Translating Cuba – Page 34 – English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island

The “Espionage” Accusation Against Alejandro Gil Points to Damage to Venezuela

A document from the Cuban Prosecutor’s Office obtained by 14ymedio accuses the former minister of having revealed sensitive data to the CIA about cooperation between Caracas and Havana.

In August 2022, Gil met with Maduro at the Miraflores Palace, a meeting that was widely publicized by the official Cuban and Venezuelan press. / X / Nicolás Maduro

14ymedio, Havana,January 10, 2026 — The recent capture of Nicolás Maduro has once again put the spotlight on the close and opaque relationship between Caracas and Havana. In that context, a source with access to the documents of the trial against Alejandro Gil Fernández, former vice prime minister and minister of economy of Cuba, has provided 14ymedio with details from the provisional conclusions of the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Republic (FGR), in which Gil was accused, among other crimes, of espionage on behalf of U.S. intelligence services, allegedly causing strategic damage to relations with Venezuela.

According to the report signed by Edward Roberts Campbell, chief prosecutor of the Directorate for Combating Corruption and Illegalities, Gil allegedly handed over classified information to “an unidentified agent, but presumably belonging to the CIA,” compromising “Venezuelan national security.” The document claims that the information involved sensitive data on political, economic, and military cooperation between Cuba and the Maduro regime.

Among the leaked information were economic transactions between Cuba and Venezuela, the location of financial reserves, commercial agreements linked to oil exchanges and the deployment of Cuban medical brigades, as well as schemes for triangulating financial operations and the names of foreign agencies involved in the final destination of Venezuelan crude.

The accusation also included details about Cuban government support in cybersecurity and counterintelligence for Venezuelan intelligence services, as well as personal data about Nicolás Maduro himself. According to the source, Gil allegedly provided information about the president’s family, his residence, his assets in Venezuela and abroad—including in Cuba—and highly sensitive details about the security ring protecting continue reading

the Chavista leader, composed of several dozen Cuban soldiers belonging to the Ministry of the Interior and the Revolutionary Armed Forces.

It was State Security that recommended Gil attend Maduro instead of Díaz-Canel in 2022. / X / Nicolás Maduro

“These acts are considered a betrayal of the trust placed in him by the Cuban government and, specifically, by State Security,” the indictment stated, characterizing the conduct as espionage in favor of U.S. intelligence services, with the aim of “undermining Venezuelan sovereignty and overthrowing its legitimate president through a coup d’état.”

However, the very development of the case reveals contradictions that are difficult to ignore. According to testimony accessed by 14ymedio, it was initially planned for Miguel Díaz-Canel to meet with Maduro in August 2022 as part of a presidential tour of several Latin American and Caribbean countries. Instead, it was State Security that recommended Gil attend in his place.

“It was argued that, because of his performance and the high level of trust placed in him as a cadre of the Revolution, he deserved that meeting,” the source explains, adding that the visit was also meant to be used for meetings with other high-ranking Venezuelan officials, including the minister of economy. The decision is striking, given that a meeting between heads of state is not usually delegated to a sectoral minister.

State Security had been investigating Gil for at least four years, placing the initial suspicions in 2020.

The source clarifies that they only had access to the prosecutor’s indictment and do not know whether the alleged espionage related to Venezuela was proven during the trial. “I cannot state whether these facts were brought to trial with conclusive evidence or whether it was proven that Gil delivered sensitive Venezuelan information to the CIA,” the source notes. Nor do they have details about the grounds for the life sentence handed down by the Supreme Court.

The timeline of the case reinforces the doubts. Pro-government programs such as Razones de Cuba have claimed that State Security had been investigating Gil for at least four years, placing the suspicions as early as 2020. Even so, in August 2022 Gil met with Maduro at the Miraflores Palace, a meeting widely publicized by the official Cuban and Venezuelan press and publicly celebrated by the Chavista leader himself on social media.

Months later, in November of that same year, Gil accompanied Díaz-Canel on a tour of China, Algeria, Russia, and Turkey. In July 2023, he was also authorized to travel to New York as Cuba’s sole representative to the United Nations General Assembly. “If there were solid indications of espionage, these decisions do not hold up from a counterintelligence standpoint,” the source points out.

Alejandro Gil’s trial, far from clarifying the facts, exposes a web in which Venezuela, Maduro, and Cuban security are intertwined in a narrative full of gaps. Today, after the capture of the Chavista leader, those gaps weigh more heavily than ever. Because if Gil was a spy, he was one with inexplicable freedom; and if he was not, his conviction reveals how far a system can go when it needs a visible culprit to protect those operating at the highest levels of power.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Paying for Your Reservation in Dollars Does Not Guarantee Better Food at Hotels in Varadero Cuba

Customers complain that they have to give extra money to employees to access more food despite the “all-inclusive” offer

“To eat without so much hassle, you have to come as soon as the restaurant opens. Those who arrive late, with or without money, don’t get much.” / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Julio César Contreras, Matanzas, January 9, 2025 — In Varadero, paying for an “all-inclusive” hotel is no longer a guarantee of a hearty meal. Those who arrive on the Hicacos Peninsula seeking a few days free from domestic worries discover this, sometimes with bewilderment and other times with resignation. At the Barceló Solymar, one of the best-known hotels in the area, the price—$62 per night—doesn’t always translate into full plates

On the buffet trays, side dishes abound; the meats, on the other hand, seem like museum pieces, guarded by employees who react with surgical precision. “When I walked past the roast pork, the employee tossed me such tiny pieces that they were barely visible on the empty plate,” says Iván, a Cuban resident of Miami who returned to the island to give his family a worry-free New Year’s Eve.

The learning curve was quick. “With a 500-peso bill, the waiter will serve you whatever you want. There’s no need to hide giving him the money. It’s like an advance tip so you can eat without going hungry,” explains Iván, who hadn’t been to Cuba in seven years and had never stayed at this hotel. The shock of reality was twofold: even paying for the room in dollars doesn’t protect you from shortages, and the “all-inclusive” concept isn’t immune to the logic of the informal market that permeates daily life in the country today.

Before taking their first course, some diners hold a banknote in their hand to give them the impression of being at a buffet

The scene repeats itself table after table. Before taking their first course, some diners hold up a bill, hoping to give themselves the impression, at least for a little while, of being at a buffet. “The food here cost me more than if I’d gone to a restaurant on the street,” says Eddy, his desire for a variety of desserts unfulfilled. “The only thing you can eat as much as you want of without paying extra is the rice continue reading

and beans. Everything else is rationed or runs out quickly, like the chocolate ice cream that ran out and they didn’t replenish it. To eat without so much hassle, you have to come when the restaurant opens. Anyone who arrives late, with or without money, doesn’t get much.”

Among the guests, a Cuban accent predominates. Families residing on the island and emigrants who have returned to share vacations occupy most of the tables; a few Canadian tourists complete the scene. Emma, one of them, isn’t willing to pay more. “For a four-star hotel, the buffet is very limited,” she says. “The main courses only have pork, ground beef, and fried chicken. It’s paltry for what you’d expect from a place like this.” She also finds no variety in salads or seasonal dishes, and she’s already considering leaving earlier than planned. “I’ve spent two nights eating boiled tomatoes and plantains. It’s not what I expected.”

Breakfast offers no respite. “In front of me, a Russian tourist was given an omelet with only one egg. I gave the cook 200 pesos and even then I had to demand he make mine with ham,” Eddy recounts. He came hoping for a variety of yogurts; lacking them, he ended up drinking milk. “It’s the same story as lunch and dinner. To get the best, you have to pay for it. If I had known I’d be eating bread and butter here, I would have stayed home.”

During meals, some vacationers also pay to ensure they get cold beer at the table. Tipping ceases to be a voluntary gesture and becomes a requirement to avoid being left watching other dishes go by. “My two children were so excited; I’d never been able to bring them to a hotel like this before,” says Eddy. “Thanks to my father-in-law, who made the reservation from abroad, we were able to come. He paid $496 so the four of us could spend two and a half days eating whatever we wanted, not being restricted like this.”

The contradiction becomes clear when a public relations representative approaches with a survey about the hotel’s operations. While the form asks about customer satisfaction, the table waits for the waiter to return with another round of drinks, previously “arranged.” In Varadero, even under the all-inclusive label, scarcity has found its way onto the table, reminding visitors that, even now, eating well in Cuba remains exorbitantly expensive, even on vacation.

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Venezuela Has Released Eleven of the Nearly 900 Political Prisoners in the Country

The first day ends with the release of Venezuelans Enrique Márquez, Biagio Pilieri, Alejandro Rebolledo, and Larry Osorio Chía, who join the five Spaniards about to land in Madrid
Activists and opposition figures demand a “total amnesty”

Enrique Márquez Biaggio embraces family members as he leaves El Helicoide prison in Caracas. / Screenshot

14ymedio, Madrid, January 9, 2026 — The joy felt by the families of Venezuelan political prisoners following the announcement of releases by the president of Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, has turned into tension due to the lack of concrete results. Of the nearly 900 people held in various prisons across the country, only nine had been released by nightfall: four Venezuelans and five Spaniards, who have already arrived in Spain.

The Venezuelans are Enrique Márquez, former presidential candidate former presidential candidate; Biagio Pilieri, a politician and collaborator of María Corina Machado; the lawyer Alejandro Rebolledo; and military officer Larry Osorio Chía. All four had been held until now in the feared El Helicoide prison, the Caracas headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin), and their releases were confirmed by the NGO Foro Penal and a report by Realidad Helicoide. Early Friday morning, two additional cases were added, whose identities are still unknown.

The release of Márquez and Pilieri was captured on cellphone cameras by people gathered outside the prison awaiting news of their relatives. Both were able to embrace their loved ones amid great anticipation. Márquez was detained on January 7, 2025, after taking part in the July 28, 2024 presidential election and questioning the victory attributed to Nicolás Maduro by the National Electoral Council.

La excarcelación de Biagio Pilieri y Enrique Márquez es un alivio para sus familias, pero no borra la injusticia de su detención. Durante su prisión se le violaron de forma sistemática sus derechos humanos, fueron víctimas de desaparición forzada, no tuvieron acceso a sus… pic.twitter.com/tJSEUanvmz

— Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones (@oveprisiones) January 9, 2026

After his arrest, Interior and Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello claimed that the former candidate had proposed holding an inauguration ceremony for Edmundo González Urrutia at a Venezuelan embassy abroad. His release had been demanded by countless activists and leaders, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who described him as a friend.

Pilieri had spent even longer in prison. He was pursued and arrested on August 28, 2024, after participating in a protest rejecting the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice that validated Maduro’s reelection. The politician was coordinator of the opposition party continue reading

Convergencia and a former lawmaker, as well as mayor of Bruzual in Yaracuy. Along with leader Freddy Superlano and Machado collaborator Perkins Rocha, he was accused of disseminating the electoral tally sheets produced by the main opposition to prove González Urrutia’s victory.

Hours later, the release of Larry Osorio Chía was announced. He is a second master sergeant in the Venezuelan Army and the brother of Rubén Darío, a retired soldier who worked as a human rights activist with Fundaredes. According to several NGOs, the young man’s only “crime” was his family tie to a soldier who defected to support Juan Guaidó in 2019.

The last Venezuelan released last night was Alejandro Rebolledo, a former Supreme Court justice in exile, who had been imprisoned since returning to Venezuela in 2024 to regularize his legal status after being forced into exile in 2017 and was instead charged with treason and conspiracy against the political order.

In addition, a prominent political prisoner, lawyer and former lawmaker Juan Pablo Guanipa, one of María Corina Machado’s closest collaborators, detained in May 2025, is expected to be released in the coming hours.

In addition, a prominent political prisoner, lawyer and former lawmaker Juan Pablo Guanipa, one of María Corina Machado’s closest collaborators, detained in May 2025, is expected to be released in the coming hours. Cabello accused him of an alleged plot against regional and legislative elections. Although his family hoped he would be home Thursday night, by midnight they acknowledged they would have to wait a bit longer.

Along with the release of these Venezuelans os the release of five Spaniards who are currently flying to Madrid: José María Basoa, Andrés Martínez Adasme, Miguel Moreno Dapena, Ernesto Gorbe Cardona, and the Spanish-Venezuelan Rocío San Miguel, who landed in Madrid shortly after 1:00 p.m. local time.

News of their release was announced Thursday by Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, and celebrated by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as “an act of justice.” In an early-morning interview, the foreign minister welcomed the “new stage opening in Venezuela” and expressed hope that the “new government continues along that path.”

Albares thanked the “positive step taken by the new acting president” and said he spoke Thursday with those released. “All of them, without exception, were somewhat in shock, because they were informed in real time that they were going to be released,” he said. “They woke up one day thinking they would remain there for an indefinite period, and a few hours later they were at the residence of the Spanish ambassador,” he added. The Spanish government is watching to see whether at least one more Spaniard “may be released in the coming hours or days,” he said, without naming names.

[Link here]

Expectations at Madrid-Barajas Airport were very high around midday, with dozens of Venezuelans and Spaniards waiting for relatives and friends. However, cameras were unable to capture the arrival of the five, who for now have “restrictions” on speaking. According to El País, Rocío San Miguel’s spokesperson said patience was needed regarding the evacuees’ emotional state and that their lawyers must also assess those restrictions.

Minutes later, it was announced that all were already on their way to their places of origin. The group includes two Basques, one Canary Islander, and one Valencian, in addition to San Miguel.

Beyond these specific cases, the remaining prisoners are still waiting. The Committee of Mothers in Defense of Truth said Thursday that “the release of our loved ones has not been carried out, nor do we see signs that progress is being made.” In an Instagram post, the committee urged authorities to “ensure that our loved ones are included within the announced release process.”

“Based on the information we have, we estimate that just over 200 people remain unjustly detained in the context of post-election mobilizations,” the committee said, calling for progress toward “a general amnesty.”

Justice, Encounter and Forgiveness issued a statement warning that, despite the wait, releases “have not yet been fully carried out” and that calm must be maintained in order to confirm cases. “We reiterate that no information, list, or name will be made public until each case has been fully confirmed; that is, until individuals have effectively left detention centers and are in contact with their families,” the group said on X.

The NGO Foro Penal estimates that there were 863 political prisoners, among them 86 foreigners of various nationalities in Venezuelan prisons as of December 29, most detained after the July 28, 2024 presidential election.

In remarks to the media, Rodríguez said Thursday that the releases are part of a “unilateral gesture” by the Venezuelan government, now led by acting president Delcy Rodríguez, his sister. At Christmas and New Year, the Venezuelan government had already announced the release of 99 and 88 detainees following the presidential election, respectively, although prisoner associations were able to verify only 61 of them.

For her part, María Corina Machado shared an audio message on her social media in which she described the releases as “an act of moral restitution.” The opposition leader recalled that although “nothing gives back the stolen years, this day matters” because it acknowledges what she always knew: “that injustice will not be eternal and that truth, even when deeply wounded, eventually finds its way.”

The former lawmaker said this “brings a measure of peace” to families, but sent a message looking ahead: “We will not rest until all prisoners are free and all of Venezuela can embrace in full democracy and freedom.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The US Adds Venezuela and Cuba to the List of 25 New Countries Requiring Bonds for Visa Applications

A deposit of up to $15,000 may be required to apply for entry into the United States, and the required visa document is not guaranteed.

The change will take place starting January 21st / 14ymedio

EFE (via 14ymedio), 7 January 2025 — The U.S. government has added Venezuela and Cuba to a list of 25 new countries whose citizens must post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply for entry into the United States, the State Department said this week.

The change will take place from January 21st and the expanded list includes nations such as Algeria, Angola, Gabon, Nepal, Senegal, Zimbabwe and Uganda.

Any citizen or person traveling with a passport issued by one of those countries and who is eligible for a B1 or B2 visa will be required to deposit a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, an amount that will be determined at the time of the applicant’s interview.

The B1 visa allows travel for business purposes, and the B2 visa authorizes entry for tourism, personal, or medical reasons. In total, the list now includes 38 countries, most of them in Africa. continue reading

If someone pays the fee without the guidance of a consular worker, that money will not be refunded.

The State Department specified on Tuesday that the bond does not guarantee the issuance of the visa and noted that if someone pays the fee without the guidance of a consular worker, that money will not be refunded.

As a condition of the bond, those who have deposited it must enter and leave the country through Washington Dulles International Airport, New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, or Boston’s Logan Airport.

Failure to comply with this requirement, it is noted, could result in the denial of entry or cause the departure to not be properly recorded.

The digital site Axios notes that the State Department has not specified whether the inclusion of Venezuela is related to the military operation that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

The arrest of the deposed Venezuelan leader, who is now in a New York prison, took place on January 3 in Caracas along with his wife, Cilia Flores.

The formal indictment accuses Maduro, among other charges, of conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism.

The formal indictment accuses Maduro, among other charges, of conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Following the operation that led to his capture, US President Donald Trump stated that Cuba “has always survived thanks to Venezuela” and emphasized that now the island “is about to fall.”

The Executive has not justified the inclusion of any of the added countries.

Last week Washington had added seven to the list of nations whose passport holders must post bail – Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Turkmenistan – thus until this latest communication there were only 13 nations affected.

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Venezuelan Exiles Ask the U.S. to Intercede for Political Prisoners and Rein in Cabello’s Power

González Urrutia considers it an “act of revenge” that his son-in-law has been detained for a year

Trump described Maduro as a violent man who, he said, “tortured” people. / EFE

14ymedio/EFE, Washington, January 7, 2026 –The Organization of Venezuelans Persecuted Politically in Exile (Veppex) asked the U.S. government on Wednesday to intercede for the “unconditional” release of all political prisoners in Venezuela and to put an end to the influence of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, following the capture of the ousted president, Nicolás Maduro.

“We respectfully request that the U.S. Government, within the framework of its policies toward Venezuela, prioritize and act decisively on these two points: the unconditional release of all political prisoners (and) effective measures to prevent Diosdado Cabello from continuing to wield de facto power to block democratic change,” the group said in a statement.

Veppex added that the situation “is complex,” but argued that these two requirements are “basic and urgent” to build confidence and move toward the country’s democratic normalization.

If Cabello, the second power in Chavismo, is not neutralized, the organization warned that “any transition will be extremely fragile and reversible.” It also accused Cabello of participating in “drug trafficking activities, corruption, and serious human rights violations.”

Over the weekend, the group of Venezuelans in exile had called for the arrest of several high-ranking officials of the Venezuelan regime in addition to Cabello, including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, interim president Delcy Rodríguez, and the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez. continue reading

“Right now what we want is to fix the oil, fix the country, bring it back, and have elections”

The issue of political prisoners in Venezuela has been sidelined, at least in public statements, in the new chapter that Caracas and Washington appear to have opened in their relations, marked by the interest of U.S. President Donald Trump in the South American country’s oil.

After the attacks on Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, Trump said that political prisoners are a secondary issue: “We haven’t gotten to that. Right now what we want is to fix the oil, fix the country, bring it back, and have elections,” the Republican said on Monday.

The president said on Tuesday that the Venezuelan government, now led by acting president Delcy Rodríguez, is willing to deliver between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil for sale on the U.S. market, and that he would control the proceeds from the sale “to ensure,” he said, “that it is used for the benefit of the Venezuelan people and the United States.”

Earlier, during a speech to Republican lawmakers at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Trump described Maduro as a violent man who, he said, “tortured” people.

“They have a torture chamber in downtown Caracas that is now being shut down, but it tortured people,” Trump said without giving further details. Although Trump did not name it explicitly, some Venezuelan NGOs assumed he was referring to El Helicoide, the Caracas headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service, which has been identified as a torture center.

After Maduro’s capture, Trump said that political prisoners are a secondary issue.

However, this Tuesday there were no reports in Venezuela of releases or pardons. While Trump did not explicitly name it, some Venezuelan NGOs assumed he was referring to El Helicoide, the Caracas headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service, which has been identified as a torture center.

The NGO Justice, Encounter and Forgiveness urged the Venezuelan government on Tuesday to release all detainees if the closure of that center is confirmed.

The organization Foro Penal, which leads the defense of political prisoners, counts 863 cases in the country, 86 of them involving people of another nationality.

On Christmas and New Year’s Day, Venezuelan authorities announced the release, under precautionary measures, of 99 and 88 political prisoners, respectively. However, local NGOs have not been able to verify all the cases.

So far, Maduro’s executive branch has claimed that the country is “free of political prisoners” and that those labeled as such are imprisoned for the “commission of terrible criminal acts.”

The International Criminal Court opened an investigation into Venezuela in 2018 for alleged crimes against humanity committed since 2017.

The government of Nicolás Maduro repeatedly attempted to halt the case, arguing that its judicial system was carrying out internal investigations, but the Court rejected that position in 2023 and authorized the resumption of the inquiry.

“I took it from the beginning for what it really is: pressure being put on me, and he is paying for being Edmundo González’s son-in-law”

Separately, opposition figure Edmundo González Urrutia said on Wednesday that it is an act of “revenge” against him that his son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, has been detained for exactly one year, a detention that occurred three days before Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration, after the latter was proclaimed reelected president in what the opposition and international observers say was a fraudulent process.

“This is more revenge than justice,” González Urrutia said on his X account. In this regard, he stated that the charges against him, stemming from an investigation and an arrest warrant in Venezuela, were “transferred” to Tudares, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the crimes of “forgery, conspiracy, terrorism, association, money laundering, and financing.”

“I took it from the beginning for what it really is: pressure being put on me, and he is paying for being the son-in-law of Edmundo González, the presidential candidate who won the election and whose victory this regime stole,” the opposition leader said, referring to the July 2024 presidential election.

He also reiterated that his son-in-law is in a situation of “enforced disappearance,” noting that his daughter, Mariana González, does not know his whereabouts or the place where Tudares has been held for the past year, a period González Urrutia described as “marked by the absence of information, legal guarantees, and justice.”

“Rafael has not been afforded respect for due process guarantees, access to private defense counsel, adequate medical care, dignified detention conditions, and effective judicial oversight, quite the opposite,” the opposition figure denounced.

He further argued that Tudares’s case “is not isolated,” but rather “part of a pattern that affects hundreds of people in Venezuela, including women and children, subjected to arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and systematic deprivation of rights.”

“As long as these practices persist, it will not be possible to speak of peace or democracy, or guarantees for anyone. Venezuela needs truth, justice, and freedom for all,” concluded the opposition leader, who claims the presidency from exile, asserting that he defeated Maduro in the 2024 presidential election.

Mariana González also said on Wednesday, in a message on X, that a year has passed without her husband: “One year without answers. I have no more words. Just truth, justice, and humanity. That is all we ask,” she said.

Tudares was detained on January 7 of last year, when human rights defender Carlos Correa, since released, and former opposition presidential candidate Enrique Márquez, who remains in prison, were also arrested.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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María Corina Machado: ‘Nothing and No One Is Going To Prevent Venezuela From Being Free’

In statements to La Patilla, the opposition leader said that “there can be no transition until the political prisoners are released.”
She defends the U.S. military operation: “International law exists to protect people, not those who hold weapons and steal resources.”

María Corina Machado, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, gave her first interview in Spanish to La Patilla. / Screenshot

14ymedio, Madrid January 8, 2026 — María Corina Machado is convinced that Chavismo is at the beginning of a transition that must be “as short and as fast as possible.” She told the independent Venezuelan outlet La Patilla that “The regime is being instructed to dismantle itself,” she said.

Among the opposition leader’s priorities, she said, are the release of political prisoners, an essential condition for the start of that transition, along with the restoration of the rights to assembly, expression, and association. “There can be no transition until the political prisoners are released. That is the first thing that has to happen in the next few hours,” she maintained. Her remarks, however, clash with what U.S. President Donald Trump has said so far. On Monday, when asked by the press about the political prisoners, he said: “We haven’t gotten to that. Right now what we want is to fix the oil, fix the country, bring it back, and have elections.”

This is another point of disagreement. María Corina Machado told La Patilla that there is already an elected president, Edmundo González Urrutia, whose mandate must be respected. The former diplomat, now exiled in Spain, obtained around 70% of the vote in the July 28, 2024 election, according to the tally sheets the opposition managed to obtain and present, an obligation Maduro had undertaken with international observers but never fulfilled. Machado, who was to be the presidential candidate of the Democratic Unitary Platform but was barred, told the outlet that this electoral result “must be respected.”

María Corina Machado told La Patilla that there is already an elected president, Edmundo González Urrutia, whose mandate must be respected.

The U.S. recognized González as president of Venezuela in November 2024, under the presidency of Joe Biden. However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has disqualified last year’s elections, arguing that they were illegitimate because Machado’s candidacy was barred. “María Corina was not on the ballot in the last election; Edmundo was, so it was an illegitimate election, and therefore he is not a legitimate president,” he told the press, and he ruled out holding new elections in the short term. “It is premature at this moment. There is a lot of work ahead,” he said.

In an interview last Tuesday with NBC, Trump also ruled out holding a vote in Venezuela within the 30-day timeframe provided for in the Constitution. “First we have to fix the country. Elections cannot be held. There is no way people can vote,” he said.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Release of “a Significant Number of Venezuelans and Foreigners” Has Begun

Rocío San Miguel and four other Spaniards are among those released, confirmed the Foreign Ministry of Spain

Screenshot from the official Instagram account of Venezuela’s executive vice president, Delcy Rodríguez (center), speaking at a meeting on Sunday in Caracas (Venezuela). / EFE/@delcyrodriguezv

14ymedio, Madrid, January 8, 2026 — The president of the National Assembly and chief negotiator for Chavismo, Jorge Rodríguez, announced on Thursday that the regime “has begun the release of a significant number of Venezuelans and foreigners,” without specifying how many or whom the measure includes. It has been presented as a gesture to “consolidate peace and peaceful coexistence.”

The announcement avoids detailing criteria, timelines, or lists. Nor does it clarify whether the releases are definitive or whether they involve precautionary measures, a recurring practice in Venezuela that allows the state to maintain judicial and political control over those released. Human rights organizations warn that this type of announcement is often accompanied by new arrests, in a “revolving door” dynamic that does not reduce the total number of people imprisoned for political reasons. The decision reinforces U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that Delcy Rodríguez is cooperating with Washington, even as Chavismo continues to appeal publicly to rhetoric of sovereignty and external confrontation.

According to the most recent records from Foro Penal, 863 people considered political prisoners remain incarcerated in Venezuela, including 86 foreigners of various nationalities. Added to that figure are hundreds of citizens subject to restrictive measures such as periodic court appearances, bans on leaving the country, and house arrest. They are not counted as prisoners but live under judicial supervision. The tally includes military personnel and civilians, political leaders, activists, students, and citizens detained after protests or accused of conspiracy. continue reading

According to the most recent records from Foro Penal, 863 people considered political prisoners remain incarcerated in Venezuela.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed the identities of the five Spaniards released by Venezuela on Thursday: José María Basoa, Andrés Martínez Adasme, Miguel Moreno Dapena, Ernesto Gorbe Cardona, and the Spanish-Venezuelan Rocío San Miguel.

The main prisons and detention centers holding the largest number of prisoners of conscience are well known for reports of torture, incommunicado detention, and cruel treatment. Among them are El Helicoide and La Tumba, headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) in Caracas; the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence; and prisons such as Tocorón and Rodeo I, as well as police commands and military holding cells throughout the country. Relatives and lawyers report systematic obstacles to visits, procedural delays, and fabricated case files.

From the United States, Senator Marco Rubio recently reiterated that the release of all political prisoners must be a central condition of any transition process or understanding with Caracas. Rubio has warned that selective or temporary releases do not amount to real change and has called for verifiable guarantees, access for international organizations, and an end to arbitrary detentions as minimum signs of respect for human rights.

In the same vein, opposition leader María Corina Machado has reiterated: “There can be no transition until the political prisoners are released. That is the first thing that has to happen in the next few hours.” The former lawmaker also believes that “the only thing that sustained Maduro and this weak criminal structure was fear. If terror is removed, nothing remains.”

The international community, for its part, has called for clarity. The European Union, the United Nations, and organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have demanded verifiable information on the scope of the releases and access to detention centers. The opacity of Rodríguez’s announcement, without figures, names, or a timetable, makes any independent assessment difficult.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Two Dead, Including a Seven-Year-Old Boy, in a Bus Crash In Camagüey, Cuba

The director of the hospital treating most of the thirty injured patients said that one is in critical condition and three others are in serious condition.

Most patients will remain under observation at least until tonight. / Manuel Ascunce Teaching Surgical Hospital

14ymedio, Madrid, 8 January 2026 — At least two people have died in a traffic crash that occurred on Wednesday at around 7 p.m., when a bus coming from Holguín and carrying workers from the Mariel Special Development Zone veered off the road in Jimaguayú, Camagüey. The area, at kilometer 595, is known as the Ignacio curve.

At least 38 people were traveling in the vehicle, two of whom died immediately: an elderly man and a seven-year-old child. In addition, the Manuel Ascunce Domenech Provincial Clinical Surgical Teaching Hospital, which is treating most of the injured, has been providing regular updates on the situation. In one of its latest reports, at around 2:30 a.m., it indicated that two patients were undergoing surgery and another 25 were receiving medical attention.

Dr. Rodolfo Emilio Domínguez Rosabal, director of the center, explained that of all the injured people they received, one was in critical condition and three others were in serious condition. The rest of those affected will remain in minimal care for at least the first 24 hours, during which they will be under observation, and a decision will then be made on how to proceed in each case.

The rest of the injured were distributed among other centers: two are at the Eduardo Agramonte Piña Pediatric Hospital, three at the Octavio de la Concepción y de la Pedraja Military Hospital, and two at the Amalia Simoni Surgical Clinical Hospital, all of whom are out of danger. continue reading

Authorities arrived at the scene of the accident or at the hospital, including Walter Simón Noris, first secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, and Jorge Enrique Sutil Sarabia, governor of Camagüey.

This is the first major crash since the beginning of 2026, and the total number of victims from the previous year is still unknown. The latest global data was released in October, at which time there was an increase in traffic crash deaths, with 502 fatalities between January and August of this year.

The National Road Safety Commission said at the time that the figure was equivalent to 80% of the total number of deaths throughout 2024, confirming an upward trend.

Translated by GH

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Trump Demands that Venezuela End Relations with Cuba, China, Russia, and Iran

Beijing denounces U.S. “intimidation” in asking Caracas to break with China

EFE (via 14ymedio), Beijing, January 7, 2026 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has informed Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, that the country must comply with ending relations with Cuba, China, Russia, and Iran as part of a series of demands before extracting and marketing its oil, according to officials cited by The ABC network.

According to one of the officials quoted by the network, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a private briefing with lawmakers that the U.S. believes it can pressure Caracas because its oil tankers are full, and warned that Venezuela would have only a couple of weeks before falling into financial insolvency if it fails to sell its reserves.

In an interview with ABC News, Senator Roger Wicker confirmed that the plan is based on control of Venezuelan oil and said it does not contemplate the deployment of U.S. troops.

So far, Venezuela, provisionally led by Rodríguez, has not issued any official statement regarding the demand put forward by Trump. continue reading

Delcy Rodríguez has not issued any official statement regarding the demand put forward by Trump.

In response on Wednesday, from Beijing, China denounced what it described as “intimidation” by the U.S. in demanding that Venezuela break its economic relations with Beijing, and affirmed that the South American country is a sovereign state with full control over its natural resources.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference that Venezuela “is a sovereign country and enjoys full and permanent sovereignty over its natural resources and all economic activities within its territory,” when asked about reports published by the U.S. network ABC News regarding alleged demands from Washington to Caracas.

She described the alleged pressure as a “blatant use of force” and maintained that the attempt to have Venezuela dispose of its energy
resources according to a “United States first” approach constitutes “a typical case of intimidation” that “seriously violates international law, gravely infringes Venezuela’s sovereignty,” and “harms the rights of the Venezuelan people.”

“It seriously infringes Venezuela’s sovereignty” and “harms the rights of the Venezuelan people.”

“China firmly condemns this behavior,” the spokeswoman emphasized, adding that “it must be stressed that the legitimate rights and interests of China and of other countries in Venezuela must be protected.”

The spokeswoman also reiterated Beijing’s position in defense of economic cooperation among sovereign states and stressed that China “has always carried out exchanges and cooperation with other countries on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit.”

Her remarks come amid growing international tension following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the U.S. and in the midst of an intense diplomatic debate over the legality of the use of force and the management of Venezuelan energy resources.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Delcy Rodríguez, Facing the Challenge of Keeping Venezuela’s ‘Chavismo’ United Under the Shadow of the U.S.

The president appoints as the new head of the Honor Guard and of military counterintelligence, a former director of Sebin

González López was minister of the Interior and Justice between 2015 and 2016, and director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) between April 2019 and October 2024. / EFE

EFE (via 14ymedio), Caracas, 7 January 2026 — Three days after the U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, Chavismo has closed ranks around Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, who said that “no external agent” governs the country.

Rodríguez, who was sworn in pursuant to an order from the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, faces the dilemma of keeping Chavismo united in its defiant stance toward Washington, while Donald Trump has demanded that she comply with his demands, under the threat that she will pay a price “higher than Maduro’s.”

“We are here governing alongside the people; the Government of Venezuela governs our country, no one else. There is no external agent governing Venezuela,” the official said Tuesday at an official event, where she said she has “grown spiritually to face the challenges, the aggressions, the threats.”

“On a personal level,” she added without elaborating, “to those who threaten me, I say this: my destiny is decided by no one but God. That is my answer.”

One of her first decisions was to appoint General Gustavo González López as commander of the Presidential Honor Guard and head of the General continue reading

Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM).

The appointment was announced in a Telegram message by Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez, who said that González López replaces Major General Javier Marcano Tábata as head of the Honor Guard.

In this regard, he stated that Rodríguez “expressed her recognition” to the officer for “the dedication and loyalty demonstrated during the exercise of his duties.”

Likewise, the minister said, the acting president reaffirmed her confidence in the “career and vocation for service” of González López, who served as minister of the Interior and Justice between 2015 and 2016, and as director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) between April 2019 and October 2024.

“These appointments are part of a dynamic of strengthening and institutional continuity, aimed at guaranteeing peace, the security of the people, and the full force of the Constitution of the Republic,” Ñáñez added.

“These appointments are part of a dynamic of strengthening and institutional continuity, aimed at guaranteeing peace, the security of the people, and the full force of the Constitution of the Republic”

Since the Supreme Court’s decision to entrust the Executive Branch to the then executive vice president, the Chavista leadership has shown unity and rallied around the now acting president, who was sworn in before her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, the speaker of the Parliament.

The ceremony took place one day after the military high command, led by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, backed the high court’s decision and guaranteed the country’s governability.

On Tuesday, it was the turn of thousands of Chavista women who marched in Caracas in support of the acting president, while also joining the campaign to demand the release of Maduro and Flores.

“We tell our acting president that she is not alone; here she has an army of women who will accompany her in continuing to work so that our people feel cared for,” said Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez, who led the demonstration alongside the minister of the Interior and number two figure of Chavismo, Diosdado Cabello.

And it is that, after twelve years of Maduro’s government, the sudden capture of the president opens a new chapter of uncertainty about the future of the Bolivarian revolution, which has now been in power for 26 years.

Rodríguez, one of the best-known faces of Chavismo, has led key institutions, such as the ministries of Communication and Information, Foreign Affairs, Finance, and until recently, Hydrocarbons.

However, she has not been a popular leader nor held elected office, with the exception of serving as a deputy as part of the National Constituent Assembly, a body installed in 2017 after elections in which only Chavismo participated and whose disaggregated results were never made public.

Along with her brother, she has been sanctioned since 2018 by the U.S. Treasury Department, which accuses her of helping Maduro “maintain power and consolidate his authoritarian government,” as well as by the European Union.

Now, with no clear horizon as to how long her acting status will last, Rodríguez’s greatest challenge is to keep at bay a Trump administration determined to control Venezuela.

Now, with no clear horizon as to how long her acting status will last, Rodríguez’s greatest challenge is to keep at bay a Trump administration determined to control Venezuela

“What we need (from Delcy Rodríguez) is total access—total access to oil and other things in the country that allow us to rebuild it,” the Republican leader said, adding that new attacks are not ruled out. “If they don’t behave, we’ll launch a second attack,” the president warned on Sunday, one day after the surprise bombardment he ordered over areas of Caracas and three neighboring states.

In her first statement as acting president, Rodríguez extended an invitation to the United States to work on a joint “agenda of cooperation.” But this gesture has alternated with defiant speeches and messages from the acting president herself, as well as from other Chavista leaders, who insist they will seek the release of Maduro and Flores so that they can return to Venezuela.

During her swearing-in, Rodríguez described Maduro and Flores as “hostages” of the United States.

As one of her first acts after taking office, she visited the tomb of the late Hugo Chávez at the Cuartel de la Montaña, that of former Chavista minister Aristóbulo Istúriz, and that of her father, leftist leader Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, who was killed in 1973 during an interrogation over the kidnapping of a U.S. citizen in which he was implicated.

Rodríguez thus begins a new phase of the “revolution,” marked by the tension between the symbolic weight of Chávez’s legacy and the threat posed by an administration that maintains the largest air and naval deployment in the Caribbean and that carried out an unprecedented attack on Venezuelan soil.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The US Adds Venezuela and Cuba to the List of 25 New Countries Requiring Bonds for Visa Applications

Up to $15,000 must be deposited to apply for entry into the U.S., and the visa is not guaranteed.

The change will take effect starting January 21st / 14ymedio

EFE (via 14ymedio), January 7, 2026 — The U.S. government has added Venezuela and Cuba to a list of 25 new countries whose citizens must post bond of up to $15,000 in order to apply for entry into the U.S. the State Department specified this week.

The change will take effect on January 21; the expanded list includes Algeria, Angola, Gabon, Nepal, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.

Any citizen or person traveling with a passport issued by one of those countries who is eligible for a B1 or B2 visa must post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The amount will be determined at the time of the applicant’s interview.

The B1 visa allows travel for business purposes, and the B2 authorizes entry for tourism, personal, or medical reasons. In total, the list now includes 38 countries, most of them in Africa.

Paying without consular instruction will not be refunded

The State Department specified on Tuesday that the bond does not guarantee the issuance of a visa and warned that if someone pays the fee without being instructed to do so by a consular officer, the money will not be refunded.

As a condition of the bond, those who have posted it must continue reading

enter and leave the country through Washington Dulles International Airport, New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, or Boston’s Logan Airport.

Failure to meet that requirement, it is warned, could result in denial of entry or cause the departure not to be properly recorded.

The digital outlet Axios notes that the State Department has not specified whether Venezuela’s inclusion is related to the military operation that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

The arrest of the ousted Venezuelan leader, who is now being held in a New York prison, took place on January 3 in Caracas, along with the arrest his wife, Cilia Flores.

The formal indictment charges Maduro, among other offenses, with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism

The formal indictment charges Maduro, among other offenses, with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine, charges to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Following the operation that led to his capture, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Cuba “has always survived thanks to Venezuela” and emphasized that the island is now “about to fall.”

The U.S. administration has not justified the inclusion of any of the newly added countries.

Last week, Washington added seven countries to the list of nations whose passport holders must post a bond: Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan. Before this announcement, 13 countries had been affected.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Havana Is Without Its GAZelle Minibuses Due to Fuel Shortage

“The few that are operational will not be able to carry out all of the planned trips,” authorities say.

Minibus GAZelle in Habana, in an archive photo / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, 7 January 2025 — Almost all GAZelle minibuses operating in Havana are currently out of service due to a lack of fuel. This was announced on Wednesday by local authorities in a Facebook post, in which they explained that “only a small number” of GAZelle minibuses are currently operating and “the few that are operational will not be able to complete all of their scheduled trips.”

They will operate, the brief report continues, “as long as fuel supplies allow.” The government in Havana has pledged to keep the population informed, offering “sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused” and rhetorically assuring that it is “working hard to keep them updated as quickly as possible.”

The post was immediately flooded with angry comments. “And where do they get the fuel and resources they are spending on the famous freedom caravan?” asks Jorge Suárez, referring to the demonstrations organized by the ruling party to mark the anniversary of the triumph of the Castro revolution. “Every year, that same caravan wastes the people’s resources, and no one pays attention to these things anymore. How long are they going to force us to live with unpleasant memories of the past?”

Another user, Luis Armando Piloto Pérez, says: “Let’s hope that when the oil comes in, things will return to normal, because since August we know that in the municipality of Cotorro there are 27 gas stations and only 9 or 10 of them are working.” And he continues: “Recently, the oil has been coming in and nothing has gotten better.” continue reading

Sorry, but those are gargoyles, because they only come out at night. If they come out during the day, they turn to stone.

Some make jokes when complaining about the gazelle service, such as Carlos Blet: “Sorry, but those are gargoyles, because they only come out at night; if they come out during the day, they turn to stone.” But most people are angry. “They’re shameless. I travel every day on
routes 22 and 11, which go to Havana, and during the day there are hardly ever any buses because of the fuel problem. At night, route 22 appears as if by magic and charges between 400 and 500 pesos,” complains Gledis Soler Serrano, showing that the problem is not new.

A year ago, in fact, the Minister of Transportation himself, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, revealed that there was only enough fuel for just over 60% of the total number of buses in service, 435 at that time. Breakdowns have also reduced the number of these vehicles, rendering these routes useless.

To help with these problems and replace the old Russian GAZelle vehicles, Cuba imported a hundred Chinese Foton minibuses in the middle of the year, which are not mentioned at all in Wednesday’s publication. In any case, these also had numerous faults as soon as they were put into service.

Today’s announcement coincides, however, with growing fears on the island that oil will become even scarcer, following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela and the United States’ attempts to control fuel supplies to the Cuban regime’s main ally.

Translated by GH

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The Closure of Havanatur in France Reflects the Crisis in Cuban Tourism

Epidemics, diplomatic warnings, and military operations in the Caribbean are driving away traditional travelers.

The strong military presence in the Caribbean and the unpredictability of the political scene are increasing the perception of risk. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, 7 January 2026 — The closure of the Havanatur office in France on January 1st serves as a clear picture of the collapse Cuba is undergoing. The main state-owned tourism company ceased operations after being unable to pay the mandatory insurance that allowed it to operate in the French market, a basic failure that led it to declare insolvency. From the outside, it is a shuttered business; from the inside, it is confirmation that the Cuban tourism model has run out of steam.

This comes at a particularly delicate moment. The high season is progressing with figures in the red, confirming that tourism is continuing to lose ground. Cuba closed 2025 with around 1.9 million visitors, well below the modest 2.6 million forecast by the government.

This setback was compounded in 2025 by a decisive factor: the widespread epidemic of chikungunya and dengue viruses throughout the country, in addition to COVID-19. The deterioration of sanitary conditions—marked by the accumulation of garbage, shortages of drinking water, and prolonged power outages—has exacerbated an already critical health situation and once again exposed a health system lacking medicines, supplies, and sufficient personnel.

The international response came quickly. On December 12, Spain updated its health alert and recommended not going to the island without prior vaccination against the dreaded chikungunya virus, in addition to warning about the precarious state of medical facilities. Other diplomatic advisories recommended extreme caution, carrying complete first-aid kits, and purchasing comprehensive medical insurance, warnings that for many travelers serve as the final straw in the decision-making process.

The situation has affected Canada, the main source of international travelers to Cuba, which sent 20% fewer tourists continue reading

to the island in 2025. The regional outlook has created a perception among Canadians that it is not a good time to visit this part of the Caribbean.

Canada, the main source of travelers, sent 20% fewer tourists to the island in 2025.

The recent military escalation in Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro by US forces introduced a new concerning factor in the region. Although official warnings focused on Venezuelan territory, airlines such as Air Canada are offering facilities to modify itineraries to several nearby destinations, and agencies reported travelers rethinking their plans in the face of uncertainty. Regional security experts agree that the strong military presence in the Caribbean and the unpredictability of the political scenario increase the perception of risk, even in areas traditionally considered safe.

Compared to Cuba, places such as the Riviera Maya in Mexico or Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic appear to be safer options. The appeal is no longer just the beach, but the certainty that vacations will not be disrupted by power outages, shortages, or health alerts.

This is how Catalina and Nicolás Méndez, a Mexican couple who spent New Year’s Eve at a hotel in Punta Cana, explained it. Talking to 14ymedio, they said that they considered traveling to Cuba but ruled out the idea. “We checked the prices because we thought it would be cheaper than the Dominican Republic, but it wasn’t. That’s why we decided to come here, because we are a little scared about Cuba, and even more so with all the chaos in Venezuela,” they said.

While neighboring destinations report high occupancy rates and expansion of air routes, in Cuba luxury hotels coexist with cities without a stable water supply, mountains of garbage, and hospitals without resources.

Translated by GH

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The Council for Democratic Transition Advocates for the Leadership of Edmundo González in Venezuela

The Cuban opposition platform considers it to be the “expression of citizen sovereignty”

The Venezuelan diaspora has taken to the streets to celebrate the arrest of Nicolás Maduro in various parts of the world / EFE [Text: “Nicolas Maduro fell. The time has come for Freedom.”]

14ymedio/EFE, Havana, 5 January 2026 — The Council for Democratic Transition in Cuba (CTDC), one of the main platforms for organizing the opposition on the island, called this Sunday for a peaceful transition to democracy in Venezuela, following the US operation in Caracas and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro.

“We recognize that the origin of this situation lies in the profound national and international illegitimacy of the government of Nicolás Maduro, allied with groups and countries recognized as terrorists and immersed in drug trafficking,” the opposition platform on the island said in a statement.

The CTDC stressed that sovereignty “cannot be invoked by regimes that have violated the basic principle of democratic legitimacy” and cited the island as an example. “Beyond their impact on Venezuela, a country with which we share a common history and which we consider a brother, these events have direct implications for Cuba ,” it added.

“These events have direct implications for Cuba”

It also stated that the fall of “an authoritarian figure and the likely collapse of a power structure based on repression, international crime and illegitimacy highlight an inescapable reality.”

Furthermore, the CTDC considered that Maduro “ignored the popular will expressed in the elections of July 28, 2024, where Edmundo González was elected, supported as president by the majority of the people and the Venezuelan democratic opposition,” and he affirmed that “as an expression of citizen sovereignty, he supports without reservation.”

However, for the United States, as stated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is leading this process, the elections continue reading

in which Edmundo González participated were “illegitimate,” affirming this Sunday on NBC that the process lacked “democratic validity.”

The Venezuelan opposition has regained strength and has begun to mobilize around the world

Following Maduro’s capture, the Venezuelan opposition has regained strength and begun mobilizing worldwide. One example of this is the conversation between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and María Corina Machado , in which he expressed his country’s support for a “peaceful, negotiated, and Venezuelan-led” transition process, in contrast to recent statements by the Trump administration.

The head of government’s office said in a statement that Carney conveyed to Machado his “unwavering support” and that the transition process must be anchored in the “sovereign right of the Venezuelan people to decide and build their own future in a peaceful and democratic society.”

Both the Canadian Prime Minister and Machado stated that it is “important to seize this opportunity for freedom, democracy, peace and prosperity in Venezuela.”

The European Commission expressed a similar sentiment on Monday, calling for a democratic transition in Venezuela that includes María Corina Machado and Edmundo González, through its spokesperson Anitta Hipper at the commission’s daily press conference.

The European Commission called for a democratic transition in Venezuela that includes María Corina Machado and Edmundo González.

While the steps Venezuela will take following Maduro’s capture are being outlined, the Venezuelan diaspora around the world continues to celebrate. In Miami, for example, the festivities continued this Sunday with the hope that Machado or Edmundo González—considered the winner of the 2024 elections—will eventually assume the presidency.

“They started with the stupidest one (referring to Maduro), but the transition has already begun and we are tremendously happy,” Adán Acosta, a young Venezuelan who participated in the demonstration called in Miami by Machado’s party, Vente Venezuela, told EFE.

Hundreds of Venezuelan compatriots gathered near the El Arepazo restaurant, one of the most emblematic places in the city of Doral, where a large part of the Venezuelans live – the largest community in the US – in the Miami metropolitan area.

“If you’re not Venezuelan, you can’t understand what it feels like. I’ve been waiting for this moment for 26 years.”

Many of them said they hadn’t slept since early Saturday morning, when they learned of the US attacks on Venezuela, but described it as a “happy insomnia.” Others were thrilled at the thought of reuniting with their families: “If you’re not Venezuelan, you can’t understand what it feels like. I’ve been waiting 26 years for this moment,” said Elías Benasayag.

As for Edmundo González Urrutia, the man under intense scrutiny, it was reported this Sunday that his X account was hacked. The Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), Venezuela’s largest opposition coalition, reported the incident hours after the opposition leader posted a video calling for the release of political prisoners to normalize the country.

“We are informing you that President Edmundo González Urrutia’s account, X, was hacked after a video was posted today (Sunday) at 5 pm,” the coalition stated in a brief message posted on that social network. They added that the recovery of his account will be announced “in due course.”

Edmundo González Urrutia’s X account was hacked after a video was posted.

Shortly afterward, a message was posted on González Urrutia’s account, which was later deleted. The post addressed the freedom and sovereignty of Venezuelans following the US military attack on Caracas and other parts of Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

At the end of the message, $LIBRA was promoted, a cryptocurrency token that operates on blockchain, which was promoted last year by the Argentine president, Javier Milei, and from which he later distanced himself after learning about a possible link of this token with virtual scams.

Earlier, the former presidential candidate stated in a video on X that what happened in Venezuela after the capture of Maduro by the United States “constitutes an important step, but not enough,” and that “the real normalization of the country will only be possible when all Venezuelans deprived of their freedom for political reasons are released.”

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Cuban Doctors Stationed in Venezuela Await Imminent Evacuation

Testimonies gathered by ’14ymedio’ indicate that partial repatriation will begin before January 16, but there is a shortage of planes.

The presence of Cuban healthcare personnel in Venezuela has been key to the political relationship between the two governments. / Caracas Chronicles

14ymedio, Havana, January 6, 2026 — From the early hours of Saturday, when the capture of Nicolás Maduro by US troops was confirmed, one question began to be repeated insistently in Cuba: what will happen to the thousands of doctors and healthcare professionals who remain on official missions in Venezuela? More than three days after the event, the answer remains unclear, while uncertainty grows among the aid workers and their families.

In Caracas, the activities of the Cuban medical brigades are practically paralyzed. “Everything is at a standstill here. We’re not working or treating patients. We’re waiting for a decision from Havana,” a doctor on assignment in the Venezuelan capital, who prefers to remain anonymous, explained to 14ymedio. According to his testimony, the word circulating among the aid workers is that the repatriation of those who have completed their mandatory mission period will begin before the 16th. “But I have a friend in a state near the Colombian border who was told they’re waiting for orders to return to work. There’s a lot of confusion,” he added.

Other testimonies point to a phased evacuation. A source close to Public Health officials deployed in Caracas confirms that the instruction is “to get all personnel out as soon as possible.” According to this version, the plan would begin with those who have been on the mission the longest and haven’t been able to return due to a lack of flights. “Then the rest of us will leave, because the idea is to evacuate as quickly as possible,” says the doctor, who emphasizes that the pace will depend on flight availability. “Right now, Cubana practically has no planes, and that’s delaying everything.”

The situation is especially tense for those who had already completed their mission and were remaining in Venezuela awaiting transport.

The situation is especially tense for those who had already completed their mission and were remaining in Venezuela awaiting transport. “We’re confined to our stations; we can’t move from where we are because we’ve been told we have to leave at any moment,” recounts a young doctor whose contract ended last August and who hasn’t been able to return to the island. “We’re not working, just waiting to be told the day and time to leave.” The doctor acknowledges that the fear is widespread. “Everything is very confusing; nobody knows continue reading

what’s going to happen.”

This nervousness contrasts sharply with the message conveyed by the Ministry of Public Health, which on Saturday asserted on social media that Cuban collaborators in Venezuela are “protected” following the US intervention. The Minister, José Ángel Portal, merely stated that the professionals are safe, without offering details about evacuation plans, relocation, or the continuation of their missions.

Beyond the official reassuring tone, the testimonies collected by this newspaper paint a different picture. A doctor stationed in Caracas recounted that, although her coordinators insist that “everything is fine” and that they must await instructions from Havana, the tension is evident. “The bosses are very nervous. Right now, we’re all waiting to hear what Trump says,” she explained in a phone conversation. “I’m about to finish my mission, and I’ve already bought my children’s clothes. Imagine if they move us and I can’t take anything with me.”

In other regions of the country, the situation seems less clear. From the state of Zulia, a Cuban collaborator commented that “yesterday they were telling us one thing, and today they’re telling us another,” although he acknowledges that there are sectors of the Venezuelan population who celebrated the fall of Chavismo on Saturday. “Whether it’s a yes or no, I already have everything ready to leave.”

The unease has also spread to Cuba. “My son called me saying they had taken Maduro away, and right then I started frantically calling my daughter who lives there,” explains a retired woman living in Alamar. “I was finally able to speak to her about three hours later because the phone lines were jammed, and she told me they were gathering them in one place.”

Following the news of the deaths of 32 Cubans during the operation to capture Maduro, the families of the doctors have expressed numerous expressions of concern.

Following the news of the deaths of 32 Cubans during the operation to capture Maduro, the doctors’ families have voiced numerous expressions of concern. “They aren’t soldiers; they deserve to be with their families,” one internet user wrote on the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page. Others questioned the lack of transparency: “Now they have the families going crazy here, and they aren’t giving us any information.”

A potential interruption of medical programs in Venezuela would have a direct impact on Cuba’s already fragile economy. For over two decades, these health missions have been the state’s main source of foreign currency, through bilateral agreements that generate billions of dollars annually. In a context of runaway inflation, food shortages, and prolonged blackouts, the loss of this revenue stream would exacerbate the internal crisis.

The presence of Cuban healthcare personnel in Venezuela, which began in the early 2000s, has been key both to the political relationship between the two governments and to the island’s financial support. However, independent organizations have been denouncing the working conditions of these missions for years: the withholding of salaries, political surveillance, restrictions on movement, and forced separation from families.

In a context marked by military intervention and regional uncertainty, these allegations take on an even more critical dimension. While Havana remains silent about concrete plans, thousands of Cuban doctors and nurses remain confined, awaiting a call that will tell them whether they can return home or if they will have to put their scrubs back on in a country whose immediate future remains unpredictable.

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