 26, 2025 — A few days ago, Cuba’s Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, was obligated to break his silence in the face of what could be the biggest epidemiological crisis that the Island has … Continue reading “Cuba: How Long Will This Suffering Last?”
Mosquito repellents and medications sent to the island by emigrants are running out in Florida. 14ymedio, María Casas, Miami, October 23, 2025 – Sitting on folding chairs, with umbrellas, small cups of coffee, and sunglasses, dozens of customers waited this Thursday morning in front of one of the offices of the Cubamax agency in Miami, … Continue reading “The Fight Against the Viruses in Cuba Is Waged From Miami”
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 … Continue reading “Cuban Regime Suggests That the US Is Behind the ‘Suspicious Coincidence of the Virus in Cuba’”
The official newspaper ‘Girón’ gives a shocking description of the situation in the province of Matanzas. Olea Gallardo, Havana, October 6, 2024 — “This illness has made you lose track of time and even logic. You no longer know how many days you, your husband, or your mother-in-law have had the symptoms, or if this … Continue reading ““Yes, People Are Dying From This Virus” in Cuba”
“A hospital that does not guarantee the basics for the diagnosis and follow-up of dengue is seriously failing its population,” writes a doctor from Cárdenas 14ymedio, Havana, October 5, 2025 — Viral infections caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito continue to spread in Cuba. In Ciego de Ávila, oropouche is the one that caused the … Continue reading “Cuba Faces an Outbreak of Viral Diseases Amid Shortages of Supplies and Reagents”
In addition to infants, those over 65 and those with diabetes or heart disease are at high risk 14ymedio, Havana, September 30, 2025 — This Tuesday, the US Embassy in Havana issued a health alert for anyone who wants to travel to Cuba due to the outbreak of Chikungunya throughout the entire island. The risk … Continue reading “The US Issues a Travel Alert for Cuba Because of the Increase of Chikungunya”
