Translating Cuba – Page 24 – English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island

The First Prisoners Released Under Cuba’s Mass Pardon Are Common Inmates, Not Political Prisoners

This is indicated by reports from Prisoners Defenders in Havana, Las Tunas, Villa Clara, and Santiago de Cuba.

The operation appears aimed at easing overcrowding and reducing prison costs. / X / Patrick Oppmann CNN

14ymedio, Havana, April 3, 2026 – The Cuban regime began this April 3 to release some of the inmates included in the official announcement of the pardon of 2,010 people. But far from the image of openness that Havana is trying to project, the first data verified by human rights organizations point in another direction: those benefiting are not political prisoners, but common inmates, in an operation that appears aimed at relieving overcrowding and reducing prison costs without touching the core of repression.

The decision was presented this Thursday by the Government as a “humanitarian and sovereign” gesture, in the middle of Holy Week, but so far it has not been accompanied by a public list of names or transparent information about the real selection criteria.

The reports that have begun to arrive from different provinces dismantle, at least for now, any expectation that the process includes opposition members, activists, and demonstrators sentenced for political reasons. Javier Larrondo, president of Prisoners Defenders, reported this Friday that 41 prisoners were released from the Toledo 2 Forced Labor prison in Marianao (Havana), all of them common inmates.

At El Típico prison in Las Tunas, six common inmates were released, along with “dozens more” prisoners linked to forced labor centers near that prison. According to the Madrid-based NGO, the trend is repeated across the country, where “only common prisoners are being released; not a single political prisoner in any prison, so far.” continue reading

Seven common inmates were released from the Remedios forced labor prison and no political prisoners

The same is happening in Villa Clara. Seven common inmates were released from the Remedios forced labor prison and no political prisoners. Opposition members and activists remain imprisoned there, including the octogenarian Miguel Díaz Bauzá, with no indication so far that they will be included in this round of releases. In Boniato, Santiago de Cuba, four common prisoners were freed. The conclusion drawn by Prisoners Defenders is that the operation is not a political shift, but rather a “prison drain” of common inmates in a country with one of the highest incarceration rates in the world.

The very design of the official announcement pointed in that direction. Authorities made it clear that those convicted of certain crimes would be excluded, including so-called “crimes against authority,” a broad category often used by the Cuban repressive apparatus to prosecute, under charges such as contempt, resistance, assault, or public disorder, those who protest, film abuses, criticize the government, or simply refuse to obey an officer. This is compounded by the total absence of a verifiable list.

What is happening inside the prisons also confirms that the political problem not only remains intact but is also worsening. While the regime opens the doors to common inmates, it keeps behind bars people detained for protesting and continues to extend repression toward particularly vulnerable sectors.

The teenagers Jonathan and Cristian remain detained and face sabotage charges

Cubalex warned this Friday about the situation of teenagers arrested after the March 13 protest in Morón, Ciego de Ávila. The organization has verified at least four adolescents linked to those events: Jonathan David Muir Burgos, 16; Cristian Crespo Álvarez, also 16; Kevin Samuel Echeverría Rodríguez; and Yohasnel Estrada Rodríguez. At least Jonathan and Cristian remain detained and face charges of sabotage, a very serious crime that authorities are using to punish social protest. (see also)

In Jonathan’s case, Cubalex reported that he was arrested on March 16 along with his father, who was released a few hours later. Since then, the teenager has remained in detention, and his family has reported emotional distress and deterioration in his health. Cristian was arrested a day later, amid an opaque identification process and without his relatives having access to official case documentation. His family has also reported severe communication restrictions, brief and supervised visits, and signs of physical deterioration. In both cases, there were failed transfers to Canaleta prison and returns to the detention center, a practice that adds psychological pressure and increases uncertainty. Cubalex warns of a pattern of delayed detentions, disproportionate charges, pretrial detention as the rule, family isolation, and lack of procedural transparency.

The regime’s real message is not one of openness but of managing punishment. The figure of 2,010 released prisoners serves more as a headline than as proof of change. What is already becoming clear, as the first reports emerge from Havana, Las Tunas, Villa Clara, and Santiago de Cuba, is that political prisoners are not on that list.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Moscow Seeks to “Break the U.S. Energy Blockade” with the Shipment of a Second Oil Tanker to Cuba

During his visit to Russia, Pérez-Oliva secured promises of support from Putin’s government

The Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, loaded with 100,000 tons of crude oil, in Matanzas Bay. / CNC TV Granma

14ymedio, Havana, April 2, 2026 – Moscow is preparing a second shipment of crude oil to Cuba following the arrival of the Anatoly Kolodkin, authorized by the United States after three months of an oil blockade on the Island, reported Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsiviliov this Thursday.

“A Russian vessel broke the blockade. Now the second is being loaded. We will not abandon the Cubans,” Tsiviliov told local press at an energy forum held in the city of Kazan.

The minister noted that the decision was made after a meeting held in St. Petersburg with Cuban representatives.

Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, is on an official visit to Russia, where he is trying to present Cuba as an attractive economic partner and is seeking Moscow’s support to ease its energy deficit.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko stated that the immediate goal is to alleviate the fuel shortage

At the meeting of the Cuba-Russia Intergovernmental Commission, Moscow reaffirmed that it will continue to support the Island economically. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko indicated that the immediate goal is to ease the fuel shortage.

Chernyshenko also stated that once fuel supply in Cuba is normalized, direct flights will be fully restored, with the aim of recovering previous tourism levels. continue reading

Both sides also discussed pharmaceutical projects, including the shipment of supplies from Russia and an agreement between the Russian company Prommed and the Center for Molecular Immunology to develop cancer vaccines.

These efforts are accompanied by plans to export food, reactivate a vehicle assembly plant, and create a taxi service in Havana using Russian cars, as part of a broader cooperation agenda.

Pérez-Oliva said of this bilateral cooperation, “it is the most sustainable way we have to collaborate in the energy sector.”

The tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, sanctioned by the United States and the European Union and loaded with 100,000 tons of crude oil, arrived in Cuba this week, marking the first oil shipment to the Island since January 9, when Mexico sent a fuel tanker.

U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed Moscow’s delivery of crude oil to Cuba, saying it would have no impact on the Island’s current situation

Energy specialist Jorge Piñón of the University of Texas noted that as of this Thursday there are four Cuban-flagged tankers in Matanzas, “all candidates to provide shipping service to Havana for the Russian Ural crude transported by the Anatoly Kolodkin.”

He added that “the tanker Vilma may be carrying out a ship-to-ship transfer in Matanzas, thereby shortening operation time by avoiding onshore storage tanks. This tanker could load an approximate maximum of 400,000 barrels.” According to Piñón, “it cannot be ruled out that all the crude aboard the Anatoly Kolodkin is destined for Havana; it must also be considered that the Cienfuegos refinery remains in play.”

U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed Moscow’s delivery of crude oil to Cuba, saying it would have no impact on the Island’s current situation.

“It doesn’t bother me (…), they have a bad regime, they have bad and corrupt leadership, and whether or not they receive a ship of oil, it doesn’t matter,” the president said. A White House spokesperson even described it as a “humanitarian” decision.

For his part, President Díaz-Canel thanked Vladimir Putin for the shipment of crude and announced that “work is already underway on unloading, then processing, distribution, and the rational use of this shipment, which, although insufficient amid the acute shortage, will gradually ease the situation in the coming weeks.”

Cuba requires about 100,000 barrels per day to meet its energy needs, of which fewer than 40,000 come from domestic production and can only be used in thermoelectric plants, since it is very heavy crude that cannot be refined on the Island. The inability to meet the remaining demand has resulted in prolonged daily blackouts and the near-total paralysis of the country’s economy.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Between the Invincible Hatred of Those Who Oppress It and the Eternal Resentment Toward Those Who Attack It

The moral dilemma of those of us who aspire to democratic change on the Island

José Martí defined love for one’s homeland as a bifurcation of angers. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, Yunior García Aguilera, April 2, 2026 – A large part of the world looks toward Cuba without fully understanding what is happening on the Island or the moral tensions that run through its citizens. Some are scandalized that there are Cubans who come to wish for foreign intervention to escape the regime. Others do not understand how there are still people willing to defend, even with their lives, a system that has ruined the country and can only offer misery, surveillance, and calls to battle. There are also those who view Cuba as an abstract symbol, a stage of sacrifice useful for feeding others’ ideological nostalgias.

In Abdala, written when he was barely 15 years old, José Martí defined love for one’s homeland as a bifurcation of angers: “the invincible hatred of those who oppress it” and “the eternal resentment toward those who attack it.” More than a century and a half later, the Cuban drama remains trapped in that same emotional logic, though distorted by history.

A portion of Cubans who long for a free Cuba concentrate their moral energy on invincible hatred toward the dictatorship; that is, toward the apparatus of control, fear, and servitude that Castroism turned into a system. Another portion, made up of regime loyalists or those still trapped in its worldview, cling to eternal resentment toward the United States: its threats, its real or imagined grievances, and the ever-invoked hypothesis of intervention. Between hatred and resentment, Cuba risks never becoming a true project of freedom but merely an endless battlefield of grievances.

In countries where free elections, alternation of power, and institutional channels exist, it would be absurd to wish for a foreign army to enter and overthrow the government

It must be said plainly: I do not want bombs to fall on the land where I was born. But neither do I want a regime that has destroyed the nation and represses its inhabitants to remain in power, condemning us to a slow extinction. That is my moral dilemma.

From consolidated democracies, this may be difficult continue reading

to understand. In countries where free elections, alternation, and institutional channels exist, it would be absurd to wish for a foreign army to enter and overthrow the government. But Cubans have been stripped precisely of that basic possibility.

In Cuba, the electoral system is hijacked by the Candidacy Commissions and State Security. There is not a single deputy who represents the opposition, even though its weight within society is already undeniable. The ballot used by the National Assembly in 2023 to “elect” the president contained a single name: Miguel Díaz-Canel. To call such a procedure an election is a mockery. If Cubans cannot organize politically, compete at the polls, protest in the streets, or express themselves without risk on social media, then the question becomes inevitable: what real options do we have left to remove the tyrants from power?

Cuban civil society has attempted even the most peaceful and civic avenues imaginable within a dictatorship. Opponents such as Oswaldo Payá died under never-clarified circumstances. Others were exiled. Many are imprisoned or subjected to constant harassment. It should not be surprising, then, that ideas once considered marginal, such as foreign intervention or annexation, have gained ground. Those of us who oppose such outcomes must at least recognize that they are a direct consequence of the Revolution’s failure as a national project. When a regime closes off every internal avenue for change, the temptation of an external solution stops seeming like an extravagance and becomes a symptom of disaster.

Almost no one can seriously defend the “achievements of the Revolution” anymore, because little remains of them but rubble

Meanwhile, part of the international left celebrates our misery as if it were a badge of dignity. From comfortable stages, scarcity, repression, and immobility are exalted as proof of resistance against the Empire. We are expected to preserve the authoritarian system intact to satisfy the nostalgia or ideological fascination of those who would not have to suffer its consequences.

Many of these admirers only know Cuba from hotels, ruins turned into photographic scenery, or the screens of their phones. Almost no one can seriously defend the “achievements of the Revolution” anymore, because little remains of them but rubble. Yet the embargo continues to be invoked as a universal excuse. It is forgotten that when Cuba received nearly unlimited resources from the USSR, it did not use them to modernize the country but for military and ideological adventures abroad. It is also forgotten that the Venezuelan subsidy did not correct the model’s structural flaws. The problem was never a lack of resources. The problem has been, above all, the system.

That is why the metaphor of Cuba as a “new Numancia*” -used to praise its supposed resistance- is so perverse. Numancia does not symbolize abstract dignity, but siege, hunger, degradation, and extermination. Presenting Cuba as Numancia amounts to suggesting that its greatness lies in enduring suffering indefinitely.

In Cuba, those in power seem more willing to negotiate with external actors capable of pressuring them than with their own citizens, whom they treat as subjects

Talking about solutions requires abandoning both naïve epic narratives and providential superstition. It is unlikely that Cuban civil society, alone and without fractures within the power structure, can defeat the regime through open rebellion. Asking an unarmed, impoverished, and surveilled citizenry to overthrow a police state willing to fire on its people resembles an invitation to sacrifice. This does not make civil society irrelevant. Without an active citizenry, there is no real transition. But almost no recent transition from authoritarianism has occurred without a combination of internal resistance, fractures within the elite, and external pressure.

History shows that authoritarian regimes do not usually yield through moral persuasion alone. They do so when the cost of staying in power becomes unbearable. In Cuba, moreover, those in power seem more willing to negotiate with external actors capable of pressuring them than with their own citizens, whom they treat as subjects. Recognizing the possible role of external factors does not mean calling for occupation or renouncing sovereignty. It means accepting that, when all internal channels have been closed, international pressure can open space for a transition.

But that transition should not repeat the worst vices of our history. Cuba carries a traumatic legacy of coups, armed solutions, and messianic leaders. We have already paid too high a price for the temptation to replace politics with epic narratives, law with exception, and citizenship with obedience to the savior of the moment. The goal cannot be to replace one command with another, nor to move from one form of tutelage to another. The goal must be to rebuild the republic on civil, pluralist, and legal foundations.

Cuba does not need the miserable immortality of a symbol. It needs the concrete life of a country. It does not want to be admired for enduring. It wants to stop enduring. It does not want to remain an emblem of others’ sacrifice. It wants, like any mature nation, the basic right to live in freedom.

*Translator’s Note: Numancia was an ancient city in Spain that resisted the Romans for 20 years, a symbol of stubborn and hopeless endurance.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Mexico Files a Complaint Against a Cuban Deported by the U.S. Who Was Assaulted in Tapachula

The city government accuses him of striking a worker and claims he has a record for sexual offenses in Florida.

The assaulted migrant was identified as Eduardo Tosco, who has a record for a sexual offenses in Florida. / Facebook

Ángel Salinas, Havana, April 2, 2026 – The city government of Tapachula, Chiapas, “removed” the officer on watch who on Wednesday assaulted the Cuban Eduardo Tosco in Miguel Hidalgo Plaza. Public services authorities, headed by Carlos Bracamontes, told 14ymedio that they “do not tolerate aggression.” However, they stated that earlier, the 72-year-old man had assaulted a female worker, and a complaint was filed against the migrant with the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Chiapas.

According to the Tapachula city government, the migrants involved in the incident are “mentally ill.” Luis Rey García Villagrán, director of the Center for Human Dignification, refuted the claim and denounced “xenophobia” by officials. “The accusation is serious, and for someone to be referred to as mentally ill there must be medical and psychological evaluations.”

According to Teresa Estrada, the man “hit her in the face.” In a video* uploaded to the city government’s Facebook account, she said that “this is not the first female sentry to be assaulted and this cannot keep happening.” In her complaint, she reiterated that “violence against women must not be allowed under any circumstances, not in Tapachula, not in Chiapas, not in Mexico, not anywhere.”

Estrada said that “the sentries are not police and are not armed,” and that their duties are continue reading

limited to maintaining order, cleanliness, and taking care of Miguel Hidalgo Central Park and its surroundings.

A migrant who requested anonymity told this newspaper that the woman arrived demanding that they “remove the mobile phones” from the public outlets located in the plaza. Seeing the delay, she tried to unplug the devices and was confronted, but “they never hit her.” At that moment, “a man pushed the migrant, knocked him down, and started hitting him.”

According to the same source, Tosco was deported by the United States and had been staying in Hidalgo Plaza for some time, but “since Wednesday night he has not been seen.” The Florida Department of Law Enforcement lists him in its database as a sex offender.

Tosco is one of the criminals deported to Mexico. As Oliver, Cuban, told 14ymedio last December, these individuals “have their records erased before being sent across.” They are abandoned “without documents or money” in the country, leaving their future in limbo.

Last March, García Villagrán reported that around 50 Cubans deported by the United States have been “abandoned at dawn over the past month in different locations.” “These people have lost all their rights” and are “in a situation of statelessness.” They are migrants, he said, whom Cuba does not want and who in the United States “have already lost their rights.”

According to lawyer Roger Ernesto Goitia, the video* shows “discrimination and mistreatment of the foreign migrant,” which is recurrent “in public spaces and institutions such as the National Migration Institute, the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (Comar), and health centers.”

*Note: Two videos in the original article can be seen here.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Thousands of Cubans With Tickets to Nicaragua Have Their Visa Approvals Stalled

The anguished testimony of Juan, who fears losing the $1,650 ticket he bought to travel to Managua

In addition to the halt in consular procedures, confusion generated by Nicaragua’s own immigration system has worsened the situation. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, April 2, 2026 – Thousands of Cuban citizens who purchased airline tickets to Nicaragua before the abrupt imposition of a visa requirement last February now have their visa applications stalled. “Every time people go to ask, they tell us we have to wait,” Juan—an assumed name—tells 14ymedio. He is an artist employed by the Ministry of Culture who was supposed to fly more than a month ago and still sees no end in sight.

He bought a ticket with the Venezuelan airline Conviasa for $1,650 and says around 3,000 fellow citizens are in the same situation. “They haven’t granted visas to any Cuban since they introduced the new requirements on the website,” he claims. Although, he notes, the airline has decided to keep the tickets open for one year, he is not willing to wait much longer: “I’d rather leave through a cultural exchange to another country even if I lose the money, because I think they’re not going to grant anything: they just want to keep the money.”

The same is stated by a Cuban resident in Nicaragua whose relatives on the Island had planned to travel to Managua. “No flights have been able to leave because hardly anyone is being granted a visa,” he confirms. According to his statememt, many passengers fear losing the money invested in tickets. “And the worst part is that Conviasa is not refunding the money,” he adds.

The uncertainty began after a new policy took effect on February 8, once again requiring Cubans to obtain a consular visa to travel to the Central American country. Although free of charge, the measure, continue reading

formalized through provision 001-2026 of Nicaragua’s Ministry of the Interior, reclassified Cuban citizens with ordinary migration category “A” passports, which since November 2021 had allowed visa-free entry, to category “C,” corresponding to a “consulted” visa.

The uncertainty began after the new visa policy took effect on February 8. / 14ymedio

According to statements collected by the Nicaraguan media in exile, the Nicaraguan Embassy in Cuba indicated that applications should be sent by email and promised a free process of about 35 business days, waiving requirements such as criminal records or proof of financial solvency for those who already had tickets.

Hundreds of Cubans began the process trusting those conditions. However, after an initial issuance of about 70 visas in mid-February, complainants told Confidencial that the process stopped without clear explanation. “We don’t know whether our applications are still being processed,” said one of those affected in a complaint sent to the Nicaraguan media.

In addition to the halt in consular procedures, confusion has been compounded by Nicaragua’s own immigration system. At the end of February, the Ministry of the Interior enabled a digital platform to process electronic visas. This new system included requirements from which those who bought tickets before the policy change had initially been exempt.

Among the documents requested on the platform are bank statements to prove financial solvency, updated criminal background checks, proof of employment, and a confirmed accommodation reservation.

Those affected are asking Managua to allow travel for those who purchased tickets before the migration policy change

The Nicaraguan Consulate informed applicants that use of the digital platform was optional and that applications submitted by email would remain valid. However, those affected say that so far there have been no reports of visas approved through that system.

The group is asking Managua to allow travel for those who purchased tickets before the migration change or, at least, to establish a mechanism that guarantees the validity of tickets bought under the previous conditions.

The visa-free regime was announced by the government of Daniel Ortega on November 22, 2021. Although it was presented as a measure to promote commercial and family exchange, in practice it turned Managua into one of the main departure routes for Cubans attempting to migrate to the United States.

The tightening of measures by Donald Trump in his second term starting in January 2025, which included sealing the border to prevent any irregular migrants from entering, largely eliminated the Central American country as a “springboard,” though not as a destination. Over the past year, and even before the new migration measures, a new wave of Cubans, discreet and silent, have arrived in Nicaragua to build a new life.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Díaz-Canel and the Cuban Regime Leadership Take Part in an “Anti-Imperialist” March with Low Attendance

The event was called by youth organizations under the slogan “Here, with Fidel”

This Thursday’s march had far fewer participants than usual/EFE/ Ernesto Mastrascusa

EFE (via 14ymedio), Havana, April 2, 2026 – Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel took part this Thursday in a march in Havana called by state-run youth organizations, amid the energy crisis and pressure from Washington for political and economic change on the Island.

The march, which reached the Anti-Imperialist Tribune in the Cuban capital, a site for various political events on the Island, was markedly different from those historically held there. This Thursday’s turnout was much smaller than usual, and those who did attend arrived on bicycles and electric tricycles.

Díaz-Canel appeared at the parade without giving any speech and was accompanied by members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, the only legal party in the country, along with other government leaders, the Armed Forces, and the Ministry of the Interior.

The state organizations Union of Young Communists (UJC) and the José Martí Pioneer Organization (OPJM) called the march, which was attended by students and young people from the capital under the slogan “Here, with Fidel,” as part of activities marking their anniversaries on April 4. continue reading

Díaz-Canel appeared at the parade without giving any speech

The organizations had announced that the so-called “Anti-Imperialist Youth Parade” would serve as a space to mobilize young people “on wheels, with bicycles, scooters, and electric motorcycles,” means of transportation that many Cubans have turned to in recent months due to fuel shortages, to denounce the U.S. oil blockade against Cuba.

Tensions between Washington and Havana intensified following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela on January 3, after which the flow of Venezuelan oil to the Island was cut off.

The oil blockade has driven chronic blackouts in the country to record levels and has nearly paralyzed the State sector, from hospitals and public transportation to factories and government offices. The measure has been described by the UN as contrary to international law.

From the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Cuba has been urged to reach an agreement, apparently centered on economic reforms.

Cuba officially acknowledged on March 13 that a dialogue with Washington exists and later stated that “the Cuban political system is not subject to negotiation,” in response to reports suggesting that the U.S. government might be seeking in negotiations with Havana a replacement for the Cuban president.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The IACHR Grants Precautionary Measures in Favor of Cuban Political Prisoner Jorge Bello and His Family

Prisoners Defenders Raises to 26 the Number of Prisoners Released Following the Agreement with the Vatican

Political prisoner from 11J Jorge Bello Domínguez together with his wife Yuleydi López González. / Facebook/Jorge Bello Domínguez

14ymedio, Havana, April 1, 2026 – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) [CIDH in Spanish] granted precautionary measures in favor of political prisoner Jorge Bello Domínguez, his mother Marta Domínguez Galero, his wife Yuleydi López González, and his daughter Yésica Bello, considering that all four are in a situation of “seriousness and urgency” and that their right to life, personal integrity, and health are at risk of suffering “irreparable harm” in Cuba.

The decision is recorded in Resolution 21/2026, adopted on March 30, following a request submitted by the organization Prisoners Defenders. The ruling represents a new setback for the Cuban regime, which once again comes under international scrutiny for its treatment of political prisoners and their families.

The IACHR also emphasized that the Cuban State did not respond to the Commission’s request for information, despite the deadline having already expired. In its decision, the body asked Havana to immediately protect the four beneficiaries, ensure a comprehensive medical evaluation for Bello, guarantee specialized treatment, adequate food, detention conditions compatible with international standards, and measures to prevent further threats, assaults, or acts of harassment within the prison. continue reading

His medical condition is especially delicate

Jorge Bello Domínguez, a journalist and protester from 11 July 2021, has remained imprisoned since that date. He was sentenced to 15 years of deprivation of liberty after a process in which the petitioners denounced that he did not have independent legal defense and in which he was charged with disproportionate offenses. The Commission also recorded that Bello was disappeared for 12 days after his arrest, subjected to isolation, interrogations without a lawyer, and torture to force him to confess guilt.

His medical condition is especially delicate, as he suffers from type 1 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, persistent asthma, chronic gastritis, progressive vision deterioration, acute dental pain, a history of heart attack, malnutrition, generalized weakness, and testicular inflammation with bleeding and severe pain that, according to the file, has not been treated by a specialist since February 2024.

The IACHR also took into account allegations of beatings, forced nudity, humiliation to access insulin, use of pepper spray, lack of medication, poor nutrition, and arbitrary restrictions on visits and phone calls. Added to this is the harassment against his family, who have been subjected to threats, surveillance, police summons, interrogations, arbitrary detentions, and forced relocations in retaliation for their activism in defense of the prisoner.

The list of 26 released prisoners includes those sentenced to between six and 18 years

Although precautionary measures do not amount to a ruling on the merits of the case, they do imply that the body considers there to be, preliminarily, a real and imminent risk that requires urgent protection.

The decision also comes amid the opaque process of releases that the authorities are attempting to present as a gesture of flexibility, but which independent organizations describe as a control maneuver.

This Wednesday, Prisoners Defenders reported the release of Renán Julio Vilches Wong, 37, sentenced to six years in prison for “speaking badly” about leaders of the Communist Party. According to the organization, Vilches would be the 26th political prisoner released “under threats,” with his sentence still in place and subject to a “de facto home detention regime.” The prisoner leaves the cell, but the repressive apparatus retains the ability to return him to prison, and the threat continues to operate as a disciplinary mechanism.

Prisoners Defenders maintains that of the 51 releases announced by the regime on March 12, only 26 have been carried out. “There are still 25 left,” the organization said, adding that it is auditing the process “to ensure that all those promised to the Catholic Church are released.”

The list of 26 released prisoners includes individuals sentenced to between six and 18 years, many of them held in forced labor camps or maximum-security prisons.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Russia Detains and Massively Deports Illegal Cuban Migrants via Istanbul

The lack of direct flights is not preventing the return of detainees to the Island.

Russian authorities are deporting increasing numbers of migrants, including many Cubans, who entered the country due to visa exemptions. / La Tijera

14ymedio / EFE, Moscow, April 1, 2026 – Authorities in Moscow are detaining and massively deporting Cuban migrants who have not regularized their immigration status, despite the absence of direct flights between the Russian capital and Havana due to the Island’s energy crisis, according to the Telegram channel Ostorozhno, Novosti on Wednesday.

According to relatives of those detained, police checks on Cuban citizens regarding their immigration status have intensified in recent months.

“Those with issues in their documents are sent to the Sakharovo deportation center (on the outskirts of Moscow), where they are held and kept incommunicado for weeks,” the outlet reported.

Because there are currently no direct flights between the two countries, due to Cuba’s alert over a lack of fuel to supply international flights, Cubans are being deported via the Turkish city of Istanbul.

“Those with issues in their documents are sent to the Sakharovo deportation center, where they are held and kept incommunicado for weeks.”

According to Ostorozhno, Novosti, relatives search for detainees through groups created on Facebook.

Because detainees are held incommunicado, and there is little precise information, since deportation cases are not processed through the courts but decided at the level of Russia’s Interior Ministry. Much of the information circulating on social media is false, the outlet said.

As an example, Ostorozhno, Novosti cited the case of a Cuban detainee who was rumored to have been deported but was actually arrested for drug trafficking, a crime severely punished in Russia.

Although the chances of legalizing immigration status in Russia are quite limited for Cubans, especially compared to nationals from former Soviet republics, who can obtain work permits, thousands of Cubans travel to Russia in search of jobs and better living conditions.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Europe Allocates 2 Million Euros More in Humanitarian Aid to Cuba Due to the Energy Crisis

The funds will be directed toward logistical support for humanitarian partners distributing urgent aid in the country, it states.

This funding is in addition to the 4 million euros approved at the beginning of this year / EFE

EFE (via 14ymedio), Brussels, April 1, 2026 – The European Commission announced this Wednesday that it will send an additional 2 million euros in humanitarian aid to Cuba, in response to resource shortages and the worsening energy crisis, which leaves more than 60% of the Island without electricity.

This funding is in addition to the 4 million euros approved at the beginning of this year as a regional allocation for the Caribbean, which was also mainly aimed at addressing Cuba’s growing needs.

In a statement published this Wednesday, the EU executive said that this new 2 million euros in aid will be used to provide logistical support to humanitarian partners distributing urgent assistance in the country, given the difficulties in mobilizing food and drinking water on the island.

“In a country facing an energy crisis and growing shortages, this support will help ensure that vital aid continues to reach up to 2 million people in need,” said the Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib.

“This support will help ensure that vital aid continues to reach up to 2 million people in need”

Since mid-2024, Cuba has been experiencing a severe crisis that has deepened due to the oil pressure imposed by the U.S. government since January. According to data from the Electric Union (UNE), the Island is currently experiencing power outages that leave 62% of the country continue reading

without electricity at the same time.

The aid is part of a series of support measures that have come from governments such as Brazil and Mexico, which have sent 20,000 tons of rice, other food, and medicines. Spain has done the same, announcing the shipment of food and medical supplies to 5,000 people in Cuba, along with around twenty photovoltaic panels.

Additionally, aid has also arrived from social initiatives, such as the Nuestra América flotilla, which brought 14 tons of food and medicines, 73 solar panels, and ten bicycles to Havana.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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An FBI Team Is Now in Havana To Investigate the Shooting Involving the Florida Boat

The regime claims that the crew entered Cuban waters armed and opened fire, but Washington wants to verify its version with its own investigation

The arrival of the FBI had been announced by Miguel Díaz-Canel on March 13. / EFE

14ymedio / EFE, Havana, April 1, 2026 – A team from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrived in Havana to take part in the investigation into the incident that occurred on February 25 in Cuban waters, in which five crew members of a boat coming from Florida were killed. “The FBI team arrived in Havana yesterday to conduct an independent and thorough investigation into the incident,” a U.S. government source told EFE on Wednesday.

According to the official Cuban version, the vessel was intercepted by border guard troops north of Villa Clara, near Cayo Falcones, with ten people on board, all residents of the United States. Havana maintains that shots were fired from the boat at the patrol and that its agents responded, in a confrontation that left four dead on the spot, six injured, and one Cuban officer wounded. Days later, one of the injured died, bringing the death toll to five.

The deceased were identified as Pável Alling Peña, Michel Ortega Casanova, Ledián Padrón Guevara, Héctor Duani Cruz Correa, and Roberto Álvarez Ávila. The latter died on March 4 while in custody of Cuban authorities. His name had also been omitted from the first official statement, which instead included a Cuban citizen who was in the United States.

The regime’s version has been questioned by relatives of the victims and by independent media.

The arrival of the FBI had been announced by Miguel Díaz-Canel on March 13. At that time, the Cuban leader said that Washington had expressed through diplomatic and consular channels its interest in cooperating to clarify what happened. On the U.S. side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said continue reading

after the incident that the Trump administration sought to contrast the Cuban version with “independent information.”

The case erupted amid escalating tensions between Havana and Washington, in the context of increased U.S. pressure on the Island, negotiations marked by tension, and openly confrontational statements from both governments. Weeks before the incident, 32 Cuban soldiers had died in Caracas during the U.S. operation in which Nicolás Maduro was captured. Since then, the regime has multiplied military exercises across Cuba and has strongly revived its “besieged plaza” rhetoric. In that climate, the limited cooperation with the FBI stands out as a rare exception within a relationship dominated by mutual distrust.

Even so, the episode remains surrounded by unanswered questions. The regime’s version has been challenged by victims’ relatives and independent media, who point to contradictions, changes in the identification of those involved, and the absence of conclusive public testimony and evidence about how the shooting actually occurred.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuba: Seventy Anti-Government Incidents of Graffiti Appeared Overnight on Walls, Fences, Billboards, and Streets Across the Island

Havana concentrates the majority of the 1,245 protests recorded in March in Cuba

The mobilizations found their epicenter in Havana, with 461 last month / Facebook

14ymedio, Havana, April 1, 2026 – Social discontent in Cuba manifested itself throughout nearly the entire month of March on the Island. For three consecutive weeks, Cubans protested night after night, in the darkness caused by blackouts, with pots and pans in hand, bonfires, and shouts of “freedom!” highlighted the Cuban Observatory of Conflicts (OCC) in its most recent report published this Wednesday. It notes that last month there were 1,245 protests and 70 anti-government graffiti incidents across the country.

The observatory describes power outages, lack of water, fuel shortages, insecurity, and rising food prices combined with a repressive response from the State, generating a situation of maximum tension in the streets.

The report emphasizes the protests recorded in Morón, Ciego de Ávila, on March 13, when demonstrators entered the local headquarters of the Communist Party (PCC). Once inside, they threw furniture and documents into the street before setting them on fire. The OCC classified that episode as one of the “556 challenges to the police state” recorded during the month, a figure that far exceeded the 432 in February and exposed the increase in direct confrontation with authorities, amid the worsening conditions Cubans face day to day. continue reading

The rise in the number of mobilizations, 4.8% more than the 1,185 in February, and nearly 80% more than those recorded in the same month last year, prompted an intense response from authorities. The observatory documented 159 repressive acts, with the detention of more than 40 protesters, including the case of the minor Jonathan David Muir Burgos, 16 years old, who is suffering “inhumane conditions” in prison.

The observatory documented 159 repressive acts, with the detention of more than 40 protesters

In addition, a new wave of detentions and summonses targeting journalists and activists was recorded, such as the case of influencer Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente, who was placed under house arrest and received threats of up to five years in prison following a State Security operation aimed at curbing her activity on social media. “The state apparatus was exposed grappling with a brave and petite young girl,” the report describes.

A similar pattern was denounced by members of the digital project Fuera de la Caja, a group created by young Cubans that produces political content on social media from the Cerro municipality in Havana. In a video, the project released on March 11 an audio recording of the father of Amanda Beatriz Andrés Navarro, one of the members, in which he states that he was intercepted by two officers from the Ministry of the Interior at his workplace.

“It turns out that when I arrived at my workplace there were two State Security agents waiting for me, and they began to intimidate me about my children, saying that they were committing crimes, inciting constitutional disorder, encouraging delinquency, and that if they continued they would put them in prison,” the audio says.

The OCC indicates that 27 murders were reported on the Island, almost one per day, “as a result of social, criminal, or gender-based violence”

Another trigger for the mobilizations was insecurity in the country. The OCC indicates that 27 murders were reported on the Island, almost one per day, “as a result of social, criminal, or gender-based violence.” The report notes that in seven of those deaths the perpetrators were family members, “and in several cases the events occurred during blackouts.” It also mentions the two minors murdered in one week, aged 7 and 14, “who were killed after being sexually abused.” Likewise, “26 robbery-related crimes were compiled, with reports highlighting an increase in assaults by organized and armed criminal groups.”

The mobilizations found their epicenter in Havana, the observatory reports. The capital recorded 461 protests last month (an average of 15 per day). It was followed by Matanzas, with 137; Holguín, with 72; Santiago de Cuba, 69; Guantánamo, 41; and Villa Clara, which recorded 34.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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“At the Rate Things Are Going, I Don’t Know if I’ll Be Alive To See an Improvement”

In the streets of Matanzas, retirees barely survive

Sitting at the entrance of the former Hotel París, where he occupies a small room in the back, Roilier tries every day to earn his food. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Matanzas, Pablo Padilla Cruz, March 31, 2026 – As in any besieged city, it is the weakest and most vulnerable who are the first to succumb. The same happens with the inflation affecting Cuba. Many are forced to double their work or, in many cases, to seek new forms of income in a desperate attempt to survive.

On Contreras Street in the city of Matanzas, Duarte, a neighbor awaiting his retirement, resists becoming a burden on his family. He has improvised a small stand in front of the entrance to his house: a modest table where he sells everything he finds, from cellphone batteries to second- or third-hand bathroom fittings, covered in magnesium residue. The place sometimes looks like the setting of a detective game.

“I don’t have many other options. My retirement hasn’t come yet and, besides, it would only be 2,100 pesos, according to estimates; that is, a bottle of oil and a bag of rice,” he calculates roughly. “I think I’ll fall short if prices keep rising.”

“Here I earn almost nothing, but it keeps me occupied. The neighbors give me their junk, as they say, and from time to time something sells”

Duarte worked as a night security guard at one of the port docks, but the early mornings and long trips to the industrial zone eventually took their toll. “I would have liked to keep working, but it’s not the same anymore. Here I earn almost nothing, but it keeps me occupied. The neighbors give me their junk, as they say, and from time to time something sells,” he says. “A hundred pesos here, twenty there, it never hurts.” continue reading

With a mix of resignation and hope, he reflects on his future: “First I have to finish the retirement process. After that, maybe I can work as a guard somewhere nearby; if not, I’ll continue here. Maybe one day someone will want to invest and we’ll improve the offerings, but at the rate things are going, I don’t know if I’ll be alive to see an improvement.”

Duarte’s situation is not exceptional. The purchasing power of the elderly who depend on a state pension pushes them increasingly into the streets, even after retirement. People with disabilities are not spared this reality either, receiving monthly assistance that is entirely insufficient in the face of the worsening crisis.

He has improvised a small stand in front of the entrance to his house, a modest table where he sells everything he finds. / 14ymedio

Armando, blind, is one of them. With the help of his friend Maritza, who guides him through the city streets, he sells various items from a cardboard box at any improvised kiosk on Calle del Medio.

“It has become easier over time, but even so, it’s complicated to come every day and return home with the box still full of things,” he says. “Luckily Maritza helps me: she tells me when someone wants something and makes sure the payment and change are correct. She also makes sure no one steals from me. With her help, we get by. I never imagined doing this, but these are difficult times.”

Maritza, for her part, assumes her role naturally and with solidarity: “Here, fortunately, we help each other. It would be low of me not to lend him a hand in his situation. And don’t think he doesn’t help me too. We keep each other company day by day. This kiosk is our office, and we are partners for better or worse,” she says, smiling, just before selling a bottle of glue to a hurried customer.

Both Armando and Duarte see in their respective incomes — a still-pending pension and modest state assistance — a partial relief for daily expenses. However, there are those who do not even have that support, which makes their daily struggle even harder.

With the help of his friend Maritza, who guides him through the city streets, he sells various items from a cardboard box at any improvised kiosk on Calle del Medio. / 14ymedio

“I made many mistakes in my life, many excesses. In prison I paid society, as they say, but there is a cross I continue to carry.” This is spoken with sadness and frankness by Roilier, who survives by selling whatever he finds or is given, while repairing shoes, a trade he learned during his sentence.

Sitting at the entrance of the former Hotel París, where he occupies a small room in the back, he tries every day to earn enough for food. When asked about the cellphone batteries he sells, he answers bluntly that he does not know if they work; he has no phone to test them.

“I don’t complain,” he stresses. “I lost the ability to complain a long time ago. I only see how unfair life can be: even if you pay for your mistakes with your time, you will always have an invisible mark that doesn’t let you move forward. You will always be, when looking for a job, the one who did this or that. It doesn’t matter if it was fifteen years ago or a month, or under what circumstances. Mistakes never completely disappear, and so all you have left is this,” he says, pointing to his tools: “waiting for death while you mend a sole.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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A Group of Wealthy Cuban Americans Are Willing To Invest When There Is Democracy on the Island

Businesspeople linked to the Republican Party met, such as Ernesto Rodríguez, Michael Fux, Omar Sixto, and Nick Gutiérrez

The entrepreneurs plan to hold at least three more meetings and hope to have, at the last one, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. / Telemundo

14ymedio, Madrid, April 1, 2026 – A group of Cuban American millionaires linked to the Republican Party met this Tuesday in Miami to “support the Trump Administration for real and effective change in a democratic Cuba,” according to Ernesto Rodríguez, an executive member of the organizing committee. The entrepreneurs plan to hold at least three more meetings and hope to have, at the last one, Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The meeting drew the attention of a good number of businesspeople who explained to Telemundo 51 their intentions to invest multimillion-dollar sums on the Island, although they ask that the U.S. oversee the first phase of that change. “At least until Cuba gets fixed. Once it’s fixed, I think it can continue on its own, because it did so long before Castro and they can do it again,” argued Michael Fux, born in Havana, who left in 1958 with his parents for Miami, where he made his fortune in the mattress industry.

“In the event that Cuba is free and sovereign and there is a Constitution that protects private enterprise, the Cuban American exile will stand together with Cubans on the Island”

A few weeks after the Cuban regime opened the door to investment by Cubans living abroad, businessman Omar Sixto was very clear about the condition that must be met. “In the event that Cuba is free and sovereign and there is a Constitution that protects private enterprise, the Cuban American exile will stand together with Cubans on the Island who want to start businesses. And that is the essence of today’s meeting,” he emphasized, firmly rejecting the proposal continue reading

of Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva.

“I am relatively a newcomer to this issue,” admitted Nick Gutiérrez, a specialist in claims for property confiscated by the Revolution in the 1960s and a member of the Cuban Democratic Directorate in Miami. “There are people here much older than I am who have longed for seven decades for what is happening now. The freedom of the Cuban people is near. It is the first time I can say that, and I have been involved in this issue for at least 35 years,” continued the jurist, a firm supporter of Donald Trump’s government.

“Now we have an Administration that has helped us more than any other. We have not won yet, and there are people, inside and outside this Administration, who favor and oppose our ideals. We have to remain steadfast in our ideals, which are not radical. We are not asking for anything special, a special privilege. We are asking for the same thing that most of the peoples of the world enjoy: democracy, freedom, rule of law,” he said.

“We are not asking for anything special, a special privilege. We are asking for the same thing that most of the peoples of the world enjoy: democracy, freedom, rule of law”

Asked why there were no Cuban Americans from the Democratic Party and whether they considered including them, Ernesto Rodríguez stated that this meeting was planned exclusively for people linked to “the right, conservatives,” but that they would have no problem, when the time comes, with other profiles joining who want to contribute. “We are looking, through the Trump Administration, for strong economic support to be able to put our nation, the Island we love so much, where it should have been a long time ago, and for that resources are needed,” he acknowledged.

“I think the meeting is very positive. There is a lot of interest in progress, there is a lot of interest in rebuilding the Cuba we fled from,” concluded lawyer José Villalobos.

The meeting, which will have its second session on May 20, coincided with the controversy generated this Tuesday in Miami over the export of fuel from the U.S. to the private sector on the Island, which has been authorized by the Trump Administration. Several Florida companies have joined the business, particularly that of Cuban American Hugo Cancio, who aligns with those who support negotiation, without prior conditions, with the regime in Havana.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuban Baseball Player Esteban Terry Leaves the Cocodrilos De Matanzas and Stays in Mexico

Last year, in the same tournament, two players from Las Tunas defected

Esteban Terry recorded six hits in 17 at-bats, for an average of .353, in the Baseball Champions League Americas / Radio26

14ymedio, Havana, March 31, 2026 – Esteban Terry has become the latest case of an athlete who leaves a Cuban delegation abroad. As reported this Tuesday by Cuba Grand Slam, “the Matanzas outfielder did not return to Cuba with the Cocodrilos team that recently participated in the Baseball Champions League Americas” in Mexico.

The athlete participated with the Matanzas selection in the most recent edition of the Champions League that ended this Sunday in the Mexican capital, in which the Cuban team recorded the second worst performance of a Cuban representative in the tournament.

Although the National Series champions were battered during their appearance on Mexican soil, allowing 69 runs in four games, for an average of 17.25 per game, the 28-year-old player born in the Matanzas municipality of Limonar had an acceptable performance, recording six hits in 17 at-bats for an average of .353.

The 28-year-old player born in the Matanzas municipality of Limonar had an acceptable performance

The provincial outlet Radio26 even highlighted his performance in the first game of the Champions League. It emphasized that the outfielder was the architect of the Cocodrilos’ only victory, in a game in which they were losing 5-0 to the CTBC Brothers of Taiwan: “Sports, like life, give revenge, continue reading

and Terry got the opportunity to redeem himself. When the Asian pitching had dominated the Yumurino lineup without difficulty, the fiery player hit a double down the left field line that sparked the comeback from lethargy. His contribution in the rally in the bottom of the seventh inning was crucial, as he opened the inning with a hit and scored the first of the six runs that turned the scoreboard around.”

In the last National Series, the player had experienced a sporting resurgence after spending four years seeking opportunities in Pinar del Río, due to being sidelined by Matanzas sports authorities in 2021, despite having stood out in the national under-23 tournament.

After working his way back, in 2025 Terry participated in the 1st Jorge Luis Valdés In Memoriam Provincial Cup, which featured four teams with Matanzas players. This tournament became the perfect platform for his resurgence, as he posted a .404 batting average, with 10 hits, including four home runs, in addition to stealing six bases, driving in 19 runs, and scoring another 16. These numbers led to him being named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Finally, in the last National Series, he received the opportunity to join the ranks of the Cocodrilos, with whom he won the title in Cuba.

In the last National Series he received the opportunity to join the ranks of the Cocodrilos, with whom he won the title in Cuba

The Baseball Champions League Americas held in Mexico has become one of the stages for player defections in recent years. In the previous edition, players from Las Tunas Rafael Viñales and Denis Peña left the competition venue and began a new life in Mexican territory after winning the runner-up title.

At that time, the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder), in a brief statement and as is customary, confirmed the defection and accused Viñales and Peña of “turning their backs on the commitment assumed.”

In the case of Esteban Terry, the authorities have not issued an official position on the matter. However, his departure could be treated differently from previous cases due to the new Law 179, which anticipates a “historic” change and formally eliminates the requirement of permanent residence in the country for Cubans living abroad to be able to join sports teams, both at the national and international level. Likewise, it expands the possibility of calling up descendants of Cubans residing in other countries to join the Island’s sports movement, so the Matanzas native would no longer have doors closed to him in the future.

It formally eliminates the requirement of permanent residence in the country for Cubans living abroad to be able to join teams

Before the last World Baseball Classic, several Cuban-American players, such as Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto, expressed their intentions to play for Team Asere but were rejected by sports authorities.

The measure is not retroactive, as those who have been sanctioned with separation or expulsion from the system are excluded.

Likewise, in parallel with the Government’s announcement of economic opening, the legislation also authorizes, for the first time, advertising and sponsorship in Cuban sports, allowing accredited foreigners and Cubans abroad to finance projects, from domestic tournaments to teams competing internationally. Cuban and foreign individuals who do not reside in the country “may participate in the guidance, promotion, encouragement, and development of the Cuban Sports System,” the law states.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Russian Oil Tanker ‘Anatoly Kolodkin’ Docks in Matanzas: “The AK We Need Now”

Experts estimate it will take between 15 and 20 days to process the crude oil and convert it into diesel, and another week to deliver the refined product.

The Russian tanker ‘Anatoly Kolodkin’ arriving at the dock of the Matanzas Supertanker Base. / Facebook/Lázaro Manuel Alonso

14ymedio, Havana, March 31, 2026 / No oil tanker that has sustained Cuba’s energy system for decades had generated as much anticipation as the Anatoly Kolodkin , which finally docked in Matanzas this Tuesday. Loaded with some 730,000 barrels of Russian crude, equivalent to about 100,000 tons, it is the first tanker to arrive on the island since the Ocean Mariner arrived on January 9 with more than 80,000 barrels of fuel from Mexico .

Dozens of journalists were waiting early in the morning at the port of Matanzas to broadcast the arrival of the ship, which docked at the Matanzas Supertanker Base around 8:50 a.m., as reported by Pedro Rizo Martínez of TV Yumurí. “After docking, the unloading of the crude oil begins,” the state-run reporter also said.

Oliver Zamora Oria, a contributor to the Russian state broadcaster RT from Cuba , didn’t miss the opportunity to take a selfie next to the ship, while expressing on his social media: “As someone said: the AK we need now.”

“This is like a drop of water in the desert,” Marino Gálvez, 66, a resident of Matanzas, told the British news agency.

Cubadebate also reported the news , highlighting the statements of Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said that Russia “considers it its duty” to offer the necessary assistance to Cuba and assured that Moscow will continue working to supply more oil to the island. continue reading

Also present at the port were Lázaro Manuel Alonso, a broadcaster for Canal Caribe, as well as correspondents from foreign media outlets, such as the EFE and Reuters news agencies. “This is like a drop of water in the desert,” Marino Gálvez, 66, a resident of Matanzas, told the British agency, as he watched the ship’s maneuvers in the bay from the city’s waterfront.

The man lamented, referring to the oil blockade imposed on Cuba by Donald Trump after the United States’ intervention in Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro: “What they are doing to us is very unfair, and people shouldn’t have to pay for the policies of any government.”

Once the crude oil is unloaded from the newly arrived ship, it must be transported to refineries in Havana and Cienfuegos, where it could be converted into approximately 250,000 barrels of diesel, according to Jorge Piñón, an energy specialist at the University of Texas. Processing will take between 15 and 20 days, and the refined product will take another week to be delivered.

This fuel would allow for a few days’ supply of generators, transportation, and agriculture, although the expert also fears the government will keep some for itself. “Are we so naive as to think the government won’t keep a significant amount of diesel for its own reserves, instead of supplying it to those who need it most to survive?” he told 14ymedio .

The Anatoly Kolodkin belongs to the main state shipping company, the Sovkomflot corporation, sanctioned by the US since 2024, and departed from the Russian port of Primorsk on March 9.

Two days ago, the US president downplayed the arrival of the tanker . “They have to survive! I have no problem with that,” he told reporters, while also opening the door to other similar operations: “I told them, if a country wants to send oil to Cuba right now, I have no problem with that. Whether it’s Russia or not.” He asserted: “They have a bad regime, they have bad and corrupt leadership, and whether or not they get an oil tanker, that doesn’t matter.”

El tanquero ruso ‘Anatoly Kolodkin’ en el muelle de la Base de Supertanqueros de Matanzas. / Facebook/Oliver Zamora Oria

However, on Monday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that if the US allowed the Anatoly Kolodkin to reach the island, it was for “humanitarian reasons,” and that the country will analyze each case to determine whether or not to authorize the arrival of other ships.

“There has been no firm change in our sanctions policy,” Leavitt stated at a press conference. “We will continue to consider each case individually, whether for humanitarian or other reasons.”

Before this appearance yesterday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had avoided clearly answering whether she would continue sending oil to the island, in light of Trump’s statements on Sunday. The president reiterated that the Mexican government is helping the Cuban people with humanitarian aid while also maintaining trade agreements with its counterpart in Havana. “What we have always said is that Mexico has every right to send fuel, whether for humanitarian or commercial reasons, but we don’t want to harm Mexico,” she explained.

At the same time, she referred to the “tariffs, well, duties” with which Trump threatened nations that send oil to the island. “In that context,” she summarized, “we will make the decision, and it will always be reported whether or not oil is sent to Cuba.” Furthermore, as something “very important,” Sheinbaum mentioned that “there are private companies in Cuba,” such as “hotels and others,” that “require fuel,” and that “they are looking for private companies willing to supply them with fuel, not necessarily government-to-government.” She continued, without clarifying whether this is the method they have found to send oil or which companies are involved, on either side: “There are private companies that have approached us, for example, to buy fuel from Pemex and then deliver it to private companies in Cuba.”

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