Translating Cuba – Page 72 – English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island

Eleventh Commandment: You Shall Not Undermine the Public Trust

It is not part of the famous Decalogue. But it should be.

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe. / EFE

14ymedio, Federico Hernández Aguilar, San Salvador, 3 August 2025 — In recent days, after a lengthy trial that began in 2012, former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez was sentenced to 12 years of house arrest, becoming the first Colombian president to receive a criminal conviction. According to the judge in charge of the case, Uribe is guilty of bribery and procedural fraud, following a lawsuit in which the former president was the initial plaintiff for alleged slander against him.

Beyond the details of the scandal, or whether Uribe has reason to consider himself a “victim of justice,” the truth is that the sentence has exacerbated the conflict between the former president’s supporters and detractors, further polarizing—if possible—the already heated political climate in Colombia.

In Spain, meanwhile, Pedro Sánchez’s government is facing ruin. Allegations of illegal overcharging, inflated public works contracts, money laundering, and even sex trafficking have shaken the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) to its foundations. The bets are now focused on how long Sánchez will endure this storm. The prestigious British magazine, The Economist, has dedicated a catastrophic note to the stubborn PSOE leader: “To restore confidence in Spanish democracy, the Prime Minister should assume his responsibility and step aside. There is no valid reason for him to remain in office.” It couldn’t be said more clearly.

Today, countless Republican voters are demanding transparency in the Epstein case and are loading the dice against Trump.

The dark story of tycoon Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019 while serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking of minors, has ended up splashing on the White House for reasons that shouldn’t surprise us, as they feed on the tangle of conspiracy theories that Trump’s own followers, sometimes continue reading

instigated by him, have concocted with vigorous passion in recent years.

Today, countless Republican voters are demanding transparency in the Epstein case and are loading the dice against the leader who taught them how to redirect neurons through the liver’s ducts. Of course, as in the cases of Uribe and Sánchez, this is not the place to offer a definitive opinion on Donald Trump’s culpability. The only certainty is that the moral bankruptcy of the current political leadership, in most of the world, is manifest and unquestionable.

I think every well-born citizen, wherever he or she lives, would like to see corrupt officials struck by lightning when they approach the state coffers with malicious intent, just as were those who dared to touch the Ark of Yahweh in biblical times. We would like officials who enrich themselves unduly to be punished by an infallible, supreme law, so that they would always remember that the place where public funds are kept is sacred.

Corruption, fraud, and influence peddling are certainly not crimes our societies should tolerate. They divert valuable resources intended for purposes far more noble than lining the pockets of scoundrels. Worse still, they seriously jeopardize the credibility of our institutions and their leaders. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of sleepless anarchists and socialists who take advantage of the unacceptable shortcomings of some public servants to proclaim the end of democracies and propose authoritarian tendencies (which then end up being equally or more repugnant than the replaced leadership).

I think every well-born citizen, wherever he or she lives, would like to see corrupt officials struck by lightning

The Austrian jurist and philosopher Hans Kelsen already warned us in this regard: “The tendency towards clarity is specifically democratic, and when it is lightly stated that certain political inconveniences, especially immoralities and corruption, are more frequent in democracy than in autocracy, a judgment that is too superficial or malevolent of this political form is issued, since these inconveniences occur equally in autocracy, with the only difference being that they go unnoticed because principles prevail there that are opposed to publicity,” that is, to denunciation, to freedom of expression, to the guarantees for and by the truth that liberal systems provide.

You and I, dear reader, have the right to demand that the money we give to the State be converted into public works. You and I have the right to demand that those who dishonored their office and vehemently deceived to cling to power not be protected.

Corruption and lies are highly corrosive: they degrade, undermine, and erode. In addition to contributing to the depravation of politics, they rob citizens of the trust that is essential for institutional systems to function properly. Quality of life suffers irremediably, because everything tends to collapse.

It is therefore our responsibility to demand that corrupt and mendacious individuals be brought down with effective prosecutions and strict laws. Regardless of what ideas they preach, officials who debase their work must be assured that their crimes will never go unpunished

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Three Minors Died and One Was Injured in a Lightning Strike in Villa Clara, Cuba

One of the victims, aged 14, was vacationing on the island from the United States.

The medical team at the José Luis Miranda Children’s Hospital and authorities with the hospitalized minor. / Herny Omar Pérez

14ymedio, Madrid, 4 August 2025 — Three minors died this Sunday in Manicaragua, Villa Clara, after being struck by lightning during a storm. They were accompanied by Diamelis Delgado Granados, 14, the only survivor of the group. She is now hospitalized and is recovering well, according to authorities.

The victims are Andy Alberto Turiño González, 13, Analía García Rodríguez, 14, and Jorge Alejandro de la Coba Monteagudo, also 14, who had traveled from the United States to spend the holidays in Cuba.

Authorities rushed to the José Luis Miranda Children’s Hospital in Santa Clara, where they monitored the injured girl. “The young woman remains conscious, oriented, and shows positive progress,” Magalys Molina Díaz, a specialist in the center’s Intermediate Therapy Unit, told the official press.

“The young woman remains conscious, oriented, and shows positive progress,” Dr. Magalys Molina Díaz told the official press.

“We are relieved to know that Diamelis is progressing positively thanks to the swift intervention of the medical team. We reiterate our commitment to supporting the family and ensuring she receives all the necessary care for her full recovery,” said Susely Morfa, First Secretary of the Communist continue reading

Party, who attended with the provincial governor, Milaxy Yanet Sánchez Armas.

Just two months ago, two other teenagers lost their lives in a similar manner in Bautá, Artemisa. That incident occurred on June 7 in the Pita neighborhood, in Urban Council 2, when Luis Antonio and Maicol, who were playing soccer outdoors, were struck by lightning.

In 2023, another electric shock killed Dunielkis Fonseca Borges, a worker at the Nickel Union Services Company in Moa, Holguín. In that case, six other coworkers who were waiting for transportation home were injured.

Cuba records an annual average of 54 deaths from lightning strikes, the leading cause of death from meteorological phenomena on the island, with 1,742 deaths between 1987 and 2017, according to the latest data available thanks to a study conducted by specialists from the Island’s Institute of Meteorology (Insmet).

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Cuba: An Eloquent ‘Freedom’ Painted on a Wall in Holguín Rekindles Popular Discontent

The graffiti appeared in a busy area where thousands of people pass by every day.

The sign is located between the La Barra Dalama guarapera [sugar cane drink stand] and the old service station known as La Curva. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Miguel García, Holguín, 4 August 2025 — Residents in the Alex Urquiola neighborhood of Holguín woke up this weekend to find a word painted on a deep blue wall: “Freedom.” The graffiti, written in uneven and hasty letters, appeared on the stretch between the La Barra Dalama guarapera [sugar cane drink stand] and the old gas station known as La Curva, a busy area where thousands of people pass through every day.

The sign draws attention not only for its direct message, but also for the way it was written, with a final “t” that betrays a spelling error but, for many residents, reflects the urgency and spontaneity with which it was created. “Whoever wrote it must have written it exactly as it sounded in their mind,” commented a neighbor who stopped in front of the improvised mural. “You can’t spell a word that’s never used correctly,” added another local woman with a wry smile that summed up the widespread frustration with the situation on the island.

“You can’t spell a word well if you never use it.”

The graffiti is the latest in a string of public expressions of discontent that have become more frequent in Holguín—and throughout Cuba—in recent years. And that have increased in recent months.

In mid-June, authorities in Holguín were busy early in the morning erasing some 20 anti-government graffiti on the wall of the Mayabe cemetery, even scraping with machetes, while Interior Ministry agents, supported by continue reading

several cars and motorcycles, controlled the area and watched for anyone who approached. A tricycle driver recounted how he couldn’t even take out his phone for fear of being arrested, while a tanker truck loaded with lime waited to paint the extensive wall and cover the remnants of the messages as quickly as possible.

In mid-June, 20 anti-government graffiti appeared on the wall of the Mayabe cemetery.

In the Lenin neighborhood, also in Holguín, graffiti bearing the phrase “Down with communism” appeared on one of the buildings in May. Authorities reacted quickly, attempting to cover it with reddish paint, but the faded color left the message visible, creating a palpable irony. The act of censorship ended up reinforcing the phrase.

In May, the phrase “Down with communism” was painted on one of the buildings in the Lenin neighborhood.

The head of the U.S. mission to Cuba, Mike Hammer, who was visiting the city, even posed for a photo in front of the sign, emphasizing that Cubans should be able to express themselves without fear of reprisals.

In the case of this new graffiti on Alex Urquiola, however, the word “Freedom” remained visible all weekend, becoming a topic of conversation for pedestrians and drivers passing by. Some even speculate that the authorities’ failure to remove the message could be due to the fact that the experts have run out of resources to analyze the frequent protest graffiti. One much more suspicious Holguín resident sarcastically commented: “Maybe there’s not even any paint left.”

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Fifteeen Seconds, Fifteen Years Ago

Everything happened in a fleeting instant—a brief flash reflected in the rearview mirror, as if that figure had vanished in the blink of an eye.

The avenue stretched out before him, exactly as he remembered it: the steady rain, blurred reflections, shimmering puddles / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Milton Chanes, Berlin, 3 August 2025

Three more years had gone by.

Three years since that fateful afternoon of November 12—twelve years ago now—when it was his own scream that had sealed Ana’s fate. Now, after months of meticulous adjustments, frantic calculations, and tireless rehearsals, he had finally managed to extend the temporal jump to fifteen seconds.

Fifteen fleeting seconds—but enough, perhaps, to alter what had once seemed irrevocably written.

This time, he would not make the same mistake. He had prepared obsessively, analyzing every possible outcome, every minimal variation in the cruel script of time. He knew exactly where to appear: right in the center of the avenue’s flowerbed. There, hidden among the shrubs and the shadows cast by the rainy dusk, he would avoid being seen by his former self.

He initiated the jump.

The sensation was the same as always: that fleeting vertigo as he crossed the invisible curtain between present and past.

When he opened his eyes, he felt the damp grass beneath his feet, soaked by the insistent rain. He looked around quickly.

The avenue stretched out before him, exactly as he remembered it: the steady rain, blurred reflections, shimmering puddles, the fine mist kicked up by tires, and the ceaseless murmur of vehicles gliding over the wet asphalt.

Then he saw her—Ana—walking with determination, as beautiful as ever, in those impossible heels no one should wear on such a slippery street.

A few meters behind her, he saw himself—his self from three years earlier—approaching, still unaware of the horror about to unfold.

There was no time to lose. An elderly man, rushing to cross the avenue in a futile attempt to escape the downpour, slipped and crashed to the ground. The impact echoed sharply, followed by a faint groan.
He couldn’t stop to help—every second was crucial. He turned his attention to the approaching vehicles, immediately recognizing the old seafoam-green Bel Air, rusted, driven by Usnavy, struggling through the torrential rain and a fogged-up windshield. He ran toward it, waving his arm frantically, trying to catch the driver’s attention, silently begging him to change his fatal course.

Blinded by the storm and with nearly zero visibility, Usnavy barely perceived a silhouette emerging suddenly from the left. In a reflexive, panic-stricken move, he jerked the steering wheel to the right. The Bel Air skidded clumsily across the slick road, losing speed as the gearbox groaned with a metallic screech.

At that moment, a heart-wrenching scream pierced through the sound of the rain:

—Noooo!

Everything happened in a fleeting instant—a brief flash reflected in the rearview mirror, as if that figure had vanished in the blink of an eye. Almost at the same time, another voice cried out from the sidewalk:

—Ana!

It had happened again.

Then he opened his eyes. He was back in the present. He hadn’t been able to do anything. Worse still—had he, once again, triggered the tragedy himself? Every action he took seemed to lead inevitably to the same ending, over and over. What was the solution—if there even was one? He had tried everything, absolutely everything, and still, fate insisted on finding new paths to fulfill its cruel decree.

He understood then, with heartbreaking clarity, that it wasn’t about the place, the precise moment, the car or the driver.

He understood then, with heartbreaking clarity, that it wasn’t about the place, the precise moment, the car or the driver. The tragedy was woven deeper, embedded in the very fabric of time.

He slowly stood up. From the lab’s window, he watched as the rain began to fall once more, linking past and present in some kind of cosmic bond. But perhaps the key was not to avoid the inevitable, but to understand that each attempt to change the past created multiple timelines—unpredictable parallel worlds, vibrating in a chaotic, invisible dance. Like a quantum butterfly effect, every small gesture could resonate infinitely across universes he would never even know existed.

The question, then, was no longer how to save Ana, but whether by trying, he might be unleashing even darker realities—fates more terrifying still.

And there, beneath the unrelenting rain, staring out the window, he had yet to understand that uncertainty was the only certainty.

Translated by the author.

The series:

Twelve Seconds, Twelve Years Ago

Fifteen Seconds, Fifteen Years Ago

Witness of the Rain
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‘There Are No Vacations for the Poor Here’ A Cuban Street Vendor Explains

On the sidewalks of Matanzas, informal vendors defy the heat and surveillance to survive.

Informal vendors are an extension of the urban landscape. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Julio César Contreras, Matanzas, 3 August 2025 — In July and August, school holidays send children and teenagers home. Many state employees also take a break. But in Matanzas, the city isn’t completely at rest: on its sidewalks and in its doorways, informal vendors remain, unfazed by the harsh sun or the barely visible shade offered by the eaves.

“This is my workplace. Thanks to what I sell here, my wife and I survive,” says Lázaro, a retiree who arranges matches, soap, and pencils on the steps of a house on Calzada de Tirry every morning. His voice mingles with the sound of traffic and the impromptu shouts of other street vendors, never taking a break. “There are no vacations for the poor here.”

A former school bus driver, he never imagined making a living this way. “At first, it was difficult because I’d never even sold a pin,” he confesses. “There was also the logical fear of being fined for not having a license. But going hungry is terrible. Seeing the empty pots gave me the strength to make up my mind, and I’ve been selling this way for a year now.” His strategy for evading inspectors includes “a little gift to make them turn a blind eye and go back where they came from.”

They sit under colonial portals, in front of pharmacies, or around markets. / 14ymedio

In Matanzas, informal vendors seem like an extension of the urban landscape: under colonial doorways, in front of pharmacies, or around markets. They can’t even afford to rest on Sundays. “These products aren’t mine, so most of the money doesn’t belong to me either,” explains Orestes, as he sets up his makeshift folding table at the entrance to a pharmacy. “When they warn me of an inspection, I stay away from the En Familia café and walk through neighborhoods where I sell less, but run less risk of fines.”

On his small table, there’s everything: matchboxes, instant glue, gaskets for coffee makers and pressure cookers, rat poison, pens, and even covers for the ration book, which is being used less and less due to the shortage of supplies in the bodegas [ration stores].

“Who does it hurt when an old man like me sells nylon bags and razors?” Lázaro asks, recalling the afternoon he tore up his National Vanguard Construction diplomas, accumulated over nine consecutive years. “In addition to paying us miserable pensions, the government makes our lives difficult, even by fining us a few pesos that aren’t even enough to make ends meet.”

They sell everything: matchboxes, glue, gaskets for coffee makers and pressure cookers, rat poison, pens, and even covers for ration books. / 14ymedio

Others prefer more discreet methods. Demetrio, sitting on a bench on Calzada de San Luis, holds three packs of cigarettes in his hand. He doesn’t need more: the buyers come by themselves. “I arrange them with the warehouse manager or a friend who works at an MSME” [a small private business] he admits quietly. “I don’t want any trouble, but I have to do something so I don’t starve to death, because things are really tough.”

Poverty is growing, spreading from the Simpson and La Marina neighborhoods to the old residential areas of Peñas Altas and Versalles. For informal vendors, there are no weekends, holidays, or summer vacations. They stay until the day gives them just enough to eat. And then, at dusk, they clear their tables, stash the little money they’ve earned, and hope that tomorrow won’t surprise them with an inspection or despair.

For informal vendors, there are no weekends, holidays, or summer vacations. / 14ymedio

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The Matanzas Bus Terminal Closed and Commercial Life Shut Down

Cafes and kiosks near the building in danger of collapse are surviving with minimal sales and reduced hours.

Moving the bus services to the train station has been a hard blow to merchants. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Julio César Contreras, Matanzas, 2 August 2025 — Since the Matanzas bus terminal closed due to the risk of collapse, the bustle around it has dried up, taking down the incomes of those who depended on commuters. Maricela, 24, has only been able to work intermittently in one of the cafés near the dilapidated building and fears the situation could last for months or years.

“We have a good location, right in front of where the wait list used to be,” she says, pointing to the now-deserted corner. “Before, people would stay there until 8:00 p.m., but since the buses stopped coming, things die after 2:00 p.m.,” the Matanzas native laments.

Initially, Maricela worked as a sales assistant three days a week. Now, with fewer customers and dwindling profits, her schedule has been reduced to covering the other employee’s shifts only when they’re absent. “My salary was 1,000 pesos a day. I used to work two days and rest two, but now they barely pay 700. The joy in the poor person’s house is short-lived,” she laments.

Some employees have seen their work shifts reduced due to low customer numbers. / 14ymedio

The terminal’s closure also threatens the livelihood of Vladimir, who recently got a job as a clerk at a kiosk near the taxi rank. “We had to stop selling pizzas because we can’t turn on the oven with the power outages. The soda heats up quickly, and no one buys it,” he explains. By six in the evening, they’ve barely sold 5,000 pesos worth.

“In less than a month, two private businesses closed right next door. The owner couldn’t even pay the rent,” he adds, concerned about the warning he received from his boss: if sales don’t improve in the next few days, they will temporarily close until the terminal reopens. Other outlets are facing a very similar situation.

But the prognosis for the work is uncertain. The building has such accumulated deterioration that its restoration could take a considerable amount of time and resources. With its half-broken, once colorful stained-glass windows and a metal framework—in the style of classic European stations—the terminal was built in 1883 by the British company United Railways. Decades without investment caused ferns to sprout from its walls and enlarged the gaps in the roof.

Last October, the official announcement came that bus terminal services would be moved to the train station. The relocation has not only inconvenienced passengers but has also been a severe blow to local merchants, drivers, and street vendors.

“Our main customers were those who traveled long distances, not those who traveled within the province,” the merchants say. / 14ymedio

Eliécer, another entrepreneur in the area, also faces a shortage of drinking water. “I rent a tricycle and bring water from my house in buckets,” he says. His kiosk, which he opened next to the bus platform, attracted by the old crowds, now sells only jams and pre-prepared light meals.

“Before, we opened at five in the morning and set up everything right there. I even considered having the kiosk open 24 hours a day. I invested in improving the roof and was ready to buy a small power plant. But in this country, nothing is the way you want it. Now I close at five in the afternoon and I don’t plan on spending any more,” he admits.

Private merchants bear the losses. “Our main customers were those traveling far away, not those traveling within the province or the taxi drivers,” says Eliécer. “Those who came here to travel wanted a sip of coffee before boarding the bus, a bite to eat for a snack, or a meal before leaving,” he details.

Eliécer believes that by the time the station reopens, many of the local businesses will have completely collapsed. “Every day it’s closed means a business has one foot in the grave,” he describes.

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Of Statues and Monuments

The mayor of Cuauhtémoc in Mexico City, Alessandra Rojo de la Vega, removed the statues of the tyrant Fidel Castro and the murderer Ernesto ’Che’ Guevara.

Image from the day the statues of the tyrant Fidel Castro and the murderer Ernesto ’Che’ Guevara were removed. / X General Directorate of Culture

14ymedio, Pedro Corzo, Miami, 3 August 2025 — La señora Alessandra Rojo de la Vega, mayor of Cuauhtémoc, a town considered the heart of Mexico City, decided to remove the statues of the tyrant Fidel Castro and the murderer Ernesto Che Guevara. The sculptures had been in place in a park in the district since 2017, following the decision of a Mexican official close to the Cuban regime and a member of the administration of current President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Castro and Guevara had already been removed in 2018, when it was discovered that the permits to install the figures in the park were lacking. They had also been the target of vandalism in protest and neighborhood demonstrations against them.

In consequence, the mayor, within the powers conferred by her office, determined that the monuments had generated controversy and that their placement in Tabacalera Park was unjustified due to irregularities. She made no mention of the $32,000 in public funds spent on the statues’ construction or the fact that they were paying tribute to two individuals who represented values contrary to what Mexican society and its government claim to ennoble. She added: “Neither Che nor Fidel requested authorization to be installed in Cuba, nor in Tabacalera Park.”

Castro and Guevara had already been removed in 2018, when it was discovered that the permits to install the figures in the park were not adequate.

The sculptures, placed on a park bench, depicted Castro and Guevara with a book and a tobacco pipe, respectively, instead of an assault rifle or an explosive device, objects more closely related to their history. continue reading

The removal of the statues has sparked numerous comments, but undoubtedly the most striking have been the remarks of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said that Mayor Rojo de la Vega had acted illegally by removing the monuments and accused the official of displaying “tremendous intolerance.”

La señora presidenta, following the Castro regime’s pattern of attempting to discredit its adversaries and enemies, stated that the mayor had gone to Cuba on vacation, which, in her opinion, showed that she was not against the regime, ignoring the fact that not everyone who visits the island does so out of love for the dictatorship.

To honor the truth, I am not in favor of destroying statues and monuments. Every day I become more convinced that there are indelible values represented by images and monoliths dedicated to distinguished personalities or events in history, even though each person’s perception of the same events and people may be radically different from that of others.

Mayor Rojo de la Vega made it clear: “Fidel Castro and Che Guevara were murderers. A murderer is no less a murderer if he’s on the left.”

For example, I reject the removal of statues dedicated to Christopher Columbus and other discoverers and conquerors of the Americas from public spaces. I don’t believe the demonizing arguments of those who promote their removal. It’s true that the figures represented by many of these statues committed countless abuses and crimes, but they were also the ones who made possible the collision of two worlds and the enrichment of both.

The same cannot be said of Castro and Guevara, nor of those who supported them in their control of Cuba and their failed attempt to destabilize an entire continent in order to impose totalitarian power.

Monuments and statues represent momentous episodes in history, and their construction or removal should be the subject of detailed research, the outcome of which should not be influenced by sympathies but by the contribution they have made to humanity.

Knowing the ways these criminals operate, I think it is a good idea to remove similar monuments anywhere in the world that represent individuals like these, particularly the one dedicated to Che Guevara in the city of Santa Clara. Mayor Rojo de la Vega stated clearly: ” Fidel Castro and Che Guevara were murderers. A murderer is no less a murderer if he is on the left.”

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Abused for Years, Kenia Died After Being Thrown Off the Roof of Her Home by her Partner

With this murder, there have been 20 femicides in Cuba since January.

Neighbors claim that Kenia had been abused by her partner for years. Text of sign: Violence Leaves Mars, Ignoring it Leaves Femicides / YoSíTeCreo in Cuba

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 28 July 2025 — Kenia Rodríguez Mora, a resident of the Havana neighborhood of Luyanó and mother of a 7-year-old girl, is the latest victim of domestic violence recorded in Cuba. According to 14ymedio sources, on Sunday her partner, the child’s father, threw her from the roof of the home they shared on Rodríguez Street.

Although the news has not been confirmed by independent Cuban feminist associations, residents of Luyanó told this newspaper about the incident, which did not come as a surprise to those around them. “The man is an alcoholic and beat her constantly. They say the woman had been enduring the beatings for years until today, and that’s when he killed her,” says a woman living a few blocks away.

“The fight started last night, and in the morning he continued hitting her and threatening her,” continues the neighbor, who claims that Kenia ran up to hide on the roof, where the alleged murderer chased her and threw her off. Later, according to the story, he tried to take her to the hospital, but nothing could be done for her. continue reading

“The fight started last night, and in the morning he continued hitting her and threatening her,” continues the neighbor, who claims that Kenia ran up to hide on the roof, where the alleged murderer chased her and threw her off.

“I passed by there a while ago and there were two police officers,” says another resident. “The woman was very poor, she didn’t even have any clothes. She lived selling and begging,” he says. Another neighbor remembers Kenia frequently stopping by her house trying to earn some money or begging. “Terrible. She didn’t even weigh 100 pounds and was just over 5 feet tall,” she adds.

Reluctant to share much more, neighbors claim the alleged attacker was a very violent man feared in the neighborhood, as rumors suggest he had a history of murder. Witnesses say the police arrested the attacker, but they fear he will be released and return to the neighborhood.

With the murder of Rodríguez Mora—whose surname was provided by independent platforms when reporting the news—this year’s record of femicides compiled by this newspaper has risen to 20. Just this Sunday, the same day as the events, the death of 29-year-old Yailín Carrasco, at the hands of her partner, was confirmed in Cienfuegos on July 22. According to the Alas Tensas and Yo Sí Te Creo observatories in Cuba, the crime occurred “in front of at least one of the three surviving girls.”

Both associations made public the death of another woman murdered in the street in Holguín on July 13, Yailín Requejo, 41. In that case, the state press reported on the murder only to announce the arrest of the attacker last Tuesday. However, the woman, described as a “young wife,” was not identified, and it was stated that Requejo’s youngest daughter was seriously injured.

In 2024, 14ymedio recorded 52 murders due to gender-based violence based on independent records. According to figures from the Cuban Observatory on Gender Equality, a total of 76 gender-based murders in which the victims were over 15 years old were prosecuted in the country in 2024. The organization does not specify the dates on which the crimes were committed, but they most likely occurred in 2023 and 2024.

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The Drought Hits Eastern Cuba, Leaving Homes Without Water For Two Months

The lack of rainfall has led to an alarming reduction in reservoir levels.

Cacoyugüín Dam, in Holguín. / Trabajadores

14ymedio, Miguel Hernández, Holguín, 28 July 2025 — “The drought is already hitting us here. There are areas where the water supply hasn’t been rising or hasn’t been pumped for more than 20 days, and in some areas, like Loma del Caguayo in Hilda Torres, it’s been going on for two months,” says Raúl, a 38-year-old resident of Holguín who spoke with 14ymedio . The lack of water, coupled with prolonged blackouts, is deepening the crisis facing residents in eastern Cuba.

Raúl’s testimony reflects a critical reality in provinces such as Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, and Guantánamo, where the lack of rainfall has led to an alarming drop in reservoir levels and the partial collapse of the water supply systems.

According to official data, in Santiago de Cuba, more than 80% of the population depends on the Quintero System, which has seen its water intake drop to between 900 and 1,000 liters per second after the loss of key sources like Gota Blanca and the reduction in supply from Gilbert. “Only one of the system’s five pipelines is functioning… the water supply situation is very critical,” continue reading

acknowledged Ludmila Rodríguez Barroso, director of Aguas Santiago.

In Holguín, reservoirs and aquifers have reached “alarmingly low” levels.

In Holguín, where nearly 48% of the territory was experiencing meteorological drought at the end of March, reservoirs and aquifers have reached “alarmingly low” levels, according to Radio Angulo. The flow supplying the city has dropped from 1,189 to 880 liters per second, forcing severe rationing. Agricultural production, already deteriorating, has suffered a further decline due to the lack of irrigation, worsening food insecurity and raising prices in local markets.

In Guantánamo, the situation is no less dramatic: the La Yaya reservoir, the province’s main reservoir, is at 9% capacity, with barely one million cubic meters of usable water. This has forced the operation of only one of the Guantánamo canal’s pumping engines, particularly affecting southern communities such as Carreterita and La Jabilla. The provincial government announced emergency measures, such as water transfers from the Caribe District and the cleaning of diversion pipelines, while urging the population to maximize conservation.

Added to this water crisis is the impact of the deteriorating national electricity system. Junior González Núñez, first vice president of the OSDE Agua y Saneamiento (Water and Sanitation Department), admitted that “approximately 70% of service disruptions are linked to problems in the electrical system.” After blackouts, water takes between six and eight hours to reach homes, further prolonging distribution cycles and leaving entire neighborhoods without water for days.

Although the authorities have begun installing solar-powered pumping systems—with the import of 866 photovoltaic units—these measures are failing to reverse the water shortage or meet demand. In Santiago de Cuba, delivery cycles exceed 20 days, while in critical areas they have already reached 60 days.

The drought, which has plagued eastern Cuba for years, not only threatens domestic water supplies, but also agricultural production, the local economy, and public health. In the words of Raúl, a Holguín resident desperately facing dry pipes, “This isn’t just a lack of water: it’s hunger, heat, blackouts, and empty businesses… all of this together is crushing people here in the East.”

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‘La novia de Lázaro’, by Dulce María Loynaz [Download the book for free]

Betania Publishing offers the complete edition of the book, first published in 1991, as a free download.

Cuban writer Dulce María Loynaz, born in Havana on 10 December 1902, was awarded the Cervantes Prize in 1992.

14ymedio, 30 July 2025 , Madrid/ (Fragment)

Like the first dawn of the world. That is it, and you have to adjust to that. But while the heart adjusts, it will be useless for you to fatigue me with eagerness.

I had a long night. Don’t you understand? You had it too, I won’t deny it. But you were dead and I was alive; you were dead and you rested in your own death like in a shoreless lake, like a child before birth in the still blood of its mother.

Meanwhile, I lived on, with eyes that wanted to pierce your darkness, bones that refused to stretch, and bitten flesh, pierced by black angels rebelling against God. You were dead, and I lived on, feeling the passing, the weight, the dregs of the night that had settled over me, incapable of dying or moving it! To move death. That was what I intended. To move the Unshakeable, the Blind, the Deaf, the Mute.

It was someone else who did it. He came, and the night became dawn, death became play, the world became a child.

He came and time stopped, opening the way for his smile like the waters of the Red Sea for our ancient Fathers.

All it took was a little crying, a little smiling, and everything was in place. Sweetly. Simply. Indolently.

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Editor’s Note: Betania Publishing—as a summer gift—is making the complete book by Dulce María Loynaz (Cervantes Prize winner, 1992) available to 14ymedio readers. You can download the PDF at this link.

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Cuban Regime Revokes the Release of 11J Prisoner Marlon Brando Díaz

The young man, who is serving an 18-year sentence for sedition, loses the benefit of house arrest and returns to prison.

Marlon Brando Díaz was sentenced to 18 years in prison for sedition after protesting on 11 July 2021. / Facebook

14ymedio, Madrid, 1 August 2025 — The Cuban regime has revoked the release of 11J political prisoner Marlon Brando Díaz Oliva, who was under house arrest, a benefit granted to him in January of this year as part of the agreement between Washington and Havana brokered by the Vatican.

The information was released Thursday by the Madrid-based Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH). At this time, details regarding his return to prison are unknown, although sources close to the case told 14ymedio that Díaz Oliva had left his residence for a few minutes to make a purchase. The 23-year-old had been sentenced to 18 years in prison for sedition in 2022 and had served three years and six months of his sentence at the time of his return home.

Díaz Oliva was part of the large group arrested on 11 July 2021 at the corner of Toyo and La Güinera streets in Havana, and ultimately sentenced for the anti-government protests of that day. In six cases involving 128 people, the People’s Supreme Court issued sentences totaling 1,916 years. Most of the defendants were convicted of serious crimes such as sedition, with sentences reaching up to 30 years in prison. The High Court specified that those convicted were involved in “serious disturbances and acts of vandalism with the purpose of destabilizing public order, collective security, and citizen tranquility.”

“These revocations demonstrate that the release of political prisoners is nothing more than a temporary measure, lacking legal guarantees or continue reading

respect for fundamental rights,” the OCDH stated.

“These revocations demonstrate that the release of political prisoners is nothing more than a temporary measure, lacking legal guarantees or respect for fundamental rights.”

On January 14, Cuba announced it would release 553 people as a gesture to the Vatican for the jubilee year decreed by the late Pope Francis. The news came minutes after the Biden administration announced the island’s removal from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a list it returned to a week later, the same day Donald Trump took office.

Havana argued that the releases were a unilateral and sovereign measure, but the coincidence revealed that it was an agreement facilitated by the Vatican. In March, with the process concluded, human rights organizations counted some 200 political prisoners who had benefited from the measure. The remainder of the 533, the majority, were common-law prisoners.

Supreme Court Vice President Maricela Sosa Ravelo then held that the beneficiaries must fulfill certain obligations, such as regularly appearing before a judge, continuing to comply with the additional sanctions, and assuming civil liability; otherwise, “there would be consequences.” “These benefits could be revoked if the released prisoners failed to comply with their obligations, and they would then return to the penitentiary to complete the remaining time on their sentences,” she explained.

“These benefits could be revoked if the released prisoners fail to comply with their obligations, and they would then return to the prison to complete the remaining sentence.”

Just a week after Pope Francis’s death in April, José Daniel Ferrer and Félix Navarro, two of the most well-known former prisoners, returned to prison for allegedly failing to comply with these conditions. Both had warned upon their release that they had no intention of complying with any of the regime’s demands.

In early June, the release of another political prisoner, Donaida Pérez Paseiro, a Yoruba priestess living in Placetas, was also revoked. The woman from Villa Clara had been sentenced to eight years in prison for “public disorder,” “disobedience,” “contempt,” and “assault,” also in the context of 11J. In her case, the court announced the suspension of her release, alleging “a breach of obligations, primarily related to the workplace, and failure to appear when summoned by the Enforcement Judge.”

The first case to be revoked was that of Jaime Alcide Firdó, released on January 18 and returned to prison in early April, allegedly for refusing to become a State Security informant. The 25-year-old was serving a seven-year prison sentence for sedition after participating in the 11 July protests in La Güinera.

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The Cuban Government Makes Modernizing Tourism Infrastructure an “Unavoidable Priority”

The official press claims there are surpluses in the agricultural sector due to the drop in travelers.
Economist Pedro Monreal believes that the government doesn’t care about hotels, but rather about the real estate business of renting them out.

The terrace of the Hotel Inglaterra in Havana, completely empty. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, 1 August 2025 — María, taking advantage of a break on her way to work, was the only customer sitting on the terrace of the Hotel Inglaterra this week. “Look, the musicians are there, playing for no one, like every time I come by,” she quipped, stirring with a spoon the cappuccino she paid the waiter 300 pesos for.

The scene, unthinkable years ago, when tourism was still one of the few things going well on the island, has become commonplace in the new Cuba, where authorities have stopped pretending it is the engine of the economy to recognize that the moment is the worst “since the collapse of the Twin Towers in 2001, not counting the pandemic period,” as the minister in charge, Juan Carlos García Granda, said before Parliament last month.

Two weeks later, Cubadebate analyzes—in its own way—the catastrophic tourism data of the last year in a special issue and outlines a strategy to rectify the situation, which, it believes, must involve greater investment. “The modernization of tourism infrastructure appears to be another unavoidable priority. The implementation of targeted rehabilitation programs in key facilities—starting with the Varadero and hubs in the Keys —could significantly improve competitiveness without requiring huge investments,” the on-line report states.

The infrastructure improvements could include those García Granda suggested for airports, but several paragraphs in the text indicate that hotel investments are also being considered. “While Cuba struggles to maintain its hotel infrastructure, other countries in the region have invested massively in modernizing their offerings,” Cubadebate notes.

Among the infrastructure improvements could be those that García Granda advanced for airports

The data, however, indicate that the Havana regime has done nothing but relentlessly increase hotel capacity, inconsistent with the number of international travelers arriving. This Friday, Cuban economist Pedro Monreal published a post summarizing some alarming indicators. For example, in the case of Ciego de Ávila, the number of accommodations quadrupled in just two years (2020-2022). In Holguín and Havana, hotel continue reading

capacity also grew exponentially in 2024, by 26.3% and 28.4% respectively.

“The scale of tourist arrivals did not require expanding accommodation capacity during and after the pandemic. Increasing accommodation capacity in conditions of sustained low occupancy ruins the operational efficiency of tourism,” the expert argues. In his article, he analyzes other, more well-known data, such as the fact that a third of the country’s total investment was allocated to the tourist sector, where occupancy rates have not exceeded 30% in the last five years.

Monreal maintains that the regime’s obsession, more than with hotels, is with considering them an investment vehicle within a real estate business model that benefits the investing entities, which is, ultimately, the military corporation Gaesa, which leases its assets to international companies. This model, he asserts, also benefits “on a stable basis from ‘extra’ investment funds (via the state budget) and tax and customs advantages (derived from the International Economic Associations they establish)” and there is little room for optimism in this regard, as it is “shielded” by “political cronyism and corporate opacity.”

The Cubadebate article , which obviously doesn’t mention this vector, indicates that the lack of tourists is disastrous, both for the acquisition of foreign currency (approximately $2.3 billion directly and up to $8 billion if the indirect effect is included) and for other related sectors. Contradicting the ministers, who stated in Parliament that there are no travelers due to the food shortage, Cubadebate expresses something unusual.

“The agricultural sector, which allocates a significant volume of its production to supply the tourism industry, is now facing surpluses that have no alternative domestic market.”

“The agricultural sector, which allocates a significant volume of its production to supplying the tourism industry, is now facing surpluses that have no alternative domestic market,” it argues, also in stark contrast to the figures for agricultural production or the manufacturing industry, not to mention Cubans’ desire to see this unexpected surplus appear in their supermarkets. And as if the state had even more to spare, the outlet also notes that “the transportation sector, with a fleet of taxis and buses linked to tourism, is seeing its sustainability compromised.”

The text finds sui generis causes for the collapse of tourism on the island, which by June—with 1,680,304 visitors, 319,654 fewer than in 2024—has fallen by more than 20% compared to the previous year, a year that also was not very good. Among these causes, and leaving aside the impact of the “United States blockade,”* it mentions an alleged adverse international context which includes inflation, the (nonexistent) recession in Europe, and rising flight prices, which are harming tourism internationally.

Paradoxically, the World Tourism Organization has consistently reported improved figures annually since the end of the pandemic, and its forecasts for this year include growth of between 3% and 5%. Leading countries in the sector, such as Spain, revealed positive figures for the first quarter on August 1st. For example, the Canary Islands surpassed 80% hotel occupancy, while forecasts for August predict occupancy rates above 90% in regions such as Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, and Catalonia.

Meliá itself, a Balearic hotel group with major business in Cuba, can refute the alleged poor international context.

Meliá itself, a Balearic hotel group with significant business in Cuba, can refute the alleged poor international situation. Its first-semester figures show that the Island is precisely the dark spot in its finances. The company earned €991.1 million, 3.2% more than the same period last year, reduced its debt by more than €28 million, and increased its net profit by 72.4%, all thanks to the growth of all its destinations except Germany and Cuba.

The Island’s figures are grim and by far the worst of all the main locations: occupancy below 40% even with plunging prices—€80 on average, 10% less than the previous year—and a profit per room of €31.7 million. Despite this, in July the Hotel Bristol, formerly managed by Kempinski, reopened under Meliá management.

Given this situation and the loss of numerous visitors from both its main market – Canada – and its most promising – Russia, whose decline is attributed to sanctions stemming from the invasion of Ukraine, despite the fact that they have been in place for three years – the regime considers it positive that travelers from the United States are relatively stable, due to “the Cuban diaspora,” and that Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia are holding up, the latter a sign that there is “effectiveness in promotional campaigns specifically aimed at the South American public.”

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*Translator’s note: There is, in fact, no US ‘blockade’ on Cuba, but this continues to be the term the Cuban government prefers to apply to the ongoing US embargo. During the Cuban Missile Crisis the US ordered a Naval blockade (which it called a ‘quarantine’) on Cuba in 1962, between 22 October and 20 November of that year. The blockade was lifted when Russia agreed to remove its nuclear missiles from the Island. The embargo had been imposed earlier in February of the same year, and although modified from time to time, it is still in force.

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China Continues To Help Transport in Cuba, Now With Parts for 100 Buses

The first batch includes engines, tires, and batteries to perform “major repairs” on dozens of vehicles.

The Chinese ambassador with Cuban officials at the ceremony to present the pieces. / Cubadebate

14ymedio, Havana, 1 August 2025 — China continues to involve itself in the Cuban economy, providing resources that, while vital to Cuba, are practically crumbs compared to the scale of the crisis. The new collaboration, which adds to the decades the country has been sending vehicles to the island, especially the new Foton gazelles, includes the shipment of parts, components, and equipment to put into service buses for public transportation.

The first batch, the official press reported Friday, was delivered Thursday to the Evelio Prieto Bus Production Company—which has several vehicles parked, “dozens,” according to Xinhua —in Guanajay, Artemisa. The new buses arrived on the island through the China International Development Cooperation Agency.

The aid, the company executive explained, includes engines, tires, and batteries, and will be distributed among mechanical, electrical, and quality control work. As a final step, the interiors of the buses, some of which needed “major repairs,” will be reconditioned so that “they regain the capabilities with which they began operating.”

The idea, he added, is to repair up to five vehicles per month and, by the end of the year, deliver between 40 and 50. However, Cubadebate stated that Chinese aid could help repair up to 100 buses, although shipments remain to be made “which will gradually arrive in the country by sea.” continue reading

The island’s authorities, for their part, limited themselves to receiving the parts and applauding the good relations between the two countries.

The expected improvements in transportation—provided the necessary fuel is available to operate the buses—would primarily benefit the capital. This was stated during the aid delivery ceremony by Chinese ambassador Hua Xin, who emphasized that Beijing’s plan is to “inject new momentum into the Cuban capital’s transportation system.”

The island’s authorities, for their part, simply accepted the parts and applauded the good relations between the two countries, which will allow them to reestablish high-demand routes, “connecting hospitals, schools, and communities.”

The fact that almost all of the vehicles and parts arriving for public transportation are destined for the capital has already sparked controversy among Cubans in other provinces, who are demanding more attention from the authorities. Last June, when Transport Minister Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila announced the arrival of a fleet of Foton minibuses from China, internet users protested because the 100 vehicles were destined for Havana. In the face of public criticism, it was decided to keep only 50 in the capital city and distribute the other half to various provinces.

Although Havana’s population requires more vehicles, the transportation situation in the rest of the island is also precarious. During the reports from each ministry to Parliament last July, the Ministry of Transportation revealed alarming figures: in 2024, local bus services only met 35% of the transportation plan, failing to serve nearly 350 million passengers during that period.

The ministry acknowledged that of the 2,500 routes managed by provincial companies in the sector, 47% are paralyzed.

The ministry also recognized that of the 2,500 routes managed by provincial companies in the sector, 47% are paralyzed—mainly due to a lack of spare parts and fuel—and, of those that continue to operate, 90% only make two trips daily, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

The ministry’s report also highlighted the worst conditions on rural routes and in hard-to-reach areas, with only 26% and 19% of the plan fulfilled, respectively. By 2025, 894 million passengers (68%) had been transported on the island through April, and 412 million were lost, 114 million fewer than the same period a year earlier.

On the other hand, the poor quality of Chinese vehicles is striking. As this newspaper recently reported, Foton vehicles are beginning to fail, just two months after entering service.

Chinese vehicles, including taxis, buses, and minibuses, are a significant part of the Transportation Department’s fleet. In the last 20 years alone, China sent more than 10,700 Yutong buses to the island. However, the limited transportation currently operating on the island falls far short of these figures, with no one able to clarify—whether due to quality or lack of resources—where the Chinese vehicles are.

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Without Knowing It, ‘The United States Has Been Paying for the Cuban Medical Brigades in Jamaica’

Cuba Archive asks Washington to suspend its $48 million aid until Kingston ends its agreements with Havana.

Cuban medical brigade in Jamaica. / Minrex

14ymedio, Madrid, 30 July 2025 — Replicating the work carried out with the international missions of Cuban doctors in the Bahamas, Cuba Archive has prepared a new report on the contracts signed for the same purpose between the governments of Cuba and Jamaica. The report, which once again documents the same pattern seen in all countries that maintain agreements with Havana, urges the United States to downgrade the ’pressure measure’ in its next annual report on human trafficking from a level 2 to 3.

Cuba Archive believes the Jamaican government is complicit with Cuba in what it considers a case of modern slavery and human trafficking, since doctors—and teachers, also an important part of the study—receive, as usual, a tiny fraction of what the state receives from Kingston. According to several collaborators, some clauses in the agreements, which are—again—not transparent, indicate that Jamaica agrees not to hire, directly, any Cuban specialist who “deserts” the mission, and in addition will cancel their work permits.

A medical specialist who works 268 hours a month (excluding shifts) receives only $3.70 per hour.

Several testimonies and documents obtained by the organization once again highlight these practices, which include the confiscation of passports, and the monitoring of movements and relationships with other people. In addition, there are “Stalinist-style disciplinary measures imposed by the brigade coordinators.” According to the report, a medical specialist working 268 hours a month (excluding shifts) receives only $3.70 per hour. continue reading

Jamaica, according to Cuba Archive, is cooperating with what it considers a flagrant violation of human rights, and therefore its officials should also be subject to US sanctions. The organization also recommends that the US condition its economic aid to the country on the end of its agreements with the Cuban government.

According to the document, Washington gave Kingston $65 million in 2022 and $48 million in 2024 “for security, development, health, education, communications, disaster response, and other purposes.” “Because money is fungible, the United States has, in effect, been paying for the Cuban brigades in Jamaica,” the document concludes.

The report is a lengthy document, nearly 50 pages long, that reviews the history of political relations between the two countries and the trajectory of the international missions organized by Cuba since the 1960s. It also delves into recent years, particularly since the pandemic, and details the alleged results achieved through this collaboration.

As of May 2019, Cuban healthcare professionals had treated 1,447,015 patients, performed 30,761 surgeries, and administered 73,331 vaccine doses. Health Minister Christopher Tufton said he was “very pleased with this collaboration,” referring specifically to the ophthalmology program, for which there is striking data. In October 2024, it was reported that, since September 2023, 22 professionals—17 of them Cuban—had performed 3,476 surgeries within the framework of this agreement. The estimate, emphasized by Archivo Cuba, is 13.8 interventions per day over the 251 working days of the year.

The investigation highlights the propagandistic nature of international missions, used for “political proselytism.”

The report emphasizes that, meanwhile, medical and educational efforts on the island are suffering a terrible setback due to a lack of doctors and funding, which refutes, they point out, the regime’s claims that the money earned from international missions is used to finance the “achievements of the Revolution.”

The investigation highlights the propaganda nature of international missions, used to engage in “political proselytism” and disseminate content favorable to the Cuban regime.

Last April, Cuba Archive published a similar report applicable to the agreements between Cuba and the Bahamas . A few weeks later, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that all officials involved in such contracts could be sanctioned by Washington, and during a tour of the Caribbean in early May, he warned several prime ministers in the region that this was one of his administration’s concerns.

Although the Bahamas maintained for several days that there was no slavery relationship in its agreements for hiring Cuban doctors and even noted that the US had used similar systems in the past, at the end of the month it finally stated that it was breaking its agreements and would proceed to hire the professionals individually and directly. However, Cuba Archive has also condemned this type of solution, believing that the Cuban state can pressure its doctors to engage in these types of agreements and transfer the salary difference to Havana.

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Despite Convictions for Sabotage, Fuel Theft in Cuba Increases

The theft of oil and liquefied gas is among the concerns of the authorities, who are unable to control it even by toughening the applicable crime.

State workers, who are familiar with the system, are accused of being the ones who steal the most resources. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, 31 July 2025 — Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero reiterated his warning in a meeting with authorities: Given the current situation in the country, fuel theft could be considered a crime of sabotage. The meeting addressed the results of the “confrontation” with the crime, whose figures, according to officials, are tending to decline but remain high. The most worrying are precisely those linked to the theft of oil and liquefied gas, and they originate from within: cases are increasing at service stations, and there are “diversions” in cylinders, according to the official press.

“It is unacceptable that today the country has a deficit in electricity generation capacity due to a lack of fuel, and at the same time we allow its theft,” Marrero declared. The Prime Minister argued that “the scarce amount of fuel” that the State can “afford and purchase” is allocated to electricity generation, making it essential to closely monitor “the minimum allocated to the economy” and “modify our approach in the face of indiscipline.”

The Prime Minister then noted that these offenses could be prosecuted as sabotage, one of the most serious crimes in the criminal code, with penalties of between four and ten years in prison. This warning is not new, as the criminal code specifically stipulates that it will be applied to anyone who “destroys, alters, damages, or harms” a long list of “means, resources, buildings, installations, or socioeconomic or military units,” among which energy sources are at the top of the list. continue reading

Fuel theft cases have recently been prosecuted as “sabotage.” One of the most notorious occurred last April, resulting in a seven-year sentence.

Recently fuel theft cases have come to be prosecuted as “sabotage.” One of the most notorious occurred last April, when a Ciego de Ávila court sentenced a generator worker to seven years in prison for stealing “30 liters of diesel.” Although the employee had no prior criminal record, the acts were considered to go beyond theft due to their “seriousness and harmful nature.” “The crime of sabotage affects the public good and the internal security of the State,” said the Prosecutor’s Office.

In February, the mayor of Manzanillo, Granma, was arrested along with other officials for por la izquierda [on the left] business dealings with oil intended for utilities and state-owned companies. The news was exclusive to 14ymedio, as the official press has not reported these events, and the criminal status of those arrested or what crimes they are charged with is unknown.

The crimes under which fuel theft was previously prosecuted were embezzlement or misappropriation (depending on whether or not it was committed by an official responsible for the property), theft or robbery (depending on whether or not force was used), and receiving stolen goods, in the case of fraudulent acquisition. This was explained in 2019 by Reinaldo Cruz Rivera, Deputy Attorney General of the Republic of Cuba, in a Cubadebate article dedicated to the incessant theft of this product.

The article indicated that in the first half of the year, there were 339 criminal proceedings for these crimes, and 117,463 liters of fuel of various types had been seized—85,823 liters of diesel and 21,016 liters of gasoline—causing damages estimated at 488,644 pesos. With this data, Cubadebate questioned whether the government’s decisions were effective. The 1987 penal code, which already had the same wording for sabotage, was in effect at the time, but it did not apply to fuel theft.

Marrero Cruz urged “determining and mitigating the causes and conditions that lead to indiscipline surrounding the sale of liquefied petroleum gas.”

At the recent meeting, Marrero Cruz called for increased surveillance—something that has been unsuccessfully proposed in numerous meetings—and urged “determining and mitigating the causes and conditions that lead to indiscipline surrounding the sale of liquefied petroleum gas,” although it is clear that the scarcity, if not the absence, of the product is what fuels the theft. Colonel Daniset González Sánchez specified that part of the responsibility stems from “the U.S. government’s policy of maximum pressure against the island, exaggerating the country’s situation to encourage subversive actions.”

Regarding other crimes, it was determined that insufficient action has been taken against officials, who are responsible for many economic crimes, which are the work of those “who operate from within institutions and know their vulnerabilities.” Burglaries have increased, as many citizens constantly report on social media, despite the fact that the overall number of violations has decreased, authorities indicated, without, as usual, providing data.

Crimes related to livestock also decreased, with the majority being thefts “since only 25% of cases show signs of slaughter.” Furthermore, “more than 200 prevention and response actions” were carried out in the drug sector, and although it is reported that “significant volumes of narcotics” were seized, the exact amount was not disclosed.

Reinaldo Cruz Rivera warned that many fines are imposed—again, without figures to support this—but very few are collected, which “encourages impunity.” He therefore called for “optimizing and supervising the operation of tax-paying entities, as well as collection offices, to prevent non-compliance,” without clarifying the plan to eventually proceed with defaulters.

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