An ‘Energy Failure’ Cuts Off the Internet in Cuba for Almost an Hour

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 24 March 2022 — In Cuba, the telecommunications services of the state monopoly Etecsa stopped working this Thursday morning for about an hour, a problem that the company attributes to an energy failure and that increases uncertainty about the capacity of the Island’s National Electric System. “Etecsa informs that due … Continue reading “An ‘Energy Failure’ Cuts Off the Internet in Cuba for Almost an Hour”

Cuba’s Director of the International Press Center Joins the List of Repressors

14ymedio, Havana, 13 January 2022 — Alberto González Casals, director of the Cuban International Press Center (CPI), has been included by the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FDHC) in its database of repressors. In a statement issued this Thursday, the Miami-based organization details that they have included González Casals as a “white-collar repressor” and as … Continue reading “Cuba’s Director of the International Press Center Joins the List of Repressors”

The 11J Prisoners Detained for Shouting Freedom in Cuba

14ymedio, Havana, 27 December 2021 — They did not belong to any opposition organization within the island nor, as the official media claimed in a foreseeable smear campaign, were they instigated by the “enemy” from outside. Simply, together with thousands of compatriots in dozens of cities throughout the island, they decided to go out into the streets … Continue reading “The 11J Prisoners Detained for Shouting Freedom in Cuba”

Faced With the Failure of its ‘Ordering Task’, the Cuban Government Talks About ‘Rectification’

14ymedio, Havana, 13 December 2021 — There will be changes to correct the deficiencies of the failed Tarea Ordenamiento (Ordering Task), which was planned for more than ten years and whose execution even the Cuban authorities themselves consider catastrophic. In his 2021 accountability report, presented this weekend, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero admits that “the objective of this … Continue reading “Faced With the Failure of its ‘Ordering Task’, the Cuban Government Talks About ‘Rectification’”

Six Hours in a Police Station for Placing a White Rose on a Bust of Jose Marti

14ymedio, Havana, 12 November 2021 — Yahima Díaz, a member of the Archipiélago group that convened the Civic March for Change and a resident of Consolación del Sur (Pinar del Río), was detained this Thursday for several hours in a police station for placing a white rose on a bust of José Martí. The opposition … Continue reading “Six Hours in a Police Station for Placing a White Rose on a Bust of Jose Marti”

Archipielago Provides Participants with Guidelines for November 15 Demonstrations in Havana

14ymedio, Havana, 11 November 2021 — On Thursday the dissident coalition Archipiélago released a list of recommendations for those who would like to participate in the Civic March for Change in Havana, which is scheduled for Monday. The group issued the recommendations in response to threats by the regime, which has indicated it considers any such … Continue reading “Archipielago Provides Participants with Guidelines for November 15 Demonstrations in Havana”

A Fight to Buy Washing Machines Leads to the Arrests of Two Customers in Sancti Spiritus

14ymedio, Mercedes García, Havana, 28 October 2021 — The sale of 12 Samsung brand automatic washing machines for $388 raised quite a stir this Wednesday in the vicinity of the La Habana store in the city of Sancti Spíritus. Everything ended with the arrest of two women and a blackout, which forced the suspension of transactions at … Continue reading “A Fight to Buy Washing Machines Leads to the Arrests of Two Customers in Sancti Spiritus”

In Cuba, Salt – Along with Coffee, Electricity and Face Masks – Is a Problem

14ymedio, Havana, October 5, 2021 — A product as basic and elemental as salt is has become yet another of problem for the island’s authorities. Not a day has gone by when they have not been called to account, even by the official press, for the lack of some consumer product, be it tobacco, electricity, … Continue reading “In Cuba, Salt – Along with Coffee, Electricity and Face Masks – Is a Problem”

The Space and Time of Words

14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, 6 October 2021 — Something that I have never managed to do is pronounce two words at the same time. This “deficiency” has led me to understand how difficult it is to state two ideas simultaneously in a grammatical sentence. In this arduous struggle of half a century, I have also learned that … Continue reading “The Space and Time of Words”

Despite Low Production in September, Venezuela Increased Oil Shipments to Cuba

14ymedio, Havana, 5 October 2021 — Venezuela’s oil exports posted their worst level of the year in September, but the country’s shipments to Cuba reached 58,000 barrels per day (bpd), a substantial increase over the 40,000 sent in August. These deliveries occurred in a month in which the thermoelectric plants have failed on the island, … Continue reading “Despite Low Production in September, Venezuela Increased Oil Shipments to Cuba”

Cuba: Report Records Five Actions Against Foreign Currency Stores and Patrols in September

14ymedio, Madrid, 2 October 2021 — “The repression and terror” instituted by the Cuban government “fail to neutralize this new generation of dissident citizens.” The Cuban Conflict Observatory (OCC) reaches this conclusion in its latest report, made public this Friday, which includes 312 protests in September. Since September 2020, when 42 demonstrations took place, until the same month … Continue reading “Cuba: Report Records Five Actions Against Foreign Currency Stores and Patrols in September”

Cubans Losing Patience after Another Outage at the Island’s Main Electric Power Plant

14ymedio, Havana, September 21, 2021 — After so many articles about “improved maintenance at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, after so many promises,” this is what they come out with. That was the reaction of one customer, Valette, to an announcement that most of central Cuba would be without power starting at 5:24 on Tuesday. … Continue reading “Cubans Losing Patience after Another Outage at the Island’s Main Electric Power Plant”

Cuba: When They Hijacked the Applause

14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, 24 September 2021 — The blackout on Tuesday night was brief, but as soon as it got dark a man’s voice was heard shouting, “Why don’t you clap now?” He was speaking directly to neighbors who at nine o’clock “honor” the doctors engaged in the fight against the pandemic. To clarify, … Continue reading “Cuba: When They Hijacked the Applause”

Cuba’s Province With the Most Livestock Yields No More than Eight Liters of Milk per Producer

14ymedio, Havana, 22 September 2021 — The official press celebrates that the Evelio Rodríguez Curbelo cooperative, from the municipality of Jimaguayú, Camagüey, reached an annual production of one million liters of cow’s milk. “It reached this goal for the tenth year in a row,” an article reported this Wednesday. The feat is a mirage. In … Continue reading “Cuba’s Province With the Most Livestock Yields No More than Eight Liters of Milk per Producer”

Does the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Have a Future?

14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Valencia, 18 September 2021 — As might be expected, this Saturday the official Castroist press turns to the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), which is celebrating its sixth summit in Mexico and which has justified the official visit to that country of the Cuban communist leader, received with … Continue reading “Does the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Have a Future?”