Translating Cuba – Page 21 – English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island

Havana Describes the Crew of a Boat as “Terrorists,” While Others Call Them “Patriots”

Cuban authorities identify the six detainees and one of the four dead in an armed incident in waters off Villa Clara
The exile community is divided between those who support this action to “awaken the people” and those who fear the use the regime may make of this “victory”

Among the border guards who took part in the operation, one was injured. Video Capture / Video capture / Ministry of the Interior / Archive

14ymedio, Madrid, February 26, 2026 – The ten occupants of the speedboat coming from the United States and intercepted in Cuban waters this Wednesday “intended to carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes,” states the Ministry of the Interior, which published the identities of those detained in the operation, all Cuban residents of Florida.

They are Amijail Sánchez González, Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, Conrado Galindo Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara, and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra. The first two are on the list of individuals the regime considers terrorists, published in July 2025.

The first had been wanted since 2023, following the arrest of another Cuban resident in the United States who brought into Matanzas “firearms, ammunition, and other supplies with the purpose of carrying out terrorist acts.” The second was under investigation as part of a case involving “sabotage activities” in Villa Clara, in which another Island citizen was detained and prosecuted.

Among the deceased, three have not yet been identified, according to the authorities, who have provided the name of only one: Michel Ortega Casanova

Among the deceased, three have not yet been identified, the authorities say, reporting only the name of one: Michel Ortega Casanova, a member of the Cuban Republican Party, which is also one of the organizations considered terrorist by the Cuban regime. He had been president of the party’s local Tampa chapter and was recently replaced by Wilfredo Beyra, who yesterday went live on Facebook to claim responsibility for the action of those “patriots.” “They did not go to Cuba to carry out a terrorist act; they went to do what very few have had the courage to do. They went to attempt an extreme sacrifice to awaken a people for Cuba’s freedom,” he argued. continue reading

Michel Ortega Casanova / Facebook / René Montes

The claim of responsibility for the attack has been widespread. Casa Cuba of Tampa, linked to Ortega Casanova and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, has declared three days of official mourning with flags at half-mast for the “anti-Castro fighters fallen in fulfillment of their sacred duty to the Homeland.” René Montes De Oca, vice president of the group, referred to the deceased as a “brother in ideas and a friend.”

“May God keep them in His Holy Love; our condolences to family and friends. Today the exile community wears mourning and Cuba is clothed in Glory with the redeeming blood of its finest sons,” he added.

Not all of the exile community has seen it the same way. Debates have been intense all night on social media, and many voices have considered this action a mistake. “Now it turns out that the dictatorship has its first victory, against an American invasion, which it defeated with resounding success, the narrative they were already pushing,” lamented a Cuban in Florida.

The Cuban Republican Party, for its part, made public a statement this Thursday distancing itself from the action, which it attributes to “individual decisions or actions that its members or supporters may undertake in a personal capacity.”

The organization acknowledges that Ortega Casanova was a party member but states that “the organization was completely unaware of his intentions, plans, or participation in said event,” which, on the other hand, it says it understands. “This tragic event is a sign of the level of desperation to which the Cuban people have been pushed after decades of repression, lack of freedoms, and systematic closure of civic avenues,” it adds, reiterating its “commitment to political struggle, responsibility, and respect for life.”

Meanwhile, in Florida, an independent investigation is underway with the participation of the FBI. Agents from the bureau went to a home in Miami Lakes linked to the incident, since the address appeared in the property records of the vessel involved, a “speedboat” registered in Florida as FL7726SH.

The White House, for its part, said it was monitoring the attack, according to U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

“Marco told me about it about 15 minutes ago, but we don’t know many details. It’s a situation we are monitoring. Hopefully it’s not as bad as we fear it could be,” he stated.

The Secretary of State, who was at the Caribbean Community (Caricom) summit in Saint Kitts and Nevis, where he spoke at length about Cuba, said: “I am not going to speculate or comment; I want to know what happened. We are going to find out exactly what happened and we will respond appropriately.”

“I am not going to speculate or comment; I want to know what happened. We are going to find out exactly what happened and we will respond appropriately,” he maintained

The head of U.S. diplomacy emphasized that, for now, all the information comes from Cuban authorities and that the Donald Trump Administration wants to verify it with “independent information,” although the explicit acknowledgment made from Florida seems to foreshadow the outcome.

The incident occurred this Wednesday morning, when a vessel approached within one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino Channel, in the Villa Clara key of Falcones. “As a surface unit of the Border Guard Troops of the Ministry of the Interior, with five personnel, approached for identification,” the ministry itself indicated in an initial statement, “fire was opened from the offending boat against the Cuban personnel, causing the commander of the Cuban vessel to be injured.”

In the operation, the Border Guard Troops seized “assault rifles, handguns, homemade explosive devices (Molotov cocktails), bulletproof vests, telescopic sights, and camouflage uniforms.”

The Government also announced that a Cuban resident on the Island had been detained, Duniel Hernández Santos, “sent from the United States to ensure the reception of the armed infiltration, who is currently confessing to his actions.” According to some reports, he had been deported from the United States in 2024.

Russia is the only country that has so far spoken on the matter. The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, during his daily telephone press briefing, supported the actions of the Island’s agents.

“The Cuban border guards did what they had to do in a situation like this,” he stated, adding that “regarding the security situation around the Island, it is very important that all parties exercise restraint and not allow any kind of provocation.”

Peskov sought to downplay the matter and disconnect it from the deteriorated relations between Cuba and the United States, noting that “there is nothing to comment on. Havana reported that the Cuban citizens detained who attempted to enter national territory with weapons acknowledged that their aim was to carry out terrorist attacks.”

Earlier, and less restrained, the spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, had said: “This is an aggressive provocation by the United States, whose objective is to escalate the situation and unleash a conflict,” she told the TASS news agency.

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

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.

With Cuba’s Markets Empty, Retirees Are Left Unable to Sell Bags to Survive

At El Turquino in San José de las Lajas, Aurelio and Alicia offer two plastic bags for 20 pesos, sometimes three for 50.

Selling small plastic bags has become increasingly difficult, not only because of surveillance, but also because the scarce supply barely attracts customers 14ymedio

14ymedio, San José de Las Lanas Julio César Contreras, February 26, 2026 –At seven in the morning, when the sun has barely finished rising, Aurelio is already sitting on his usual bench in front of the Ideal Market El Turquino in San José de las Lajas. At his feet he places a worn-out shopping bag, from which he carefully pulls out nylon bags. At 74 years old, that small sale—two bags for 20 pesos, sometimes three for 50—makes the difference between having a hot lunch or going to bed hungry.

However, selling little bags has become increasingly difficult. Not only because of the constant patrolling by inspectors and police who scrutinize informal vendors, but because the market has gone weeks with such a meager supply that it barely attracts customers. “These are the last ones I have left,” Aurelio says, lifting a handful of wrinkled bags. “But it’s taken me a long time to sell them, because people have nothing to put in them.”

The market’s chalkboard confirms his words. There is only salt, at 40 pesos per pound. By noon, when the heat begins to press down under the stained tile portico, El Turquino closes its doors. “There’s so little that there aren’t even flies on the counter,” the retiree jokes, returning home each afternoon with less than 200 pesos in his pocket and the feeling of having lost the entire day. “When there’s merchandise, things improve. The same people in line come looking for me without my calling them. But now there aren’t even five customers gathered.”

Near Aurelio are the white market doors, barely open a crack, the “Bodegón” signs over empty display cases, the concrete benches occupied by older men waiting—not so much to buy, as for something to happen. A parked motorcycle, a column covered with advertisements for bread and sweets that are no longer sold, flowerpots trying to add greenery where wear and tear dominates: the scene repeats day after day, like a ritual of waiting without reward. continue reading

Near Aurelio are the white doors of the market, open barely a crack, the “Still Life” signs above empty display cases. / 14ymedio

An employee of El Turquino, who asks not to be identified, explains that the lack of products is not due solely to the current fuel crisis. “This goes back years,” he says, leaning on the door. “It’s all poor management by the Commerce Company. They notify us when the truck is already parked. We unload whatever comes, and that lasts two or three hours at most.” In December, he recalls, sacks of donated rice arrived and were sold in a matter of minutes. “Sometimes a line forms just from the rumor that sugar or beans are coming in. Then it turns out to be false.”

The uncertainty also affects the workers. The market’s hours depend on whether there is anything to sell, and rumors of job reassignment circulate as lightly as those about incoming merchandise. “If they send us to another activity, I’ll ask to leave,” the employee says from inside a dimly lit shop where it is hard to distinguish the empty shelves.

A few meters from Aurelio, Alicia arranges her bags inside a large cloth purse. She is another retiree who survives by selling bags in front of the market. In her case, indignation weighs as heavily as exhaustion. “When they bring something out, the first to arrive are the resellers,” she says. “They find out from the same employees, and then each one leaves with their share. There’s a lot of shady dealing here.” Meanwhile, she is the one chased for selling small bags.

The drop in commercial supply not only empties the market shelves; it also leaves without sustenance those who depend on its activity. The elderly who sell bags depend on movement: on the line, on the bundles, on the rush to carry something home. Their age, their minimal pension, and the lack of alternatives force them to live day to day, watching a market that now sells almost nothing. The crisis in San José de las Lajas is also measured in bags that no one buys.

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

Cuba Denounces That the U.S. Denied Visas to Eight of Its Delegates to the World Baseball Classic

The Cuban Baseball Federation states that it is “false” that the Island does not cooperate with the United States on “migration matters.”

The United States denied visas to members of the Island’s national team that will participate in the World Baseball Classic. / Jit

14ymedio/EFE, Havana, February 26, 2026 – The United States denied visas to eight members of the Island’s national team that will participate in the World Baseball Classic to be held from March 5 to 17. Among them are the president of the organization, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo; the general secretary, Carlos del Pino Muñoz; and the pitching coach and former pitcher Pedro Luis Lazo Iglesias.

The Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS) considers that the U.S. response, one month after the visa applications were submitted, “turns its back on the reasons on which they are based, on the most elementary principles of sport, and on the commitments assumed by host countries of tournaments of this type.”

The federation states that “citing as a cause what is established in Section 243(d) of that country’s Immigration and Nationality Act disrespects the essence of sport and the responsibility inherent to its participants and places our delegation at an evident disadvantage.”

“It is false that Cuba does not cooperate with the United States on migration matters,” it maintains.

The United States denied a visa to the president of the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo / Jit

The denial of visas by Washington, according to the FCBS, adds to “the complexities that marked the roster integration process, subject to deadlines different from those set for the rest of the invited countries, due to the need for the organizers to obtain permission from the U.S. Government, essential to invite Cuba.”

Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term, pressure on the Island has increased. Last May, the United States once again included Cuba on the list of countries that do not fully cooperate in its fight against continue reading

terrorism.

That same month, due to visa denials, the president of the Cuban Olympic Committee, Roberto León Richards, and other officials were unable to participate in meetings of Panam Sports, the Olympic body of the Americas.

Fearing putting his U.S. residency at risk, goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena chose to withdraw last June from playing with Cuba in the Concacaf qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup against Bermuda, which took place at Antonio Maceo Stadium.

At the end of June, the agency France 24 gained access to the letter sent to one of the volleyball players on the national team who had secured a place in the Norceca Final Four. “You are not eligible for a nonimmigrant visa under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, pursuant to the presidential proclamation.”

Cuba was placed alongside the teams of Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama, and Canada in Group A of the World Baseball Classic, whose group rounds will be played in the U.S. cities of Miami, Florida, Houston, Texas, as well as in San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Tokyo, Japan.

Last February 5, the federation announced the Island’s 30-player roster for the World Baseball Classic, which includes two Major League players and nine minor league players.

Cuban sports authorities have indicated their intention to participate in this event with the aim of repeating the historic fourth-place finish achieved in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

Mike Hammer, U.S. Mission Head in Cuba, Calls from Italy for Support for a Peaceful Transition in Cuba

The head of the U.S. mission in Havana has held talks with the Vatican since, he says, “the Church has an extremely important role” on the Island.

Mike Hammer, at his meeting with Cuban exiles this Wednesday in Rome / Facebook / Sara Sarita

EFE (via 14ymedio), Rome, February 25, 2026 – The head of the United States diplomatic mission in Havana, Mike Hammer, emphasized this Wednesday in Rome the importance of supporting a peaceful and swift transition in Cuba so that its inhabitants “have the opportunity to live in freedom.”

“It is extremely important that everyone worldwide—whether the Vatican, the Italian Government, or the Cuban people in exile—come together to support a transition that we hope will take place soon and peacefully,” Hammer said in statements to EFE in Rome, where he met today with a group of Cuban exiles.

The U.S. diplomat has been in Rome since the end of last week, where on Friday he met, among others, with the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, a meeting also attended by Washington’s ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch.

His mission in Italy, he explained, seeks to emphasize that “it is necessary for a change to take place” so that the Cuban people have “the opportunity continue reading

to live in freedom.”

“We have been talking with them to see what can be done to try to ensure that change can be achieved peacefully.”

In this regard, he said he has held conversations with the Vatican about the situation on the Island since “the Church has an extremely important role” in Cuba.

“We have been talking with them to see what can be done to try to ensure that change can be achieved peacefully,” Hammer stated.

The diplomat, who had also been in Madrid, said he has held “fruitful discussions” with representatives of the Governments of Spain and Italy, to whom he conveyed the need for them “to join this effort and tell the regime that it is time to respect the human rights of the Cuban people.”

For Hammer, this project is important not only for Cuba, but so that “in the Western Hemisphere (…) people can live in safety, with peace of mind and in freedom,” something he described as of “greater and paramount interest” to the United States.

The White House representative linked his efforts to a meeting held on January 9 in Washington with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which the lines of pressure and diplomacy toward the Island for this year were defined.

Regarding the current U.S. sanctions policy toward Cuba, Hammer argued that their sole objective is “to prevent resources from flowing into the repressive machinery of the Cuban regime.”

“The best way for the Cuban people not to suffer is for this change to take place, allowing them to decide their own future and to earn a living without the repression that exists there,” Hammer concluded.

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

Washington Will Clarify That There Are No Restrictions on the Export of Fuel to Private Businesses in Cuba

According to Bloomberg, there will be a document for exporters and re-exporters with explanations, although doubts remain about how the State will be prevented from intervening at any point.
Quimimport told 14ymedio that it still does not have authorization from the Ministry to carry out purchases abroad.

A tanker truck from Unión Cuba Petróleo (Cupet) near the Capitolio in Havana / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, February 25, 2026 – The U.S. government appears determined to calm doubts about the importation of fuel for private businesses in Cuba, according to Bloomberg on Tuesday. A Washington official told the outlet that a clarification will be issued regarding that authorization, making clear that the beneficiary will be “the Cuban people” and not “the Cuban regime.”

The sales had already been confirmed in recent days through testimony from businesspeople on the Island and in the United States, but fears that the U.S. administration might cut off that flow were evident. “It is being handled with the utmost discretion. There is concern that the Trump Administration could also restrict this channel, although following recent statements by Marco Rubio there are expectations that no measures will be adopted that directly affect small and medium-sized enterprises,” a source told Martí Noticias just over a week ago.

Now, according to Bloomberg’s source, the Department of Commerce and the Department of the Treasury will end the uncertainty by issuing a document for exporters and re-exporters emphasizing that the sale of fuel to Cuban private companies and individuals does not require a specific license and is permitted under current legislation.

Pending publication of the guidance, the question is how the fuel can be transferred to private hands without the State intervening in the slightest

Pending publication of the guidance, the question is how the fuel can be transferred to private hands without the State intervening in the slightest.

At the beginning of February, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, said the Government was facilitating and authorizing any company capable of purchasing fuel to do so. “We have decentralized, so to speak, the importation of fuel,” he stated.

Since then, it has emerged that several companies are already importing the product, some of them continue reading

, as this newspaper confirmed, through the Chinese company Fujian Trebor Trading Company, which brings in and sells gasoline paid for in dollars to small and medium-sized enterprises, in shipments of up to 25,000 liters.

The conditions for purchase, announced on social media, were confirmed to 14ymedio in phone calls to several small and medium-sized enterprises that have used its services. They must process operations through the state company Quimimport, which is dedicated to purchasing chemical products. Interested parties must “qualify as clients” and wait for the corresponding “commercial proposal.”

Clients must have a Micro-Location Certificate issued by the Physical Planning authority, including the exact coordinates of the site where the storage tank will be located; certification from the APCI (Fire Protection Agency) of the Fire Department; the tank capacity and standardization certificate issued by the Metrology authority, in cases where the storage facility is rented from a state company; a declaration from the company stating that the fuel will be for its own use; and the Storage Contract (the corresponding agreement, lease, cooperation, or storage contract) when the tank belongs to a state entity.

Quimimport, contacted by 14ymedio, stated that the company “is carrying out the processing and execution of these operations; therefore, it is necessary to clarify that, to date, authorization for importation has not been granted by the Ministry’s Directorate.”

In any case, to be authorized by the Government for these acquisitions, it is essential to rely on the State for various procedures, as well as for the storage and management of a product that carries associated risks.

Earlier information published by Martí Noticias stated that several countries are already doing this type of export to the Island, including Miami-based entrepreneurs. “Each unit can transport around 24,000 liters, and delivery is made at the Port of Mariel directly to clients,” said one of those interviewed.

The United States will have to clarify how it will prevent the regime from exerting some degree of control over the fuel once the diesel arrives on the Island, although the Cuban Government is also not interested in obstructing assistance that would inject oxygen into the private sector’s economy and help alleviate current hardships.

Meanwhile, Cubanet published an investigation on Tuesday indicating that a large number of private companies are linked to ministers, members of the armed forces, or relatives of officials, including Mariela Castro’s own daughter, who owns a Local Development Project authorized to import hydrocarbons.

According to the outlet, as of February 16, approximately 150 companies had submitted formal applications, of which 42 have been authorized, most dedicated to passenger transport, logistics, and agricultural production.

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

Cuban Troops Kill Four Crew Members of a U.S.-Registered Vessel

In the incident, six other crew members of the foreign boat and one Cuban officer were injured.
Florida’s attorney general announces an investigation: “The Cuban government cannot be trusted.”

The vessel, the statement says, approached to within one nautical mile northeast of Canalizo El Pino, in the Villa Clara cay of Falcones. / Minint

14ymedio, Havana February 25, 2026 – Four people were killed and seven injured, including a Cuban officer, in an incident that occurred this Wednesday in waters off Villa Clara, which, contrary to its usual practice, the Ministry of the Interior reported immediately. In a brief statement, authorities explained that in the morning “a speed boat violating Cuban territorial waters was detected, registered in Florida, United States, with folio FL7726SH.”

The vessel, the statement says, approached to within one nautical mile northeast of Canalizo El Pino, in the Villa Clara cay of Falcones. “As a surface unit of the Border Guard Troops of the Ministry of the Interior, with five personnel on board, approached to identify it,” the note continues, “the offending boat opened fire on the Cuban forces, causing the commander of the Cuban vessel to be injured.”

It is not yet clear whether the incident was related to drug trafficking or an attempted landing from the U.S. coast.

The Ministry of the Interior then reported the dead and injured: “As a result of the confrontation, at the time of this report, on the foreign side, four aggressors were killed and six injured, who were evacuated and received medical assistance.”

The official statement assures that “investigations are ongoing” to clarify the incident. It is not yet clear whether it involved drug trafficking, an illegal departure, or an attempted landing.

Before the Ministry of the Interior issued its statement, commentator Niover Licea published different details about the confrontation on the northern coast of Villa Clara on his Facebook page Nio Reporting a Crime. Based on reports received from the area, he claims that there were three continue reading

boats arriving from the United States, which “allegedly reached the area known as La Panchita, in the municipality of Corralillo, and an exchange of gunfire took place in the area.”

According to this version, there were “around 10 injured,” and “one member of the troops was airlifted by helicopter to the military hospital in Matanzas.” A lighthouse located in the area where Border Guard personnel operate was also hit, Licea continues. Residents report, the commentator says, that the area is completely militarized, beach access is prohibited, and local workers are not allowed entry.

“The violence linked to that regime cannot be ignored or minimized.”

Later, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on social media the opening of an investigation: “I have ordered the State Attorney’s Office to work with our federal, state, and law enforcement partners to begin an investigation. The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable.”

Miami-Dade Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis echoed this sentiment. In a statement, she affirmed that she was closely monitoring reports that “Cuban regime forces may have opened fire on a vessel registered in Florida, resulting in the tragic loss of life and multiple injuries.” If confirmed, she continued, “it is deeply alarming and must be the subject of a swift and thorough investigation by U.S. authorities.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

The PAHO Reveals That Cuba Recorded Two New Deaths From Chikungunya in January

The island’s authorities have not reported these figures, which bring the total number of deaths to 67

The PAHO also reported 1,457 cases of chikungunya between January 1 and 31. / 14ymedio

It was the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) — and not Cuba’s health authorities — that revealed that deaths from chikungunya have been recorded in the country in 2026. Based on the official data reported from the island, the international organization announced this Tuesday that in January there were two deaths from the viral disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti and albopictus mosquitoes, bringing the total to 67 according to the organization’s own records.

In its report, the PAHO also recorded 1,457 cases of chikungunya last month. These figures contrast with the government’s latest update on January 28, when, through Deputy Minister of Public Health Carilda Peña, it claimed that in the latter part of January the country had entered a “safety zone” regarding dengue and chikungunya infections, and only mentioned a 29.3% drop in confirmed and suspected cases of dengue and chikungunya — without providing any figures — compared to the previous week.

More than half of the nearly 70 deaths acknowledged by the PAHO are minors, and a total of 83,366 people have been infected (including those reported in January), although these figures might only be a sample. However, statistical estimates from the Cuban Observatory of Citizen Auditing (Ocac) and Cuba Siglo 21 put the death toll much higher: as of December, they estimated 8,700 deaths in the epidemic.

As for dengue, Cuba is one of the few countries (along with Venezuela, Nicaragua, Guatemala) for which there are still no 2026 data in the PAHO’s public databases.

As for dengue, Cuba is one of the few countries (along with Venezuela, Nicaragua, Guatemala) for which there are still no 2026 data in the PAHO’s public databases.

The Cuban government admitted the country was facing an epidemic on November 12 last year. However, the first chikungunya cases were diagnosed in July, and infections from both arboviruses skyrocketed in September and October. A month later came the peak, when the PAHO itself revealed continue reading

that in just one month the chikungunya infection rate had doubled in Cuba. In an early November report, the country showed a cumulative incidence of 183.43 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest in all of the Americas that year. By the first week of December, the figure had climbed to 350.57, a 91% increase.

Now, although official cases have dropped, reports are starting to emerge about the aftereffects suffered by many of those infected, something that’s gotten worse with the low temperatures on the island at the start of the year. That’s the case for a resident of Centro Habana who, after spending several weeks bedridden with pain and fever, still has many lingering effects more than three months later: “I can’t sleep, I spend nights wide awake with pain in my hands and knees,” she told 14ymedio in January. In Ciego de Ávila, a neighbor also said that “in the mornings I wake up with numb hands, I have to move them a lot just to function halfway decently.”

Cuba was fertile ground for the epidemic to spread due to the country’s severe economic crisis, which limits prevention capacity

Cuba was fertile ground for the epidemic to spread due to the country’s severe economic crisis, which limits prevention capacity — mainly through mass fumigation against mosquitoes — control (with tests to confirm the type of disease), and care for the sick, due to shortages of medicines and other medical supplies. Because of those shortages, many families had to get basic medical items on their own, while others had to keep the sick at home given the rundown state of health centers.

Another factor has been the piles of garbage accumulating in the streets. Various epidemiologists agree there’s a link between the spread of filth and the rise in diseases like vomiting and diarrhea caused by flies; leptospirosis tied to rats; and dengue, zika, chikungunya, and oropouche, caused by different insect vectors.

This has led to people in Havana starting to burn garbage to get rid of it. It’s now common to see piles on fire at every corner at dawn or dusk, day or night, with municipal services and neighbors alike lighting the waste without any caution.

That’s been the “solution” to the shortage of containers in the capital, which has 10,000 but needs between 20,000 and 30,000. On top of that, only 16,000 to 17,000 cubic meters are being collected daily, when in the past it was between 25,000 and 30,000.

Likewise, other problems reported by Cubadebate in early February include not just the lack of fuel but the poor condition of the equipment: out of 106 collection trucks, only 44 are working. “We’re at 37% to 44% technical availability, way below what’s needed,” admitted Alexis González Inclán, an official with Havana’s Communal Services.

Translated by GH

______________________

Cubans in Nicaragua: “This Is a Poor Country, but at Least It Has the Simple Things in Life.

The Central American country goes from being a stepping stone to the US to a destination where people can settle

In Nicaragua, young Cubans sell roast pork on the street hoping to one day own their own business. / Screenshot/Telenorte

14ymedio, Madrid, 14ymedio, February 25, 2026 — A discreet and quiet wave of Cubans has been arriving in Nicaragua for the past year. This time they are not just passing through; they are not coming with the intention of continuing on to the United States overland, like those who took the “volcano route,” nor are they here to buy goods to resell on the island, like the drug mules who became commonplace starting in 2019. The tightening of Donald Trump’s measures during his second term, which included sealing the border to prevent any irregular migrants from crossing, largely eliminated the Central American country as a “stepping stone,” but not as a destination.

“My husband, who lives in Miami, brought us out of Cuba last year so we could be here for the time being, but with how things are now in the United States, we are thinking that he should come here too,” says a woman from Havana who lives in Managua with her two children – a boy and a girl – referring to the uncertainty her husband faces, with an I-220A permit that could lead to his deportation to the island if he loses his asylum case .

Nicaragua, she says, “is a poor country, but there aren’t the shortages, no blackouts, no hours-long waits for buses. In short, those simple things in life that one should take for granted.” The woman says she had no problem obtaining her permanent residency, and that’s why she thinks it might be easier for her family to settle here. This is no small matter, considering it is another authoritarian regime, that of Daniel Ortega and his wife and co-president, Rosario Murillo, which has forced thousands of its citizens into exile.

Many of her compatriots share her opinion, although there are no official figures. It is a fact that until 2020 there were only 984 Cubans in Nicaragua, according to data from the UN’s International Organization for Migration, and that this changed drastically with Ortega’s elimination of visa continue reading

requirements for them—in agreement with Miguel Díaz-Canel to facilitate the emigration of those who disagreed with the government—in November 2021.

The vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of Cuban nationals who have passed through the Central American country since then only used it as a transit point—almost 300,000 crossed the US border in 2022—but Trump’s new rules changed the game. According to a report published by La Prensa last November, 32,043 Cubans entered Nicaragua from Honduras irregularly between January and November 2025. This doesn’t mean they all stayed, but considering the difficulty of reaching the US, the number gives a rough idea of the scale of the Cuban migration wave.

Along with Nicaragua, Costa Rica and El Salvador are also receiving Cuban nationals, as countless videos posted on social media demonstrate. “These posts might create a pull factor,” says Julia, a Nicaraguan woman who has befriended many Cubans. “Everyone is surprised when they arrive in the country. Since it’s also a socialist state, very friendly with the Cuban regime, it’s logical to think that living conditions are similar to there, but they’re not.”

Along with Nicaragua, also receiving nationals from the island are Costa Rica and El Salvador.

The testimonials on various platforms number in the dozens. Small restaurants serving croquettes, baked pork ribs, and rice and beans, undeterred by fuel or raw material shortages; young people selling suckling pig on the street, hoping to one day own their own establishment; waiters between 18 and 25 years old who “colonize” the restaurants and serve with enthusiasm and friendliness. “These people are going to go far,” Julia believes, “because, starting from humble beginnings, they don’t let life get them down.”

And this is without even mentioning the highly qualified staff. A wide range of people from the island’s community have come to settle in Nicaragua, from “millionaires who have established large, legitimate businesses, like those who have almost completely taken over the tobacco industry in Estelí ,” says a knowledgeable source, “to people who come with just enough to survive.”

In Managua, he dares to say, “there is not a single hospital, public or private, that does not have at least one Cuban doctor.”

“That accent is unmistakable and it’s everywhere,” says Darío, a Nicaraguan who is amused by this unexpected “Trump effect.” They are easily recognizable, and not just by their voices. “Today at the supermarket I ran into a couple of doctors (they were in uniform) filling two shopping carts like there was no tomorrow, and they looked like Gulliver and his wife shopping in Lilliput, because they were both very tall and we are a country of hobbits,” he recounts with amusement.

Darío continues: “Here, they are very well-liked and supported by the people. They are a workforce that comes already prepared and generally has a higher level of education than the national average.” That, he ventures, is the reason why, even though Managua ended the visa exemption for Cubans earlier this month, visas remain free.

“And if it weren’t for the flight suspensions due to the fuel shortage, Cubans would still be arriving, despite the new measures, because the truth is, it benefits the witch — he opines, alluding to Co-President Murillo — hence the wink of not charging visa fees only to them.” In fact, he concludes, “if Cuba gets its act together and those who are here go back, the blow to many small and medium-sized businesses is going to be hard.”

______________________

One Mella, Three Mellas, Life in Cuba Is Measured in Thousands of Pesos

Until a couple of years ago, a Cuban thousand peso bill was a rare sight.

One Mella, two Mellas, three Mellas… life measured by the speed at which we hand over a banknote bearing the face of a communist leader. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Havana, 24 February 2026 — Until a couple of years ago, a thousand Cuban peso bill was a rare sight. We saw them only a few times, and vendors would shake their heads if they had to give change for such a large sum. But on the island of inflation, handing over the face of Julio Antonio Mella now to buy something no longer surprises, impresses, or much less is synonymous with high purchasing power. Paper is just paper.

This Monday I’m venturing into Calzada del Cerro. I’ve been told that a shop selling ornamental plants also has fertilizer that I can use for the garden I’m preparing on my terrace in anticipation of the “zero option.” It is a row of still-tiny plants that could add some flavor to our food if garlic and onions stop arriving at the market, if life is paralyzed in Havana to the point where a bit of cilantro becomes an unattainable dream, or if people start fighting over a head of lettuce.

I will have what I can grow. Which is very little, given that apart from the schools-in-the-countryside I attended and the pre-university course I took in a dilapidated building in the middle of the fields of Alquízar, now in the province of Artemisa, my agricultural knowledge is very limited. I know how to weed and pull up the plants when they’re ready to be harvested. All that training to become the “New Man,” who could be self-sufficient, was nothing more than a caricature of education. We pretended we could survive on our own two feet, and we couldn’t even survive without the Soviet Union.

On the corner of Rancho Boyeros and Calzada del Cerro, there is a broken electric tricycle. Just because these vehicles don’t need gasoline doesn’t mean they’re immune to the constant potholes and uneven surfaces of Havana’s streets. The man tells me his name is Roly, and that he delivers packages for one of those agencies that brings goods from Miami. He says that due to a lack of fuel, they’ve lost almost their entire fleet of cars continue reading

for deliveries. While some have seen their livelihoods disappear, others can’t keep up with the number of customers who call them to move a box or a suitcase. Roly was one of the latter, until a pothole brought his business to a halt.

There was a time when taking a Calixto García (50 peso) out of your wallet was a sign of financial ease

“This repair won’t cost less than 8,000 or 10,000,” he estimates as he tries to pull the vehicle up to the curb, waiting for a friend who’s coming to help him get home. Life is measured in thousands of pesos. That pound of pork costs 1,000, this pack of adult diapers is 3,000, and that dozen painkillers costs 5,000. We add things up in a big way, with zeros growing to the right and bills passing so quickly from our pockets to other hands that we barely have time to make out the faces printed on them.

There was a time when pulling a Calixto García (50 peso) bill out of your wallet was a sign of financial ease. Then, very quickly, the turn came when paying with a Frank País (200 peso) bill marked a difference in social status. It quickly jumped to an Ignacio Agramonte (500 peso) bill making it clear that its owner was no ordinary Cuban, leading to this moment when we measure our existence by the number of bills bearing the image of the founder of the Popular Socialist Party. One Mella, two Mellas, three Mellas… life measured by the speed with which we hand over a bill that has the face of a communist leader on it.

I approach the small shop where they sell seedlings, but it’s closed. I scan the area to see if they have any bags of the fertilizer I need to feed the small plants that have started to grow on my terrace. A man rides by on a bicycle and calls out to me that the nursery won’t be open today, that the elderly woman who runs it is still suffering from the aftereffects of one of those viruses that have become part of our daily lives. I take a deep breath and step back into the street.

The tenement buildings line the street, a polyclinic plunged into darkness by the power outage has patients and medical staff strewn about at the entrance, and at the nearby fire station, the truck has just left, sirens blaring. Rescuers have no life these days in Havana. They’re called when the elevators in high-rise buildings get stuck after the power goes out. They’re called when someone sets fire to a mountain of garbage on a street corner. They’re called when floodwaters can’t drain through sewers clogged with plastic bags and other debris.

Almost all my neighbors are thinner. Some people’s clothes and teeth are so loose they’re practically falling off.

The firefighters have stepped in to replace municipal services, the medical staff who are missing, the electric company technicians, and the police who never show up when they’re most needed. Just recently, one of them went up to the 13th floor of our building to rescue a neighbor trapped in the elevator. He was small and slight. He’d probably only had a piece of catfish with rice for lunch that day, at best. His uniform was too big for him.

Almost all my neighbors are thinner. Some people’s clothes and teeth are loose. An elderly woman has lost so much weight that she wears her blouse tied in a knot at the waist so it doesn’t blow up in the wind. Some people are even thinner than they were during the Special Period. Back then, hunger was different. It hurt, but everyone in the neighborhood was starving. Now there are empty plates and small businesses selling imported ham. In this crisis, some apartments are completely dark at night, while others have generators to cope with the power outages. I have neighbors without soap to bathe with, and others who use expensive perfumes that cling to the elevator walls.

I’m near the old Maravillas movie theater. Smoke hangs in the air, burning my eyes and throat. A pile of trash is burning under a nearby tree. Several vendors are hawking their wares nearby. One is selling a pack of 50 masks for 1,000 pesos. If they keep burning garbage everywhere, we Havana residents are going to have to go back to wearing face masks. But this time it won’t be because of COVID-19, but because of the toxic fumes. I reach into my pocket and pull out a Mella. I walk the rest of the way along Calzada del Cerro with a piece of cloth over my nose, protecting myself from this city that’s attacking us from all sides.

______________________

It Is Forbidden To Leave Home in Cuba Today Because It Is a “Counter-Revolutionary Day”

“It is the day of the execution (sic) of the Brothers to the Rescue planes,” the State Security agent justifies himself.

The State Security agent briefly showed us his ID to warn us that he was there to prevent us from entering this concrete building. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Havana, February 24, 2026 – A man in the basement of our building says that today is a “counterrevolutionary day,” and that’s why we can’t go out. Wearing a hat, dark glasses, and a thick coat, the State Security agent briefly shows us his ID to warn us that he’s there to prevent us from passing through the door of this concrete block. There are likely others deployed around the block and a police patrol car parked nearby. It is bitterly cold, with dry gusts of wind, and sewage is dripping from the roof above the entrance, very close to the security guard. The atmosphere couldn’t be more hostile today for the disciplined repressor.

In the last month, this is the third operation around our building. Although one might think we’ve integrated it into our daily routine, we continue to be surprised that resources are being spent on two peaceful journalists, with no weapon other than words. Just a few meters from where the political police agent is standing stretches one of the four enormous garbage dumps that surround our building. Symbolically, the mountain of waste rises in front of a sculpture that recreates the Cuban flag. Blue stripes here, filth there. A red triangle on this side, stinking garbage on the other.

They have spent resources, gasoline, and manpower to corner two citizens in the middle of a paralyzed city. / 14ymedio

When the agent approached Reinaldo Escobar around eight in the morning, he asked him if he knew what day it was. “An important date in our wars of independence,” replied this sharp-tongued man with whom I’ve lived for 33 years. “No, no, today is the day of the Brothers to the Rescue planes being shot down,” the seguroso [security guard] pointed out with an air of authority . The fear that activists and independent journalists will take to the streets and commemorate the events of 24 February 1996, is the reason we’re forbidden to set foot outside. They’ve spent resources, gasoline, and manpower to corner two citizens in the middle of a city paralyzed by state neglect and fuel shortages.

My neighbors aren’t accustomed to it either. When we have a police operation downstairs, the informal street vendors can barely offer continue reading

their wares on the stairs, and hunger hits hardest those who can’t go out to buy things. When the political police surround this building, the frustration grows among those who would prefer to see that efficiency and energy focused on the serious problems plaguing our community. Two dilapidated elevators, a water tank falling apart above our heads, vandalism that steals light bulbs from the hallways and shatters windowpanes, and pipes clogged with salt buildup and decades of neglect are just some of the serious problems we face every day.

My building and my neighbors need attention, but not this kind. How many elevator parts could be bought with the cost of three police operations? Could the pumps that bring the water up from the cistern be repaired with the expenses of a deployment like this? Would the money from a repressive operation be enough to pay for a new lobby door to replace the current one, which is broken and misaligned? The list of needs and urgent matters is long. But the authorities don’t seem to care that this building is becoming a ruin, just like the rest of the city. Improving the lives of Cubans isn’t their priority.

______________________

A State Company Is Created in Cuba to Transport Health Personnel in Havana

The Minister of Transport admits the initiative will not initially cover all sector demand because part of its operation depends on fuel supplies.

The project exceeds $5 million in investment and will be financed by the Public Transport Development Fund. / Facebook

14ymedio, Havana February 24, 2026 – Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, Cuba’s Minister of Transport, announced Monday the launch of a fleet of 25 combustion-engine buses and nine electric minibuses to guarantee mobility for health personnel in Havana. However, the official himself admitted that the initiative will not initially cover all sector demand and that part of its operation also depends on fuel supplies, which are currently almost nonexistent in the country.

In a message posted on social media, Rodríguez Dávila reported that the new transportation service will be managed by Transmed, a newly created state company aimed at “prioritizing the health sector” in the capital amid “a scenario of serious limitations in public transportation in general, worsened by the lack of fuel.”

The new state-run enterprise, created by the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Transport in coordination with Havana authorities, will operate pre-established routes connecting hospitals in the capital. It will also handle certain transfers of “patients undergoing special treatments and cargo services linked to the health sector.” The initial fleet will consist of buses with capacity for 28 passengers, in addition to minibuses with 13 seats.

Although the minister acknowledged the difficulty of ensuring the program operates at 100%, he said the vehicles will also offer service to the general public at a fare of 20 pesos. continue reading

The cars will also offer service to the general public at a fare of 20 pesos.

In the rest of the country, the initiative will simultaneously deliver 15 minibuses and 34 cargo vans to other provinces, all electric, to be operated by provincial transport companies under principles similar to those of Transmed.

To support this, Rodríguez Dávila said work is already advancing “at an accelerated pace” on installing charging stations for all these vehicles, equipped with photovoltaic solar panels and storage systems, “so that it does not place an additional burden on the national energy system.”

This new vehicle fleet for the health sector is in addition to the incorporation of 75 new ambulances nationwide, all electric, which arrived in Cuba between January and the first days of this month. Rodríguez Dávila explained that these vehicles have adequate range, energy efficiency, and maintenance support to ensure their operation.

The project, which exceeds $5 million in investment according to the minister, will be financed by the Public Transport Development Fund of the Ministry of Transport, while Havana’s health budget will cover payment for the service in national currency. The supplier will be MCV Comercial, the joint venture between the Cuban State and Mercedes-Benz, which has previously been involved in bringing other units to the country.

The supplier will be MCV Comercial, the joint venture between the Cuban State and Mercedes-Benz

The energy crisis, intensified by the loss of subsidized oil from its Venezuelan ally following the military operation to capture then-president Nicolás Maduro on January 3, has put essential services under severe strain. In addition to disruptions in ambulance services, hospitals have suffered blackouts and flights carrying medical supplies have been suspended.

As early as the beginning of January, weeks before the executive order allowing the United States to impose tariffs on goods from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, nearly all GAZelle minibuses operating in Havana were already out of service due to lack of fuel. On January 7, local authorities stated on Facebook that “only a small group” of GAZelles was operating and that “the few” in service “will not be able to complete all scheduled trips.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

Honduras Ends Agreement with Cuban Doctors and Threatens to Investigate Them

The country follows in the footsteps of Guatemala, Antigua and Barbuda, as well as Guyana and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

This Monday, doctors from the island who provided services at an ophthalmology clinic said goodbye to the residents of San José de Colinas, in the department of Santa Bárbara. / Video capture by Roger David Iraeta

The Government of Honduras has ended the agreement with Cuban doctors promoted two years ago by then-president Xiomara Castro, an ally of the Island’s regime. Communications Secretary José Augusto Argueta confirmed that the departure of the specialists was due to a “foreign policy decision.”

At the same time, National Party congresswoman and vice president of the National Congress, Johana Bermúdez, stated on Monday that the Government would push for an investigation into the group to determine whether they were truly healthcare workers. “That political relationship brought in a large number of personnel, and we never knew whether they were doctors, nurses, or spies,” she said in an interview with HCH Noticias.

The departure of the specialists has generated uncertainty among the population, who fear for the continuity of the Operation Miracle program in ophthalmology clinics run by Cuban specialists. José Augusto Argueta clarified that “the centers will not close.” Regarding one center that was not providing services, he said this “could be due to political pressure.”

Likewise, the secretary specified that the five centers—“one in Siguatepeque, two in Santa Bárbara (Colinas and Arada), one in Catacamas, and another in the Central District”—are active and will be operated by Honduran doctors.

For his part, Deputy Health Minister Eduardo Midence said that work is underway on “hiring Honduran or foreign doctors duly accredited by the Medical Association.”

The AFP news agency reported the departure of 128 Cuban specialists. On Monday, doctors from the Island who had been providing services at an ophthalmology clinic bid farewell to residents of San José de Colinas, in the department of Santa Bárbara. “We are leaving knowing that we cared for you, that we worked for you, and hopefully we will return. This is continue reading

our farewell,” said one of the physicians.

According to Gonzalo Valerio, a member of the Honduras-Cuba Friendship Association aligned with the regime, the specialists are waiting for a charter flight to be arranged to take them back to the Island in early March.

The Cuban specialists who provided services at the ophthalmology clinics will be replaced by Hondurans.

Honduras follows the path of Guatemala, Antigua and Barbuda, as well as Guyana and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which ended their medical cooperation projects with the Island after pressure from Washington. Last June, the United States announced the revocation of visas for Honduran officials from the Health Secretariat (Sesal) and the Strategic Planning Secretariat.

The U.S. government has dnounced that these missions involve the “coercion” of healthcare professionals, who are sent to work in third countries under opaque contracts, with low wages and severe restrictions on their freedom.

Congresswoman Johana Bermúdez added that the country transferred significant sums of money to Cuba through the so-called medical brigades, a scheme that, she said, had been questioned at the time. “We denounced it as the opposition, and so did the Honduran Medical Association (CMH),” which also argued that the doctors lacked proper accreditation to practice in the country and that the Organic Law of the Medical Association was being violated.

Two years ago, the CMH stated that the Honduran government paid the Island $2,000 per doctor, in addition to providing them with housing, a vehicle, and food.

The presence of Cuban doctors in Honduras began in 1998, after Hurricane Mitch. As part of its relationship with the Island, the Central American government also agreed to send 170 general practitioners to the Island to train in one of the 23 specialties offered by Cuban universities.

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

Calabria Rejects U.S. Proposal to Get Rid of Cuban Doctors

The president of the Italian region, who met this Monday with the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Cuba Mike Hammer, is open to hiring healthcare workers “independently.”

A group of Cuban doctors at the Gioia Tauro Hospital in Reggio Calabria, Italy. / Facebook/Cuban Medical Mission in Calabria

14ymedio, Madrid, February 24, 2026 –The president of the region of Calabria (Italy) appears determined. Not only does he reject breaking the agreement with Cuba, as the United States wants, so that Cuban doctors can continue providing services in his territory, but he also wants to expand it. “I explained to my counterparts that I had in mind, in 2026, increasing the Cuban medical mission to 1,000 doctors,” said Roberto Occhiuto, who met this Monday with the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Cuba, Mike Hammer.

At the meeting, held in the city of Catanzaro with the presence of the U.S. Consul General in Naples, Terrence Flynn, the parties addressed the thorny issue of Cuban medical brigades, whose termination is a clear objective of the administration of Donald Trump. Since 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio himself has been actively involved in suspending all contracts that various countries have signed with the Cuban regime to import healthcare workers, using both negotiation and sanctions.

He has thus managed to have agreements modified or suspended with the Bahamas, Jamaica, Guatemala, Honduras, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. But Italy is a unique case, as it is the only country in the European Union that has resorted to these agreements to address its severe shortage of doctors. For this reason, Occhiuto has been signaling for days that his answer is No: a position he reaffirmed yesterday after his “long and friendly” meeting with Hammer. continue reading

Italy is a unique case, as it is the only country in the European Union that has resorted to these agreements to address its doctor shortage.

“We had a long and cordial meeting, discussing Calabria’s urgent healthcare needs and the complexities surrounding the Cuban doctors’ mission,” he told the Italian press. “I told Hammer that the Cuban doctors, who allow Calabria’s hospitals and emergency rooms to remain open, are still a necessity, because my absolute priority is to guarantee citizens’ right to healthcare, given that our system is already facing great difficulties.”

In fact, the plan is for up to 1,000 doctors to arrive this year, he confirmed. However, Occhiuto is not closing the door to other options to address the system’s shortcomings. “In recent weeks, also thanks to a fruitful collaboration established with the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Consulate, we have decided to explore an alternative way to recruit more doctors. We did so by publishing, in mid-January, a call aimed at all doctors from the EU and non-EU countries who want to come work in Calabria,” he explained.

The leader of the Forza Italia (right-wing) party maintains that if the goal is to expand options, he is open to any solution. “We will welcome all doctors who want to come,” he said, expressly mentioning both EU and non-EU professionals.

“In conclusion, I told Hammer that foreign doctors are absolutely necessary, but that our region is willing to receive all doctors—EU, non-EU, Cuban doctors not linked to the existing mission—who independently wish to come work in Calabria, which is prepared to provide them with all the logistical and financial support we have already guaranteed to the Cuban doctors who have been living with us.”

Cuban doctors first arrived in this southern Italian region in 2023, in a contingent of about 170 healthcare workers who arrived in two groups.

Cuban doctors first arrived in this southern Italian region in 2023, in a contingent of about 170 healthcare workers who arrived in two groups. “I said it before and I repeat it: they are not going to take any jobs from Italian doctors,” Occhiuto warned at the time, rejecting criticism that accompanied the decision.

Even then, the president stated that at least 2,300 new contracts were needed to ensure the system functioned properly. Nearly 500 were expected to come from Cuba, according to the contract signed in 2022 between Cuban Health Minister José Ángel Portal Miranda and his Italian counterpart, Orazio Schillaci.

In January 2024, the Sardinian press announced the arrival from the Island of 128 doctors and 30 nurses to Sardinia, under a contract that expired on December 31, 2025, and could be renewed. Little more has emerged about that case, although at the beginning of that month local politicians expressed the need to maintain agreements with Cuba and stated that at least 1,000 doctors were required.

The Italian local press reported that for each doctor in Calabria, the region would pay 3,500 euros in salary and 1,200 euros for maintenance, housing, travel, and training. The salary, as usual, is paid to the Cuban government, which typically retains between 75% and 90%, leading the United States and some international organizations to denounce the practice as “forced labor.”

In the summer of 2025, Calabria’s opposition (social democrats) demanded explanations about the status of these agreements after a case emerged of a doctor who left his post to work at a private center. “This new case of abandonment adds to many others: in addition to those who opted for the private sector, there are those who went on vacation and never returned, those who preferred the Spanish healthcare system, those who disappeared, etc.,” denounced Ernesto Alleci, who added that “the numbers are starting to no longer add up.”

Several Italian regions, particularly the poorer ones, face difficulties hiring healthcare personnel, as their salaries are around $82,000 per year for a specialist, far less than the $99,000 in France or $172,000 in Germany.

Translated by Regina Anavy
______________________

“I Can’t Waste Time Assembling and Disassembling Old Rifles,” Complains an MTT Reservist

In Matanzas, with daily blackouts lasting 18 hours and endless lines to get a bit of cooking gas or some chicken, nobody seems willing to sign up for a mock battle against the US

“This time I really told them not to count on me anymore.” / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Julio César Contreras, Matanzas, February 22, 2026 –On a dusty street corner in Los Mangos, near the Pediatric Hospital of Matanzas, Yosvany wipes the sweat with the back of his hand and stares down the block as if expecting someone from the Military Committee to show up any second. It’s not the first time they’ve come looking for him. Every so often, when Havana announces strategic exercises, “mobilizations,” or National Defense Days, his name pops back up on the list of Territorial Troops Militia reservists.

“This time I really told them not to count on me anymore,” he says, standing in front of a faded house while a neighbor on the sidewalk fans herself with her hand and another sits watching the street from a plastic chair. “I’ve got five plates to fill every single day. I can’t waste time assembling and disassembling old rifles.”

The latest reservist call-up, announced after the worsening energy crisis and rising tensions between Havana and Washington—made worse since Nicolás Maduro’s capture in early January—has brought back memories of similar previous mobilizations. On state television they talk about “combat readiness” and “defense of sovereignty,” but in the neighborhoods the conversation mixes with 18-hour blackouts and endless lines just to get cooking gas or a little chicken.

Yosvany became surplus—unemployed—as an accountant at the Provincial Commerce Directorate two years ago. Since then he’s fished tilapia in the San Juan River, pushed a wheelbarrow of root vegetables along Calzada de Tirry, and even worked as a line-holder at the Banco Popular de Ahorro on Calle Medio. “Short of stealing, I’ll do whatever it takes,” he insists. “My war is finding money so my kids don’t go without the basics. I’m not going to be just another number so the bosses can say everybody’s ready to fight here.”

“I do resist, yeah—but during an 18-hour blackout, eating four spoonfuls of plain white rice and saving the little bread ball for breakfast.” / 14ymedio

In Pueblo Nuevo, Magalis hears these stories and nods. At 73 years old, she lives on 3,000 pesos a month that barely cover rice, some beans, and the rationed bread from the market. Sitting at the entrance of a small neighborhood pizzeria, under a faded mural continue reading

of a smiling chef holding a steaming tray, the woman looks out at the street where the sun beats down hard.

“On the news they come out with those perfectly ironed olive-green uniforms, calling for resistance,” she says. “I do resist, yeah—but during an 18-hour blackout, eating four spoonfuls of plain white rice and saving the little bread ball for breakfast.” For her, these mobilizations don’t fix the lack of fuel or the leaking roof she’s been waiting years to repair.

Daily life in the city contradicts the epic tone of official reports about military exercises. On a bridge over the river a man tries to catch something to take home; on another corner two old men chat in the shade of a peeling wall, under a sign advertising a shoemaker. Further on, a woman wearing a mask hurries by, dodging potholes and loose wires.

“I served on an internationalist mission and came back with my life dismantled.” / 14ymedio

Antonio, almost 65, has also been called up before. A veteran of five years in Angola, survivor of a landmine that damaged one eye and left him with psychological aftereffects, he looks at any new call with suspicion. “I served on an internationalist mission and came back with my life dismantled,” he says, sitting on the porch of his house. “After that nobody remembered us.”

He says a few years ago he asked to leave the Communist Party and the Association of Combatants. “They only call you to meetings and collect dues.” For him, the word “mobilization” has a bitter echo. “Thousands of us gave everything we had and more. Now that I’m old, all I want is some peace and quiet.”

The energy crisis has provided the backdrop for this new call to arms. The lack of fuel has paralyzed buses, slowed production, and multiplied blackouts. From the government they insist on the need to “prepare for any scenario,” while Washington toughens its rhetoric toward Havana and social media circulates versions of a possible domino effect after the fall of the Venezuelan leader.

But in Matanzas the conversation stays close to the ground. In front of houses, on makeshift chairs, people talk about rising prices, packages that never arrive, and children who have emigrated. The epic dissolves in the face of daily urgency.

“If they want me to defend something, they should start by giving me reasons to stay,” says Yosvany before saying goodbye. The afternoon sun reflects off the blue walls and tired faces. Nobody seems willing to sign up for a mock battle; they’ve got enough just trying to survive.

Translated by GH

______________________

Cuba: Selling Food by Day and Surviving on the Streets by Night

The collapse of intercity transport forces many to sleep outdoors in Matanzas

“More and more of us are searching through the same containers, because many neighbors are now going to the garbage dumps to look for cardboard and wood for fuel.” / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Pablo Padilla Cruz, Matanzas, February 21, 2026 — El Jabao, as he’s known at the market, is a food vendor who travels to Matanzas from a rural area in Limonar, about 28 kilometers from the city. He leaves at dawn hoping to sell enough to cover basic expenses and the return fare. But his routine depends on calculations that almost never add up.

“If I sell well, I go back the same day. But sometimes the bus fare costs more than 400 or 500 pesos, and I can’t afford it. A year ago, I thought private vending machines for 200 pesos were expensive; imagine now,” he tells 14ymedio. “So I have to stay. There isn’t always nighttime transportation, and if there is, the price goes up even more. Sleeping on the street isn’t safe, but I can’t just throw away my merchandise either.”

In present-day Cuba, marked by chronic fuel shortages, the collapse of transportation, and precarious employment, the province of Matanzas has become a mirror of the tensions experienced by those who arrive from rural areas in search of income to survive, but do not always find a way to return to their homes or to have a safe roof over their heads for the night.

The provincial capital attracts men and women daily from nearby towns and villages who come to sell agricultural products, do informal work, or collect raw materials. However, the deterioration of intercity transportation and the rising cost of fares have complicated their daily return, turning a day of “making ends meet” into a night spent outdoors.

The deterioration of intercity transport and the increase in fares have complicated the daily commute. / 14ymedio

For those who live from hand to mouth, the margin is minimal. A bad run of sales can mean not only financial losses, but also spending the night away from home in difficult and dangerous conditions . The vendor himself admits that he goes out prepared for that scenario.

“I already bring a sheet to cover myself if I have to sleep on the street. And on cold days I have to stop selling, because if a cold front catches me outside it could kill me,” he explains.

Another visible facet of this reality is that of the raw material collectors. Faced with a lack of formal employment, many people—including internal migrants—travel the city searching for recyclable materials, which they then sell to state-run recycling centers.

Kike, originally from Sancti Spíritus, has been surviving like this in Matanzas for years. He lives on the streets with his dogs and spends his days collecting cans and bottles. His story paints an increasingly competitive picture.

“I walk miles every day. Sometimes what I collect isn’t even enough to eat properly. And more and more of us are searching through the same containers, because many neighbors are now going to the garbage dumps to look for continue reading

cardboard and wood for fuel,” he says. “They’ve become the places where you see the most people on each block; there are even those who eat directly from the garbage.”

Garbage dumps have become “the places where you see the most people on every block.” / 14ymedio

According to official rates published by the Raw Materials Recovery Company in different territories of the country, the purchase prices to the public remain at low levels compared to inflation and the effort required to gather the materials.

Aluminum (cans) sells for between 70 and 100 pesos per kilogram; copper can exceed 400 or 500 pesos, depending on the type and quality. Plastic bottles (PET) are around 20 or 30 pesos per kilogram; cardboard and paper are bought for between 10 and 20 pesos, while glass generally goes for less than five pesos per kilogram.

Although these figures vary by province and availability, the reality is that gathering a kilogram of some materials involves long hours of searching, sorting, and transporting. For those living on the streets, like Kike, that difference determines whether they can feed themselves—and their animals—or whether they must rely on charity.

The problem isn’t limited to income. For many people with little resources arriving from rural areas, securing temporary shelter is another challenge. Private rental homes are unaffordable: a room can cost several thousand pesos per night, beyond the reach of those who barely earn a minimum wage.

Private rental homes are prohibitively expensive: a room can cost several thousand pesos per night. / 14ymedio

Some turn to distant friends or relatives; others improvise shelters in public spaces. The lack of accessible shelters or temporary housing solutions exacerbates the vulnerability of this transient group that enters and leaves the city depending on the season and available opportunities.

Social workers consulted in Matanzas acknowledge that the constant influx of people from the interior is due both to the lack of stable employment in rural areas and to the relative appeal of the provincial capital for “getting things done” during the day. However, they also admit that the city lacks the capacity to absorb this pressure.

The situation reveals an increasingly fragile balance between the countryside, which doesn’t offer enough jobs, and the city, which also fails to guarantee stability. Those who sell food depend on irregular and expensive transport; those who collect raw materials compete for scraps whose can value barely cover their basic needs.

Among sacks, bags of cassava, and bags of crushed cans, survival has ceased to be a metaphor: it is a concrete task that begins before dawn and, too often, ends in any doorway waiting for the coming of the next day.

______________________