‘We Continue the Fight, Cuba’s Freedom Must Be Achieved,’ Says an 11J Prisoner Upon Leaving Prison

Mitchel Barzaga served a five-year sentence in Granma prison, where other protesters from the 2021 protests are still incarcerated.

Barzaga Mompié was greeted with hugs and tears by family and friends in his neighborhood in Granma. / ClickCuba

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Madrid, August 15, 2026 / Fernando Mitchel Barzaga Mompié, a political prisoner for his participation in the massive protests of 11 July 2021, was released this week, after fully serving his sentence, which expired on August 12.

The former political prisoner was being held in the Granma provincial prison, known as “Las Mangas,” convicted of public disorder and assault. Other protesters from the ’11J’ demonstrations remain imprisoned there, according to Barzaga himself.

The digital news outlet ClickCuba released videos of the moment he left prison, in which Barzaga declared he was “happy, but also disappointed” because he had hoped that, upon his release, “the people would finally be free, the dictatorship would be down.” “Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. But we will continue fighting,” he added.

The same media outlet also documented Barzaga’s arrival in his neighborhood in Granma, where family and neighbors greeted him enthusiastically. The former political prisoner wore a Cuban flag draped over his clothing as his young children ran excitedly to meet him, showering him with hugs and kisses.

“Freedom is never complete: until the people of Cuba are free, I am not free.”

“Freedom is never complete: until the people of Cuba are free, I am not free,” begins the message Barzaga delivers via ClickCuba camera, in which he urges Cubans to demand their rights, their dignity, and their freedom, “what is rightfully theirs as human beings.” “We don’t have to do what a dictator tells us,” the former prisoner of conscience continues. “Cubans have the right to be free, to demand,” he adds, and concludes with a call: “We continue the fight: Cuba’s freedom must be achieved.”

The images show his family receiving him with remarkable emotion, amid tears of happiness, in their home in very precarious conditions.

On August 4, just days before completing his sentence, Barzaga Mompié sent  an audio message  in which he criticized the artist and former political prisoner Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara for not having used his freedom more to denounce the situation of the other political prisoners on the island. In that audio, Barzaga promised that he would recount “the violations, repression, torture, and crimes of the Cuban government” that he had personally witnessed.

“I swear by every drop of blood spilled, by every brother physically disappeared and every whip lashed on the back of our Cuban people, that seven days a week will not be enough to recount, express, vent and denounce all that oppresses my soul and that unfortunately my children, my family and I live through,” the political prisoner declared at the time.

“We know the regime would rather see me dead than free, but my truth will never be silenced.”

Regarding the expectations of his release, Barzaga had said: “We know that the regime prefers me dead rather than free, but my truth will never be silenced.”

The activist had maintained his denunciations of the regime throughout his imprisonment. In August 2025, he sent a message to the Ministry of the Interior, the Cuban Armed Forces, and the Communist Party, criticizing them for continue reading

demanding “resistance” from the Cuban population in the face of the progressive deterioration of living conditions while their leaders continued to live in privilege: “I urge you to forgo your salaries, at least for two or three months, as many Cuban families, healthcare workers, educators, restaurant workers, shopkeepers, single mothers, and working fathers have done, with no other option… and when that happens, then we can talk about patriotism.”

Many of those imprisoned after the 11 July protests are reaching the end of their sentences this month, having received five-year terms for crimes related to their participation in the demonstrations. On July 27, Kevin Damián Frómeta Castro, a young man from Havana, was released after completing his sentence for participating in the July 11 protests at the corner of Toyo in Havana, where an overturned police car became one of the symbols of those demonstrations.

According to Cuba Archive, seven of the political prisoners from July 11 have died in custody, while one person died from a police gunshot wound during the demonstrations.

On July 12, Aníbal Yasiel Palau Jacinto was also released after serving five years in prison. A week later, artist and opposition leader Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara regained his freedom after fully serving his sentence and was forced into exile in Miami through a parole granted by the United States.

According to various independent organizations, such as Cubalex, more than 1,300 people were arrested or prosecuted for the July 11 protests. Of these, Human Rights Watch reports that more than 300 remain imprisoned. According to Cuba Archive, seven of those identified as political prisoners have died in custody, while one person was killed by a police gunshot during the demonstrations.

As of today, the NGO Prisoners Defenders reports 1,327 political prisoners on the island.

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

 

‘They Have Started Taking the Cemetery’s Iron Grilles’

Thieves are turning historic buildings, schools, and former factories into sources of reusable or sellable materials

Today, that historical legacy survives amid damaged walls and neglect that threatens to erase two centuries of memory. / 14ymedio

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Darío Hernández, Havana, August 15, 2026 – Just over a year ago, this newspaper visited the old Guanabacoa cemetery to show the neglect of one of Havana’s oldest burial grounds. At the time, weeds were devouring the pathways, the remains of religious rituals were accumulating beside the graves, and the tombs displayed the scars left by metal theft. If in 2025 the theft of the grilles appeared as yet another symptom of neglect, today the dismantling of the site has only accelerated.

On the perimeter wall, the gaps left by the iron grilles are striking. Where bars once stood, only the masonry pillars remain, evidence of the looting suffered by the site. The metal pieces are a coveted prize in a country where a kilogram of iron can translate into a few pesos to survive.

The graves show new signs of vandalism, with fractured tombstones, opened structures, and missing ornamental elements. / 14ymedio

Designed in 1814 next to the Potosí Hermitage, the cemetery began receiving burials in 1821, as part of sanitary reforms that sought to move burials outside churches and their surrounding areas. Considered the oldest cemetery in Guanabacoa, a municipality that contains the largest number of cemeteries in Havana, it was declared a National Monument in 1997. It preserves mausoleums and structures of significant heritage value. Among them is the hermitage itself, built in the 17th century and considered one of the oldest buildings in the municipality.

Today, that historical legacy survives amid damaged walls and neglect that threatens to erase two centuries of memory. The graves show new signs of vandalism, with fractured tombstones, opened structures, and missing ornamental elements. Many graves remain overrun by vegetation, while the neglect is evident in every corner.

“They have started taking the grilles,” says Javier, who has several relatives buried in the cemetery and has witnessed the progressive deterioration of this historic burial ground.

The church, one of the cemetery’s most emblematic buildings, has also become a target for criminals. / 14ymedio

Nor have the workers escaped the wear and tear caused by the constant insecurity. “They have had to restore the church’s wood several times after thieves broke in repeatedly,” Javier explains. Each repair seems to last only a short time. Soon afterward, there are more breakages, forced entries, and attempts to steal anything of economic value.

The church, one of the cemetery’s most emblematic buildings, has also become a target for criminals. The lack of surveillance and the shortage of resources to protect the site facilitate nighttime incursions. What were once sporadic thefts of metals or funeral ornaments have evolved into the gradual dismantling of the infrastructure.

When this newspaper visited the cemetery in May 2025, several workers attributed the deterioration to a lack of personnel, low salaries, and the impossibility of maintaining the site properly. They also reported the constant theft of copper rings, metal plaques, and other elements from the graves. A year later, those problems have worsened.

Now the looting is no longer limited to the graves. The cemetery’s own grilles are gradually disappearing, while sections of the wall have open fractures to facilitate their removal. “The cemetery is currently abandoned; apparently, no one cares anymore,” Javier laments.

The economic crisis, the informal metals market, and the absence of surveillance are turning historic buildings, schools, factories, and cemeteries into sources of reusable or sellable materials. What cannot be protected ends up being dismantled piece by piece.

At the old Guanabacoa cemetery, that process is especially painful. It is not only objects of material value that are disappearing. A place filled with memory is also deteriorating, a place where generations of families rest and where every damaged grave represents a part of local history that is being lost. For now, the decline shows no signs of stopping.

Watch video here.

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

The State Washes Its Hands of School Uniforms in Cuba

Private businesses are working at full speed to make skirts, shorts, pants, and shirts or polo shirts.

Chikyos Confecciones, on 12th Street in El Vedado, Havana. / 14ymedio

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Darío Hernández, Havana, August 14, 2026 – With just over two weeks to go before the school year begins, the State appears to have definitively washed its hands of providing uniforms for students. Their production and sale are now being handled, at high prices, by an increasing number of private businesses.

One of them is Chikyos Confecciones, on 12th Street, in the heart of Havana’s El Vedado neighborhood, where a long line was waiting outside this Thursday. The operating method, made-to-order sales, is similar to that of other stores of the same kind that have proliferated through advertisements on social media. Customers — mainly women — provide the desired size and, after paying in advance, return to pick up the garment once it has been made.

From a balcony of the building, the owner of the place can be seen tearing fabric, sewing, hanging things out and occasionally looking out. She oversees a thriving business, although not everyone can afford those prices.

“My child is in first grade and last year they only gave him a pair of shorts,” one mother says. “He was able to go to school thanks to a neighbor who gave me her children’s used uniforms”

Prices vary depending on the garment — skirt, shorts, pants, shirt or polo shirt — the size and whether it is for elementary or secondary school. A polo shirt with an insignia costs between $4 and $5 at Chikyos, while skirts cost around 1,500 pesos, and shorts between 2,000 and 3,000.

“These businesses are overwhelmed, and they are the only supplier of uniforms there is,” a young mother waiting in the Chikyos line tells 14ymedio. Desperate, private businesses are her only option. “My child is in first grade and last year they only gave him a pair of shorts,” she says. “He was able to go to school thanks to a neighbor who gave me her children’s used uniforms.” continue reading

In 2025, another customer, a mother of two daughters, says, “the little they gave out was in July. This year it’s August, and they haven’t given anything. And they almost certainly won’t.” The State’s sale of school uniforms traditionally began between May and June, but in recent years the date has been pushed back because of shortages of raw materials. Their sale, which in fact used to begin at the end of July, has always been marked by long lines and problems with sizes.

This mother buys the garments from a small private business because her sister “sends the money from Miami,” but she knows that not all Cubans have that privilege.

From a balcony of the building, the owner of the place can be seen tearing fabric, sewing, hanging things out and occasionally looking out. / 14ymedio

“The ideal thing for a child is two sets — two shirts and two pairs of shorts, two shirts and two skirts, two polo shirts and two pairs of pants — and if each piece costs around 2,000 or 3,000 pesos, that comes to 10,000 pesos, and I have two [children],” she sums up. “But of course, very few children in Cuba have the ‘ideal’ things to go to school, or for anything else.”

Anything else includes, given the situation on the Island, not only uniforms but even more basic things, such as food, electricity, running water or rest. Hundreds of users complain about this in an official post denying that classes will begin on any date other than next September 1. “Attendance from the first day is essential for the success of the school year,” says the post, which has been filled with angry comments. “Electricity and water are also essential for education,” says Yoimar Pérez. Many others express the same sentiment, such as Roxy Casales: “Attendance is essential, but so are rest and a good breakfast. Most children don’t sleep, much less eat breakfast.”

Several commenters are pleading for uniforms, but for the most part, they lament the lack of electricity and, consequently, insufficient sleep to perform well. “We’ll see,” objects Tere Trastoy, “because if there’s no electricity and those children don’t get enough rest, it doesn’t seem right to me, because they’re too young to be guerrilla fighters.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

Excluding Remittances, the Income of 94% of Cubans Places Them at Threshold of Extreme Poverty

More than three-quarters of the 1,318 surveyed on the Island are calling for political and economic changes, and 84% distrust recent reforms.

The need for change and discontent with the Government are explained by data revealing the deterioration of living conditions. / 14ymedio

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Madrid, August 14, 2026 – Ninety-five percent of Cubans disapprove of the management of the Government of Miguel Díaz-Canel and the Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, according to the most recent report on the State of Social Rights in Cuba, published this Thursday by the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (Ocdh).

The report, based on a survey of 1,318 Cuban citizens conducted between June 27 and July 29, is the ninth in a series of studies carried out by the Observatory since 2019. In this latest report, the organization points to a record negative assessment of the Cuban Government’s economic and social management, while revealing “a great distrust in its recent economic measures.”

Seventy-three percent of those surveyed rate the Government’s management is “very negative” and 22% rate it as “negative.” Only 3% of the sample rate it positively. Regarding the recent economic measures taken by the Government, 84% distrust that they will improve the country’s situation, compared with 6% who expect a favorable effect.

However, 50% of those surveyed are optimistic about the possibility of favorable changes for the population over the next six months, an expectation that, according to the report itself, “apparently will not come from the Government’s measures.” More than three-quarters (77%) want political and economic changes, while 9% favor exclusively economic changes, 7% demand an end to the U.S. embargo, and 4% want only political changes. continue reading

Ninety-five percent of those surveyed disapprove of the performance of the Government of Miguel Díaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz

The need for change and discontent with the Government are explained by data revealing the deterioration of living conditions. Sixty-three percent report difficulties even purchasing the most essential goods, while 30% have incomes that only allow them to cover basic needs. Overall, only 6% can make purchases beyond the basics. Some 68% of households report monthly incomes below 20,000 pesos.

Ninety-four percent of Cubans live in extreme poverty, according to the Observatory. This alarming figure was calculated based on total household income and the international poverty line—established by the World Bank—of $1.90 per person per day. To convert this to Cuban pesos, the report uses a median exchange rate of 510 CUP per dollar between October 2025 and June 2026. Using this rate, the extreme poverty line for a three-person household is set at 87,210 pesos per month.

The report does not include precise figures on income from remittances sent from abroad, but notes that, although they have a positive influence on those who receive them, “their frequency, amount and modality, as well as the scarcity and increased cost of basic necessities and services, also limit their impact on these families.”

Remittances to Cuba barely reached $1,113,450,000 in 2024, a 43.43% decrease compared to 2023, according to calculations in the latest report published by Cuba Siglo 21 and authored by economist Emilio Morales. The drop is dramatic, especially when compared to 2019, when the amount totaled $3,716,710,000.

Eight out of 10 Cubans have stopped eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner due to a lack of money or food shortages,” the OCDH notes

“Eight out of 10 Cubans have stopped eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner due to a lack of money or food shortages,” the OCDH notes. A year ago it was seven out of ten.

The report also reveals greater vulnerability among older people. Among those over 61, the proportion of those who have skipped one of their daily meals rises to nine out of 10. 47% of people over 60 report household incomes below 3,056 pesos, the official minimum pension. Nearly all of them (99%) attribute skipped meals to a lack of money or food.

The situation is especially serious among those over 60 living on the streets. The report warns of “extreme vulnerability of the elderly population in terms of housing in Cuba.”

Only 18% of those surveyed say they live in a home in good condition, while 47% say it needs repairs, 25% say it requires urgent repairs, and 7% say it is in danger of collapse. Overall, more than three-quarters of the homes in the sample are in poor condition, according to the OCDH.

The deterioration also extends to public infrastructure: 95% consider the condition of the electrical grid to be poor, 87% say the same about garbage collection and landfills, and 86% about internet and telephone services.

73% rate the Government’s performance as “very negative” and 22% as “negative”; only 3% of the sample rate it positively.

However, according to the ODCH, the results also reflect a “contained hope that something positive is coming for the country,” as well as “a forceful clarity about the direction change should take.”

Among the main problems that should be addressed over the next six months, blackouts rank first, mentioned by 70% of those surveyed, followed by the food crisis (52%), the cost of living and inflation (45%), and healthcare and medicines (34%). Each respondent could mention up to three problems.

Regarding the “desired type of change” for the next six months, none of those surveyed chose for “everything to remain as it is.” The preference for maintaining the current situation is “practically nonexistent,” the report concludes.

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

As Cuba Crumbles, Díaz-Canel Showers Fidel Castro with Praise

Raúl Castro attended the tribute, seated in the audience next to his brother’s widow, Dalia Soto del Valle

Dalia Soto del Valle, widow of Fidel Castro, next to Raúl Castro, at Thursday’s event in Havana marking the centenary of the birth of the leader of the Cuban Revolution. / Screenshot/Presidency of the Republic

14ymedio bigger 14ymedio/EFE, Madrid, August 14, 2026 / Cuba marked the centenary of Fidel Castro’s birth (1926-2016) this Thursday with a political-cultural spectacle at the Karl Marx Theater in Havana, attended by his brother and former president Raúl Castro (2008-2018), his widow Dalia Soto del Valle, and other relatives of the leader of the Cuban Revolution.

Raúl Castro, retired from his official posts and currently the “leader at the helm of the Cuban revolution,” according to official terminology, was accompanied by President Miguel Díaz-Canel and senior representatives of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC, the only legal party), the government, and relatives of both brothers.

At the cultural event, headlined by the Cuban children’s theater company La Colmenita, which presented a journey in images and songs through the life of the man who was president of the Caribbean country for nearly half a century, Díaz-Canel spoke to highlight the figure of Fidel Castro, saying he dedicated his life “to fighting for every just cause.”

The president noted that Castro “lives forever” as a “warrior, rebel, and righteous man of Humanity”

The president noted that Castro “lives forever” as a “warrior, rebel, and righteous man of Humanity,” and that Cuba can count on his legacy of “independence, revolution, and the values and achievements that socialism represents.”

On these premises, he said, “we are undertaking a process of economic and social transformations,” referring to the package of 176 reforms approved this past June, aimed at liberalizing and decentralizing the economy of the island, which has been mired in a deep crisis for more than six years.

Díaz-Canel once again attacked the United States government, accusing it of being a “fascist regime” that is “intensifying” its continue reading

actions against the Caribbean nation with a “brutal and immoral imperial blockade that seeks the extermination of our people.”

The event also marked the closing of the First International Colloquium Fidel: Legacy and Future, which had been underway since this past Monday at the Convention Palace in the capital and was attended by more than 1,000 national and international delegates.

“With tremendous wisdom” and with “that experience, that persistence, and the discipline and his fight for freedom,” Castro said, reaffirming how he remembered his father.

During the opening yesterday of a collective photography exhibition in Havana’s Plaza de la Revolución, which brought together about 30 portraits of the different moments when Fidel Castro was present at that site, one of his sons, Alex Castro, said this Thursday that his father “always had the wisdom to face difficulties” and “an answer in mind,” when asked how he would have reacted to the crisis the island is suffering and to the strong pressure from the US to push for political and economic change in the Caribbean country.

“With tremendous wisdom” and with “that experience, that persistence, and the discipline and his fight for freedom,” Castro said, reaffirming how he remembered his father. Miguel Díaz-Canel attended the exhibition, which was part of the centenary commemoration, along with other representatives of the government and the Communist Party of Cuba. Díaz-Canel stated that Castro “embodies the values and ideas that today sustain” the Cuban people and described this day as one of those on which “very particularly in Cuba we feel that Fidel is a country.”

The exhibition also featured photographs by Liborio Noval, Roberto Chile, Raúl Corrales, Jorge Oller, Raúl Abreu, Juvenal Balán, and Gilberto Rabassa, who shared their experiences working with Fidel Castro. “Fidel was very photogenic, and really his look, his history, his figure, his physique (…) helped him come out well in every photograph,” Chile told EFE. For some 25 years, he accompanied, through film and photography, the man who was one of the best-known and most controversial political figures of the twentieth century.

Venezuela’s ruling United Socialist Party considered that the legacy of the leader of the Cuban Revolution “remains alive”

For her part, Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, installed by the United States following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in early January, highlighted Fidel Castro’s “commitment to dignity, social justice, sovereignty, and the unity of Latin America and the Caribbean.”

“President Fidel Castro is among the leaders who transcend time and remain in the collective memory,” Rodríguez said in a message posted on Telegram. She also said Castro was a “man of integrity” who set a standard for the “free peoples of the world.” Venezuela’s ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) considered that the legacy of the leader of the Cuban Revolution “remains alive.”

This week on the island has been marked by various activities centered on the figure of Fidel Castro, and the presidents of countries such as Russia, China, and Brazil sent letters to the Cuban government to mark the occasion.

Sandinistas in Nicaragua also marked the occasion, fittingly, in front of the new monument installed in Managua in memory of Fidel Castro.

Public employees, members of the military and police, and members of the Sandinista youth gathered on “From Bolívar to Chávez” Avenue, where the enormous metal sculpture was installed, bringing Cuban flags and bouquets of flowers to pay tribute to Fidel Castro on the centenary of his birth.

“Here lives Fidel, in his people and in our peoples and in this America of ours, of burning suns, of intense souls, of brave human beings”

“Here lives Fidel, in his people and in our peoples and in this America of ours, of burning suns, of intense souls, of brave human beings, who thrill to the splendor of our loftiest ideals, feelings, and fight for justice, for real truth, for the peace that demands, that calls for dignity,” Nicaragua’s co-president, Rosario Murillo, said through official media.

For her part, the mayor of Managua, Sandinista Reyna Rueda, said that “Comandante Fidel remains that beacon of inspiration for all of us as militants, as revolutionaries, inspiring us to keep strengthening our peace and our deep sense of being Nicaraguan.”

Murillo, wife of co-president Daniel Ortega, lashed out on Tuesday at those who criticize the sculpture her government installed in honor of Castro to mark the centenary of the birth of the leader of the Cuban Revolution (1926-2016), calling them “traitors and cowards” who “always show signs of deep darkness, of wickedness and malice.”

This week on the island has been marked by various activities centered on the figure of Fidel Castro

This week on the island has been marked by various activities centered on the figure of Fidel Castro, and during the day on Thursday, the centenary of his birth prompted tributes to him from countries such as Russia.

Hundreds of Russians gathered today in front of the statue of the leader of the Cuban revolution in Moscow, where the leader of the Communist Party of Russia (CPRF), Yevgeny Ziuganov, said that “Fidel Castro is a model and an example to follow (…) in these difficult times, in order to achieve victory over the most evil forces in history.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent letters earlier this week to Raúl Castro and Díaz-Canel, in which he described Fidel Castro as “a symbol of freedom, justice, and patriotism, both for Cubans themselves and for millions of people in different countries around the world.”

For his part, Chinese President and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xi Jinping, also sent a congratulatory message to the island for the centenary of Castro’s birth, in which he highlighted his role “in laying the foundation for and driving forward” bilateral relations, which, he said, “have become a benchmark for cooperation between socialist countries.”

Likewise, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva thanked Fidel Castro the day before for “the encouragement” he gave to his political career and expressed hope that “fraternity and justice will persist amid adversity” for the people of Cuba, in a message sent to Havana through the intellectual and theologian Frei Betto.

Translated by GH

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

Anna Bensi: “The Goal of the Trial Is To Intimidate Everyone Who Raises Their Voice in Cuba”

“Those police officers who showed up at my door didn’t look like police, they looked like criminals”

Anna Bensi and her mother, Caridad Silvente. / Facebook/Elmis Rivero Silvente

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Madrid, August 14, 2026 / Influencer and activist Anna Sofía Benítez, known as Anna Bensi, began by posting on social media like just another content creator, with videos of humor, music, and everyday situations from her life. But as she began using those same platforms to describe what was happening around her and to denounce the problems and abuses she experienced in Cuba, pressure from State Security also began. To each episode of surveillance, interrogation, restrictions, or internet cuts, Bensi responded by doing the same thing she had started doing on social media: reporting it publicly and denouncing it. That escalating repression, she recalls in an interview with 14ymedio, eventually reached her mother as well.

Now both will have to face a criminal proceeding for distributing a video recorded at the entrance to their home this past March. The case had been shelved in April, but was reopened months later following a complaint filed by a police officer who claims to have felt offended. In conversation with this newspaper, haltingly, through audio messages, Bensi speaks from Havana about the trial, the repression she has suffered since she began raising her voice, and her decision to keep speaking out: “They’re not going to silence me.”

Question. The case against you and your mother had been shelved in April, and now the court has confirmed you will be brought to trial. How did you receive the news?

Answer. On Monday, July 6, two people from the court came to my house to inform my mom and me that they were going to open a criminal proceeding on the same charge that had continue reading

already been shelved in April. Our lawyer filed a petition to have the police officer’s complaint declared inadmissible – the officer who felt offended by the post I made in March.

Supposedly, they shelved the case in April because the police officer who considers himself offended didn’t have a lawyer to represent him, and now he does.

But since we know how things work here in Cuba, that step was practically just to buy time, because the court always follows whatever State Security orders. Obviously, they weren’t going to reject the complaint. In the end, the court decided to deny our lawyer’s petition and move forward with the process to bring us to trial.

Question. What explanation have they given you for reopening a case that had been shelved?

Answer. Supposedly, they shelved the case in April because the police officer who considers himself offended didn’t have a lawyer to represent him, and now he does. That’s the explanation they give.

But the real explanation is that this was something they had on hand and could pull out at any time. My mom and I obviously
knew that. So far, the only thing we know is that they are indeed going to bring us to trial, but there’s still no official date.

Question. The accusation is related to Article 393 of the Cuban Criminal Code, which covers “acts against personal and family privacy, a person’s own image and voice, and another person’s identity and data.” On March 10, you decided to record the officer’s arrival and publish the footage as a protective measure. If you could go back to that moment today, would you take out your phone to record it again?

Answer. Of course, I would do everything exactly the same again. I don’t regret anything at all, because I haven’t committed any crime. My statement remains the same. I posted the video on social media for my own safety and my mom’s. Honestly, when those police officers showed up at my door, they didn’t look like police officers, they looked like criminals.

I never referred to him specifically in the video, nor did I incite anyone to do anything. What other people may say about it is not my responsibility.

When we hold views that go against what the dictatorship likes, Cubans lack the favor and goodwill of the authorities. That’s why I had to expose all the repression a person suffers. Besides, the initial reason behind what those police officers brought was never even stated.

The reality is that I simply posted the video on social media to leave a record of what had happened at that moment. And if the officer felt offended by the comments and posts other people may have made, that’s no longer my problem.

I never referred to him specifically in the video, nor did I incite anyone to do anything. What other people may say about it is not my responsibility.

Question. How is your mother experiencing this whole process? Has it changed the relationship between you two, or the way you deal with pressure from the authorities?

Answer. My mom is a brave woman. She has supported me every step of the way from the very beginning. I imagine that, as a mother, she must have her worries about this whole process, but she’s also confident that we’ll come out of all this as well as possible, with God’s help. She’s standing firm, just like I am.

Question. Since March, you have both been subject to measures restricting your movement. What is your daily life like now?

Answer. The truth is, we’ve never been ones to go out much, but it’s not the same to stay home by our own choice as it is to be forced to limit ourselves by an order, especially when that order is unjust.

I haven’t been able to work anymore since State Security caused me to lose my old job.

We try not to let this whole situation affect us too much, but we’re always aware of the surveillance State Security keeps on us with every move we make.

I haven’t been able to work anymore since State Security caused me to lose my old job [at a privately run beauty salon]. Thank God, my sister who lives in the United States helps us with household expenses.

But it means living constantly with internet cuts, knowing our phones are tapped, that they listen to our calls and read our messages. Many times we’re left completely cut off.

We’re under surveillance at the house, especially around dates they don’t like, dates the dictatorship doesn’t want marked. They call the landline at the house. Sometimes they stay silent and all you can hear is breathing. Other times they identify themselves as State Security and can call at any hour.

All of this is meant to destabilize my mom and me and send a message of pressure, to let us know they’re in control.

Question. What worries you most about the trial? A possible conviction, the consequences for your freedom, or what might happen during and after the process?

Answer. Obviously we’re worried about what might come of the trial, because nothing is clear. We know that everything being done has ulterior motives. It’s an unjust process in which they’re going to look for every possible way to make it even more unjust.
What we’re really being judged for is the way we think, not the alleged crime they claim. But we don’t know what will happen that day.

What we’re really being judged for is the way we think, not the alleged crime they claim. But we don’t know what will happen that day.

Question. What do you think the Cuban regime is trying to achieve by taking this case to the courts? Do you think they want to silence you?

Answer. I started raising my voice here in Cuba since last September, and now I’m even more resolute; I’ve never once thought about staying quiet, because I haven’t done anything wrong. All I’ve done is express myself.

What’s happening is that my convictions don’t suit the Cuban dictatorship, but that’s not going to stop me. Here in Cuba we all know there’s no separation of powers. The court answers to whatever suits the dictatorship. The courts are just another arm of the dictatorship’s repressive apparatus, and I’m obviously one hundred percent certain that all of this is one more strategy to intimidate everyone who raises their voice – in this case, my mom and me.

They have a clear target, because my voice already bothers them, it makes noise for them, and they’ve made that very clear in the interrogations they’ve put me through. Since that hasn’t worked for them, they keep raising the level of repression, to see how long it takes before one gives in and they get what they want. In this case, to silence me.

Question. How important is it to you that other governments and organizations are following what’s happening to you?

Answer. I’m honestly so grateful to every media outlet that wants to give visibility to my case and my mom’s. That’s how people find out how the dictatorship operates.

It’s very important that they feel the pressure of the international press when they know what they’re committing is an injustice.

It’s very important that they feel the pressure of the international press when they know what they’re committing is an injustice. And I don’t say that just for myself, but also for all the cases of people who suffer repression in Cuba for raising their voice, and even more so for political prisoners.

Question. What would you say to a young Cuban who is thinking about starting to publicly denounce what’s happening in the country, and who sees your case now and is afraid?

Answer. Since I started this whole process, to everyone who comes up to me and says they want to raise their voice and speak their mind freely, I give them my support, but they also need to be advised.

I tell them to put their cards on the table and look at everything they could lose by staying true to their convictions. If that person is willing, then go ahead and do it.

And I also tell them to do it well, with wisdom, with strategy, and to always speak with respect. I say with strategy because we know we have to be careful. When you raise your voice in Cuba, it’s like being on a tightrope with a hundred crocodiles drooling below, waiting for the slightest slip of balance to devour you and leave nothing behind.

And another thing I always say is that, if you’re going to do it, do it without expecting anything in return.

Translated by GH.
______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

Cuban Volleyball Players Noslen Díaz and Jorge Alayo Signed by Sporting Lisbon

Both athletes had requested to leave official sports over nonpayment of more than $100,000 earned on international circuits

Cuba’s state sports apparatus lacked the mechanisms to get them the money earned through their sporting achievements. / Instagram

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Andy Lans, Matanzas, 13 August 2026 / In the summer of 2024, they thrilled all of Cuba by reaching the round of 16 in beach volleyball at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In the summer of 2026, the Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon presents them as brand-new signings for its indoor volleyball team. On a one-year contract and, as a source confirms to us, completely independent of the Cuban Volleyball Federation. That is, in short, the story of Noslen Díaz and Jorge Alayo, who seem bound by the same sporting destiny, whether on sand or on a hardwood court.

But what happened between 2024 and 2026? Unlike what happened with other promising Cuban beach volleyball pairs, Díaz and Alayo received greater opportunities to compete abroad. They played on major circuits, made more than one podium finish, reached ninth place at the 2025 Adelaide (Australia) World Championship, and made it into the world ranking’s Top 10. However, Cuba’s state sports apparatus lacked the mechanisms to get them the money earned through their sporting achievements.

According to the Facebook page CubanSp1ke, which specializes in Cuban volleyball, the debt had reached $107,000, and this was reportedly the main reason both athletes had already requested to leave Cuban sports back in February of this year.

“We’re in a new country, and if I had come alone, the emotional side might have weighed more heavily. With Noslen here, it’s easier”

In statements to Sporting Lisbon’s official website, the Villa Clara native and the Artemisa native affirmed a bond forged through spikes, blocks, and digs. Jorge Alayo said: “We’re in a new country, and if I had come alone, the emotional side might continue reading

have weighed more heavily. With Noslen here, it’s easier.” For his part, Noslen Díaz stated: “We’re still together in this new stage of our lives, and that’s fundamental. Each of us has support to count on.”

Thanks to his finishing ability and skill at blocking, Jorge Alayo, 25 years old and standing over 1.90 meters, will be moved to the opposite hitter position. Meanwhile, Noslen Díaz, 23 years old and 2.07 meters tall, will take on the outside hitter position, aiming to give the team offensive and defensive balance.

“Our program is very attractive both nationally and internationally, and this was an opportunity with two extraordinary, very young beach volleyball players who wanted to make the jump to indoor volleyball”

Joao Fidalgo, coordinator of Sporting’s volleyball program, explained the recent signings: “These signings are somewhat different from the usual ones, and we acknowledge that, but we’re also alert to every possibility the market offers us. Our program is very attractive both nationally and internationally, and this was an opportunity with two extraordinary, very young beach volleyball players who wanted to make the jump to indoor volleyball. When we learned of this, Sporting moved quickly to understand the conditions that would make it possible. We analyzed in detail the type of transition for each of them, and we’re very excited about both of their arrivals. We firmly believe this path will be best for both parties.”

Throughout its history, Sporting Lisbon has established itself as one of Portugal’s most important sports institutions. Its volleyball team is the current national champion, and its soccer and handball teams, to name just a couple of examples, are also of the highest caliber.

Translated by GH

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

Cuban Baseball: Camagüey’s Toros Offering Some Ballplayers Salaries of $800 a Month

That’s the case of Rubén Valdés, who played in Mexico; athletes recruited from the provinces will be paid $100, almost 20 times what a National Series player earns

Rubén Valdés played last season with the Indios de Múzquiz of Mexico’s Liga Norte de Coahuila.

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Havana, August 13, 2026 / The Camagüey team is offering some of its ballplayers salaries in dollars. According to the Facebook page Los Toros de Camagüey, Rubén Valdés “will be paid $800 a month plus bonus packages,” a fortune compared with the less than $6 a month a National Series athlete earns on average.

Valdés, who played last season with the Indios de Múzquiz of Mexico’s Liga Norte de Coahuila, confirmed his move to the team to the sports outlet Los Tigres Avileños Béisbol. However, he said the salary matter is personal. “There are things that sometimes don’t get talked about, and this is one of them. Right now all we have to do is play,” he said.

The Ciego de Ávila native said the money side is a matter for the club’s management, “they’re the ones who know, and they have the proposals to get the team to the playoffs.” In the same conversation, he said he had had talks with the Tigres, but the club’s management ruled him out “because of his age.” The reality, according to the player, is that “they were upset that he wasn’t part of the team for the now-concluded Liga Élite.”

Besides Valdés’s salary, the club is guaranteeing payments of $100 a month to players from other provinces joining for the National Series. An uncle of Kelbis Rodríguez confirmed his arrival at the Toros to the Facebook page Desde Las Gradas Con Andino.

Speaking to the specialized outlet Swing Completo, some athletes, whose names it withheld, confirmed the $100 salaries

Speaking to the specialized outlet Swing Completo, some athletes, whose names it withheld, confirmed the $100 salaries, though it noted that “the source of the investment is uncertain, but continue reading

the money for this project appears to be secured.”

Other names set to receive the attractive salary include Yasmani Velázquez (Guantánamo), Yonathan Martínez, Luis Miguel Vázquez, and Albert Valladares (of Mayabeque), Fernando Betanzo Jr. (Sancti Spíritus), and Leodan King Reyes (Pinar del Río). The arrival of Henry Quintero is also mentioned.

The reality is that Cuba remains one of the countries with the lowest minimum wage in the world, despite the increase published in the Official Gazette in recent months.

Elite athletes will receive 5,590 pesos (less than $10 a month) if they reach the rank of Olympic medalist. Anyone who wins a world medal will earn 4,845 pesos ($8), Pan American Games winners will be given 4,475 pesos ($7.50), and a Central American Games medal brings 4,095 pesos ($6.90). Meanwhile, players on the National Pre-Selection and National Series will be paid 3,725 pesos ($6.20), while reserves will receive 3,210 pesos ($5.40).

Translated by GH

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

With Price Caps, Profit Controls, and Fines, the Provinces Are Nullifying the Cuban Government’s Reforms

Cubans are expressing skepticism about the new “offensive against illegal activities,” which is contributing to worsening the shortage of basic necessities.

Stalls in Havana, where last week a bottle of oil was selling for 4,800 pesos. / 14ymedio

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Havana, August 13, 2026 / The Cuban government’s proposal to eliminate price caps “generally” as part of measures to liberalize the country’s exhausted economy has lasted less than two months. Faced with galloping inflation, the authorities in several provinces have decided to reintroduce controls, in addition to multiplying inspections and fines. Artemisa, Matanzas, and Holguín have gone a step further by imposing a 30% profit margin, as the central government had previously done.

In Artemisa, this latest measure came into effect this Wednesday, the day after a statement was published in the provincial press. The resolution, adopted according to the official statement “in response to the need to strengthen the mechanisms of price controls and contain speculative practices for the benefit of the population,” establishes a “mandatory” 30% profit margin for both wholesalers and retailers.

That percentage, authorities emphasize, “will be applied only once to the total cost of the product.” And they reiterate: “The resolution expressly specifies that no additional profit margin may be added at later stages of the supply chain, in order to eliminate the intermediary network that drives up the final price for the consumer.”

The “exercise,” the official newspaper says, aims to “influence the decrease of speculative prices, promote the use of digital payment channels and the use of any currency denomination in the sales process.”

In Matanzas, not only have restrictions been imposed on the benefits, but since Monday, when an operation began throughout the province, 60 fines have already been imposed for violations of the measure, in addition to the closure of seven establishments. “Among the principal illegalities detected were the lack of certification of scales used for selling products; the absence of contracts with workers; errors on continue reading

information boards; and non-compliance with reference prices,” the newspaper Girón reported.

The “exercise,” the official newspaper says, aims to “influence the decrease in speculative prices, promote the use of digital payment channels, and the use of any currency denomination in the sales process.” Noel Sánchez Roque, an official in the Matanzas provincial government, even considers the 30% profit margin cap too generous. “It doesn’t correspond to the international scenario, where these margins don’t exceed 15%, but we have to respect what the country has approved,” he said.

A similar resolution has been established in Holguín, where the provincial government justifies the measure as necessary to “curb speculation and protect Holguín families.” In its statement, published on social media on Tuesday, it also listed a long list of food and products “subject to price controls”: meat (chicken, sausages, ground meat, and cold cuts), eggs, powdered milk, imported rice, pasta, imported beans, imported sugar, oil, soap, and detergent.

The statement also announced the creation of “working groups” to monitor “the correct application of the wholesale and retail pricing policy.” “It is not about price caps!” the statement exclaimed in capital letters. “It is about ensuring the correct application of the profit margin!” the text insisted. The explanation: “The working group does not set a single selling price. What it does is guarantee that the profit margin for essential goods does not exceed 30%. Any attempt to speculate above that limit will be considered a violation of the pricing policy and will be punished to the full extent of the law.”

“There are two variants: either super expensive things appear or they disappear.”

Holguín residents, exhausted, have received the news with skepticism, and among them, the impression has spread that only self-employed workers in small communities or remote neighborhoods are being inspected, and not larger private companies. The reason, José tells 14ymedio, “is that it’s said that the vast majority of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Holguín are fronts for government officials.”

Furthermore, José acknowledges that the issue of prices in his province “is chaotic.” And he says, “There are two possibilities: either things appear extremely expensive, or they disappear.” He gives two examples: a carton of eggs at 5,000 pesos—which, being imported, often arrive rotten—and cooking oil, which “has vanished.”

The riot that erupted in Havana on Tuesday, in front of a store that was offering a bottle of sunflower oil for $2.40 – about 1,600 pesos at the current exchange rate, when it can be found for up to 6,000 pesos on the informal market – highlights a situation that is widespread throughout the country.

In the capital, an “offensive against illegal activities” has also been launched. The newspaper Tribuna de La Habana lists the names of the businesses inspected: Santi,at 26th and 41st; Home Deli, on 12th Street; Fress, in Plaza de Carlos III; El Esquinazo,at Zapata and 4th; Las Duras, on 23rd Street; and “a micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise located at the corner of 21st and Crecherie.”

The operation uncovered “essential goods being sold at inflated prices,” restrictions on “electronic payment channels,” and “the sale of expired or soon-to-expire merchandise, including items intended for children.” As a result, the report concludes, “fines were issued, forced sales were ordered, and operations were halted in the most serious cases.”

“Price caps, in practice, failed to contain inflation: they often provoked the disappearance of products, a shift towards illegality, and higher prices.”

The warning about the inspections has scared businesses in every neighborhood. A resident of Luyanó reports: “All the small and medium-sized businesses in the neighborhood are out of basic supplies. People say they’ve hidden things because the inspectors have been here since yesterday.”

Last June, as part of economic liberalization reforms, the government eliminated price caps on oil, chicken, powdered milk, and other products, after acknowledging that the controls had failed to achieve their objectives. President Miguel Díaz-Canel himself declared in a public address: “In practice, price caps failed to contain inflation: they often provoked the disappearance of products, a shift towards illegality, and higher prices, lower tax revenue, and an impossible race between real prices and administrative decisions that were always too late.”

However, according to regulations, the Municipal Administration Councils (CAM) retain the legal authority to approve or maintain price ceilings within their territories, based on the municipal autonomy granted to them by the Constitution and the legislation of the Ministry of Finance and Prices. It is this authority that provincial territories have used to reverse the Cuban state’s own liberalization measures.

The result of these restrictions will predictably be the same as in the past: null and counterproductive. The price increase cannot be explained solely by the elimination of the price cap two months ago. Cuba depends almost entirely on imports for certain products, but has increasingly less capacity to pay for them.

Adding to the lack of foreign currency are the difficulties in bringing goods into the Island: in May, the shipping companies Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM suspended deliveries to Cuba after the United States executive order that tightened restrictions on maritime transport to the Island, even going so far as to sanction the Mariel cargo terminal.

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

The Dominican Republic Expels Nine Cuban Embassy Diplomats Without Explanation

The decision deepens the regime’s isolation, after it was already forced this year to withdraw its personnel from Ecuador and Costa Rica.

The Foreign Ministry did not reveal the identities of the nine diplomats or their responsibilities within the Cuban Embassy in Santo Domingo. / X / Embassy of Cuba in the Dominican Republic

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Havana, August 13, 2026 – The Dominican Republic ordered nine members of the Cuban diplomatic mission and their families to leave the country on Thursday, in one of the most severe measures adopted by a Latin American government against Havana in recent years.

The Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave the officials and their relatives seven days to leave the country but avoided explaining the reasons for the decision. In a brief statement, the Foreign Ministry limited itself to saying that the measure was adopted in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and that it would provide no further details because they involved diplomatic communications.

Although Santo Domingo did not publicly use the expression persona non grata, the decision is consistent with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention, which allows a state to demand the withdrawal of any member of a diplomatic mission without having to justify the measure.

The lack of information has fueled speculation about a possible case involving intelligence activities or actions incompatible with diplomatic status

Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez later confirmed the expulsion and said the Government was handling the matter “with discretion” in order to preserve bilateral relations, making clear that the decision does not imply a break in ties with Cuba, but rather an action directed against specific officials. The Foreign Ministry also did not reveal the identities of the nine diplomats or their responsibilities within the Cuban Embassy in Santo Domingo. That lack of information has fueled speculation about a possible case involving intelligence activities or actions incompatible with diplomatic status.

For its part, Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the expulsion “in the strongest terms” and said its diplomats had acted in accordance with the Vienna Convention and Dominican laws. Havana attributed the decision to the supposed “submission” of Luis Abinader’s Government to pressure from the United States and presented it as part of a Washington strategy to isolate Cuba. The statement warned that the measure “seriously damages” ties between the two governments, although it maintained that it would not affect the “deep and historic ties” between the Cuban and Dominican peoples.

The scale of the measure is striking. Individual diplomatic expulsions continue reading

are usually used as political gestures or responses to specific incidents. By contrast, the simultaneous departure of nine officials is a much more exceptional action and points to a problem that Dominican authorities consider to be broader in scope.

The deterioration in relations between Santo Domingo and Havana had been evident for months. In May, President Luis Abinader said that Cuba “obviously is not a democratic state,” and in July his country abstained in the UN General Assembly vote on the resolution calling for the lifting of the U.S. embargo on the island. A year earlier, moreover, the Dominican Government had excluded Cuba, along with Venezuela and Nicaragua, from the 10th Summit of the Americas, initially scheduled to take place in Punta Cana.

Quito justified its decision in March by citing repeated interference by Cuban officials in Ecuadorian internal affairs

Santo Domingo’s decision comes just five months after Ecuador declared all Cuban embassy personnel persona non grata, ordered the closure of the diplomatic mission, and suspended relations between the two countries, in the biggest diplomatic setback Havana has suffered in the region in recent years. In response, Havana immediately withdrew all its officials and closed the diplomatic mission.

Quito justified the decision at the time by citing repeated interference by Cuban officials in Ecuadorian internal affairs, while Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the measure as “arbitrary,” “unjustified,” and “an unfriendly act.”

Two weeks later, Costa Rica announced the closure of its embassy in Havana and requested the withdrawal of Cuban diplomatic personnel from San José – with the exception of consular officials – citing the deterioration of human rights on the island and reducing bilateral relations to the consular sphere.

Cuban diplomacy is going through one of its periods of greatest isolation in Latin America

The expulsion of the nine diplomats also comes just one day after the official Cuban news agency Prensa Latina published an extensive article highlighting the historic ties between Fidel Castro and the Dominican Republic on the occasion of the centennial of the revolutionary leader’s birth. The text reviewed everything from Castro’s participation in the Cayo Confites expedition in 1947 to his official visit to Santo Domingo in 1998 and the close relationship he maintained with former President Juan Bosch.

In recent years, Havana has seen its relations deteriorate with several conservative Latin American governments, while other countries have increased criticism over the human rights situation on the island following the repression of the July 2021 protests and subsequent demonstrations. Havana is also facing a new front with Colombia. President Abelardo de la Espriella, sworn in on August 7, confirmed that he would break diplomatic relations with Cuba and Nicaragua, a decision that ends the rapprochement promoted by Gustavo Petro and leaves the island without another regional ally.

The secrecy with which both sides are handling the episode suggests that the specific reasons for the expulsion are unlikely to become known in the short term. However, the combination of a measure of this magnitude, Santo Domingo’s refusal to provide explanations, and the recent precedents involving Ecuador and Costa Rica reinforce the perception that Cuban diplomacy is going through one of its periods of greatest isolation in Latin America since the beginning of Díaz-Canel’s current term.

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

The Isolation of ‘Spiderman’ Began Before His Arrest, a Fellow Fighter Says

“They want him in prison because people saw him as a leader. He was a champion, a well-known athlete. They knew that many people could identify with him.”

“Arca said that Javier was like a brother, but when he was imprisoned, he completely turned his back on him.” / Social Media

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Havana, August 13, 2026 – The United States Department of State once again turned its attention this week to the case of Cuban fighter Javier Martín Gutiérrez, known as Spiderman. The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs recalled on X that the Cuban Mixed Martial Arts League (CFL) champion was arrested in April for peacefully expressing from the balcony of his home the hardships suffered by Cubans and denounced the fact that the regime has still not brought charges against him, “which shows that his detention is completely without grounds.”

The statement comes at an especially delicate moment for the athlete, who remains in pretrial detention while his defense has had four requests to change his precautionary measure rejected. A former training partner, who spoke with 14ymedio on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, now reconstructs the fighter’s lesser-known story: that of a champion who, according to those who shared the MMA circuit with him, had already begun to become isolated long before ending up in a cell at Combinado del Este.

“He was a healthy, calm young man and completely focused on the sport,” his former teammate says. “I never saw him involved with drugs, crime, or abusing anyone. He had an extremely high level of martial arts ability, but he was respectful even toward his opponents.”

“He always said among friends that this was a dictatorship and that communism was a disaster, but he didn’t want to make himself stand out. Until there came a moment when he simply exploded”

The testimony offers a look at a little-known period in the fighter’s life who, according to those who shared time with him beginning in 2020, already expressed a deep rejection of Cuba’s political system in private, although he avoided doing so publicly so as not to jeopardize his career.

“He always said among friends that this was a dictatorship and that communism was a disaster, but he didn’t want to make himself stand out,” he recalls. “Until there came a moment when he simply exploded.”

His protest eventually became a symbol. Images of the MMA champion denouncing the living conditions in Cuba from the balcony of his home circulated widely continue reading

on social media before his arrest. But, according to his former teammate, the break between Javier and part of the martial arts community had begun much earlier.

Martín was one of the best-known figures in the CFL and maintained a close relationship with Alejandro Arca, founder of the organization and promoter of the development of MMA in Cuba. “Outside of sports, they treated each other like brothers,” he says. However, that relationship deteriorated over time.

The interviewee maintains that the fighter began to feel marginalized within the league because of his political positions and disagreements with the project’s leadership. According to his account, Javier was convinced that they were gradually trying to push him out of the competitive circuit.

“Javier did not want to sign with Ferrante, and they didn’t like that either. They had already been pushing him aside, and that ended up making things even more complicated”

As an example, he mentions the fight in which Martín lost his championship belt. He claims that Martín was scheduled to defend the title when he had still not recovered from a submission loss a few weeks earlier, during which he was unconscious for several seconds.

The former teammate also links that deterioration to Martín’s refusal to sign a contract with Ferrante, a music producer and founder of Planes Records agency, which, he explains, commercially represents the CFL.

“Javier did not want to sign with Ferrante, and they didn’t like that either. They had already been pushing him aside, and that ended up making things even more complicated,” he maintains. According to his account, Ferrante’s relationship with Arca ultimately influenced the treatment Martín received within the organization. “Arca said that Javier was like a brother, but when he was imprisoned, he completely turned his back on him,” he says. The contrast between the recognition he received as a champion and the silence surrounding his imprisonment is evident.

Those who knew about Martín’s close relationship with several figures in the martial arts world say they expected some public show of support following his arrest. That reaction never came.

Prosecutors are trying to sustain the charge of incitement to violence based on videos recorded during his protests

Meanwhile, the fighter’s legal situation continues to deteriorate. Prosecutors are trying to sustain the charge of incitement to violence based on videos recorded during his protests, an accusation that relatives and human rights organizations consider unfounded.

For his former teammate, the case has a different explanation. “They don’t want him in prison because he is a criminal,” he says. “They want him in prison because people saw him as a leader. He was a champion, a well-known athlete. They knew that many people could identify with him.”

The fighter’s story is no longer about a belt or a victory inside the octagon. The man who for years was recognized for his discipline and ability to overcome his opponents now faces a much more unequal fight: proving his innocence from a maximum-security cell in a country without separation of powers, while the leading figures in the sport to which he devoted much of his life remain silent.

Translated by Regina Anavy

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

Cuba’s Foreign Minister Accuses the NYT of ‘Slandering’ His Government, but Does Not Comment on ‘El Congrejo’

The US continues its carrot-and-stick policy: Trump alludes to dialogue while his Defense Minister speaks again of a possible military intervention

Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, alias ‘El Cangrejo’ (The Crab), grandson of Raúl Castro, in an archive photo. / EFE/Ernesto Mastrascusa

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Madrid, August 13, 2026 / Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, on Wednesday, denounced as a “new slanderous fabrication” the article published by The New York Times (NYT) linking Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of Raúl Castro and nicknamed “El Cangrejo” (The Crab ), to a Cuban human trafficking network in Mexico. He made the statement via his X account, as usual.

In his tweet, the foreign minister stated that the NYT article “has no basis whatsoever” and was published “in fulfillment of a service to the US government.” He emphasized: “There is no link or any particiption between the Cuban government and human trafficking operations in Central America or Mexico.”

However, the minister at no point does the minister deny the possible involvement of Castro’s grandson in the criminal activities reported by the NYT. He merely distances his government, to which El Cangrejo does not belong .

Rodríguez asserts that “the authorities of that country were repeatedly advised to investigate the matter, but they never responded.”

What is “absolutely true,” he says, “is that, in bilateral conversations between the Cuban and United States governments on migration issues, with the participation of high-ranking officials from the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, between 2022 and 2024, the Cuban delegation repeatedly warned about the existence of one or more operations trafficking Cubans to the U.S., whose coordinating center was in South Florida.” Rodríguez asserts that “the authorities of that country were repeatedly advised to investigate the matter, but they never responded.”

The New York Times article, published Tuesday, linked El Cangrejo to the group known as the Cuban Mafia in Quintana Roo, in southeastern Mexico. His name was mentioned, the U.S. newspaper says, by at least two members of the organization itself, who were arrested in the United States.

One of them is José Miguel González Vidal, who was sentenced in 2023 to 25 years in prison. He reported that he gave a boat to Raúl Castro’s grandson, along with a Rolex watch, a Suzuki motorcycle, and Louis Vuitton clothing. The gifts, according to court records, were given in exchange for allowing merchandise purchased by the network in Mexico with stolen credit cards to pass continue reading

through Cuban customs.

The most serious aspect, however, is the role that the boats and other stolen goods played in the activities attributed to the Cuban Mafia in Quintana Roo. The organization was principally dedicated to trafficking thousands of migrants from Cuba to Mexico and, ultimately, to the United States. To this end, the Times noted, the mafia stole luxury boats and nautical equipment “for years,” at least since 2009, in cities across southwest Florida, from Sarasota to Naples and Marco Island.

Speaking to the US newspaper, the New York Times called the accusations “slander,” although Rodríguez Castro did not respond to requests for comment.

“As I’ve said before, and I think you’ve seen what’s happened in other cases, all options are on the table, including military ones.”

Although the Times indicated that Raúl Castro’s grandson has not been charged and it is unclear whether he is the subject of an ongoing investigation, the fact that his name appears in such a news story is significant because of the role he has played in recent months as an interlocutor and key figure in the negotiations with Washington in the dialogue that both countries have opened.

With respect to bilateral relations, on Wednesday US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth repeated his threat of a possible military intervention in Cuba. “As I’ve said before, and I think you’ve seen what has happened in other cases, all options are on the table, including military ones,” Hegseth told reporters during his visit to Panama, where he participated in an event for the military coalition led by Washington against drug cartels.

Likewise, the Secretary of Defense stated that Havana “would do well to pay attention” to the “will” of President Donald Trump, to “assert the strategic prerogatives” of the US.

After that, he boasted that “no one can compare to the United States.” Hegseth elaborated: “What foreign influence has been able to accomplish in your hemisphere has been quite insignificant.” He added: “The Russians, Cubans, Iranians, and Venezuela… The way those countries have moved closer to the United States and the Americas Cartel Coalition (A3C) shows that they understand where the balance of power lies, especially in this hemisphere. And that, without a doubt, applies to Cuba.”

Since its incursion into Venezuela to capture Nicolás Maduro in early January, the Trump administration has repeatedly raised the possibility that the same could happen with Cuba at any moment. The island is subject to an oil embargo—except for the relief provided by US imports of gasoline and diesel through private companies —and sanctions have been tightened.

At the same time, the US president has affirmed that he maintains a “flexible” posture and has publicized the opening of a dialogue. “Cuba has great properties and a beautiful coastline,” Trump said in June, after stating that unlike Venezuela, the island has no oil, in remarks in which he asserted that Cuban authorities are “very eager” to engage in dialogue with Washington.

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

Military Personnel Deployed to Locations Identified As the Sites of Attacks on Motorcyclists in Guanabacoa

Residents of the area are wondering if the aim is also to repress the population, especially in light of the events commemorating the centenary of Fidel Castro’s birth.

Several surveillance points have been deployed throughout the municipality / 14ymedio

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Havana, August 10, 2026 / A large military deployment has been extended throughout Guanabacoa, including the areas where witnesses told 14ymedio that assaults had occurred. This Sunday, several soldiers could be seen early on the corner of La Cotorra Park and the Amphitheater.

The operation, however, has generated suspicions among residents of the area, who are wondering if it is an attempt to eradicate the increasingly frequent robberies or if it is an effort to repress the population, especially given the upcoming centenary of Fidel Castro’s birth this Thursday. In recent months, protests against the endless power outages have multiplied across the island.

“They’ve set up checkpoints in many places,” a resident told this publication. He added, “There’s one right around the corner from my house. They pretend to solve the problems, but they’re really full of police, just like in dictatorships.”

From Lawton, also in Havana, a resident reports that internet speeds “have slowed” because they are expecting some kind of protest. There are plenty of reasons for this. “Yesterday we had a 20-hour blackout. Now there’s electricity, but the connection is unstable,” he adds. continue reading

“Yesterday we had a 20-hour power outage. Now there is electricity, but the connection is unstable.”

The deployment in Guanabacoa, some residents of the area agree, goes beyond simply being present in an area prone to robberies, and in fact seems to be a preventative measure against any protests against the increase in blackouts, the prices of oil and other basic necessities.

Another neighbor claims that the deployment of soldiers throughout the municipality is to prevent any “shady dealings” surrounding Fidel Castro’s birthday, a date that the regime will exploit from August 13th to December 4th.

Residents say that “checkpoints have been set up in many places” in the municipality / 14ymedio

At one point, a group of four soldiers can be seen. All of them, young, are simply chatting on what is a sunny and peaceful afternoon. Nearby, two other young men are passing the time. The weather is kind, but the arrival of night brings other challenges, among them, the increasingly frequent insecurity.

The Havana municipality becomes a “wolf’s den” when the sun goes down. The combination of power outages, deserted streets, and poor lighting has multiplied insecurity. This Sunday, this newspaper reported the theft of a moped from a couple riding after 11 p.m. “We went out because we had no other choice,” they said. In minutes, their life savings vanished before their eyes, leaving them powerless to do anything.

The combination of blackouts, deserted streets, and poor lighting has increased insecurity.

She needed internet access for her work as a community manager; he, a barber, was taking advantage of the trip to shower at a house in Regla where there was running water. They were returning home when two hooded men intercepted them and stole their electric motorcycle at knifepoint.

“They appeared from behind on a combustion engine motorcycle. The one in the back was carrying a knife. They slashed at them and pushed them with their feet to knock them down,” a person close to the victims told this media outlet.

In recent months, social media has also seen a surge in reports of stolen electric motorcycles and tricycles, along with posts from family members and neighbors trying to locate stolen vehicles or identify the perpetrators. Thefts of these vehicles are on the rise because they can be sold on the black market for up to $2,300, compared to their original price of around $1,300.

Insecurity has also affected businesses. On July 29th, a robbery was reported at the 28 de Enero MSME in the community of La Jata. Journalist Niover Licea posted a video showing two men, in broad daylight and surrounded by shoppers, waiting for the staff to be distracted before stealing equipment.

On July 29th, a robbery was reported at the 28 de Enero micro-enterprise in the community of La Jata.

At the end of June, a Cuban woman identified as Yanet Pérez publicly reported on Facebook that her home in Pueblo La Gallega was robbed on a Sunday morning, around nine o’clock, while she was not at home.

Another case involved a doctor. Three armed men broke into her home in the early hours of the morning. They threatened her with firearms, pointing them at her head and neck, and stole money, jewelry, a motorcycle, and all her belongings, including her shoes.

The complaint was filed in early July by Cuban writer Yoana Hernández Suárez, the victim’s aunt, through her social media, after receiving a message from her niece that said: “Auntie, we were robbed last night at home by three individuals with weapons. We are alive. Don’t worry.”

For one of the residents of Guanabacoa, with the military deployment in various parts of the municipality, “I suspect thieves will think twice,” especially late at night when the streets are deserted. “It might be a little easier to go out,” he says.

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

US Senator Marco Rubio Compares the Transition in Cuba to That of Eastern Europe, Which “Took Between Three and Five Years”

“Our country is interested in having a secure, stable Cuba aligned with the United States. I feel the same way about Venezuela,” the Secretary of State said in an interview on Katie Miller’s podcast.

Marco Rubio and his wife, Jeanette, during their interview with Kate Miller. / Screenshot/Katie Miller Podcast

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Madrid, August 12, 2026 / “I am certain that Cuba, before this administration ends, will be on an irreversible path toward a very different future.” This was the emphatic statement made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an interview with his wife, Jeanette, on Katie Miller’s podcast, published this Tuesday.

Asked whether the Island is next on the list after the capture and removal of Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, Rubio seemed confident, but warned: “You can’t have something in the same place for 70 years, with deep roots, and think that overnight you can uproot it all and plant something completely new. A transition and a process have to occur.” In that respect, he cited the fall of the Berlin Wall in Eastern Europe as an illustrative example.

“We saw that it took between three and five years for the countries of Eastern Europe to become what we know today,” he recalled. “Poland is probably the best example.” And he emphasized that “Cuba will be on that path, well advanced on that path,” given the priority given to the island by the current administration. “Nothing can ever be guaranteed,” he added, “but it is certainly a priority, because it is in our national interest.”

“I worry about Cuba, obviously I have a personal connection, but I don’t work for Cuba, I work for the United States.”

On this point, he emphasized: “I worry about Cuba, obviously I have a personal connection, but I don’t work for Cuba, I work for the United States, and I believe it is in our country’s national interest to have a secure and stable Cuba aligned with the U.S. I feel the same way about continue reading

Venezuela.”

Regarding the incursion against Maduro, Katie Miller asked Jeanette Rubio if she noticed him nervous at home during those days, and if she could guess that something big was happening in the world because of his change in behavior. She said that she “knew something was going on because he was constantly going in and out; we didn’t do anything during the holidays, but I didn’t know exactly what.” Jeanette maintains that aside from being “busier, on the phone, and thinking,” her husband always remains “calm and relaxed.”

In a relaxed tone, the reporter alternated questions between the two, focusing more on informal topics than on matters related to Rubio’s position. When asked if his predecessors had given him any advice before taking office, the official said, “Yes, some,” but that “more than advice, they shared their impressions.” The Secretary of State affirmed that, in any case, “much of what we do depends on the times you live in.” He continued, “If you were Secretary of State in the middle of the Cold War, or after 9/11, it was a very different world from the one we’re facing right now.” Ultimately, he said, it’s a position that “works for the president,” and depends on who occupies the White House, in his case, Donald Trump.

The program included a segment in which, during the 2016 Republican primaries in which they faced off, Miller referred to him as “Little Marco” after asking if he had considered a rapper name for him, such as “Lil Marco,” given his fondness for that music. The Secretary of State dodged the joke: “No, I wouldn’t be a good rapper, but I could be a good producer.”

Rubio also recounted, amused, the moment Trump offered him the position: “He just called me and told me,” he said. “I think I had even posted it already, and then he told me. And I was happy to do it, I felt honored. He’s not so much about ‘are you interested in being?’ as ‘hey, you’re going to be,’ and I said, ‘okay, let’s do it.’”

They both agreed to answer the question about the secret to a happy marriage. “You answer that question,” Jeanette urged. “There’s no secret,” he countered. And she continued, “You have to have a friendship.” After explaining that he forgives offenses more easily than she does, Marco Rubio concluded, “People watch movies and think that marriage is something where you’re happy all the time. And it’s not. You enter into a partnership to share life, and life is hard.”

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

New Record Number of Political Prisoners in Cuba, Including a 13-year-old

Prisoners Defenders documents 36 new additions to its list and denounces the increase in arrests following the blackout protests

Alex Javier Hernández González remains in the prison known as El Combinadito / Facebook

14ymedio bigger 14ymedio, Havana, August 12, 2026 / The intensification of repression in Cuba has resulted in a new record number of political prisoners in July. According to the most recent report from the organization Prisoners Defenders (PD), 1,327 people are currently imprisoned in Cuba for political reasons, including Alex Javier Hernández González, a 13-year-old minor.

“Repression reaches a child beaten and imprisoned,” PD reports in a publication this Wednesday. The minor was detained without an arrest warrant or judicial supervision on July 22nd following protests in Santiago de Las Vegas, Boyeros, Havana. According to his mother, the teenager was walking along the road connecting that town to Wajay, near the Mulgoba neighborhood, when police officers, in response to the protests, began chasing and arresting people in the area.

Alex Javier “was found observing what was happening and tried to get away when he noticed the presence of the agents, but he was quickly caught. His mother reported that four uniformed police officers hit him on the head, neck, and back. During the assault, the minor pleaded, ‘Don’t hit me anymore, I’m a boy.’ When she was later able to see him, the woman confirmed his injuries and found her son crying and asking her to call his father,” the NGO stated.

After his arrest, he was taken to the Calabazar police station. Although he was supposed to be taken to a clinic to have a medical certificate issued documenting his injuries, the police suspended his transfer, claiming that “a signature was missing.” “At the same time, they tried to blame the protesters for the beating, a version that the minor himself contradicted by identifying four uniformed police officers as the perpetrators of the assault,” PD points out. continue reading

“They tried to blame the protesters for the beatings, a version that the minor himself contradicted by identifying four uniformed police officers as the perpetrators of the attack.”

For now, Alex Javier remains in El Combinadito, a juvenile detention center run by the Ministry of the Interior in Guanabacoa. His arrest occurred without a warrant or any judicial oversight, and the charges against him and the authorities’ decision regarding his situation are not publicly known.

The minor was one of 36 new additions to the Prisoners Defenders list, 15 of them linked to protests, in a month marked by the fifth anniversary of the mass Island-wide protests of 11 July 2021. Of those cases, 13 were concentrated in the east and east-central parts of the country, where prolonged blackouts,the  lack of water, and the collapse of other essential services have created fertile ground for the population to stage new pot-banging protests [cacerolazos] and demonstrations.

The detentions, according to the organization, affect a broad mosaic of society: protesters, artists, journalists, activists, and people who were simply performing acts of solidarity.

Prisoners Defenders also reported that the persecution “was not limited to those who took to the streets. Two artists were arrested for staging and recording a performance against the blackouts; other activists were imprisoned for denouncing the crisis and calling for demonstrations, and digital creators were investigated for disseminating critical content.”

In addition, patterns of malnutrition, torture, and deprivation of medical care continue to be observed among those who remain imprisoned: 459 political prisoners suffer from serious medical conditions, the Madrid-based organization warned.

Patterns of malnutrition, torture, and denial of medical care continue to be observed among those who remain imprisoned.

The report also highlights the recent enactment of Decree 160/2026, which prohibits periodical publications and information activity by all non-state economic actors, legally closing any loopholes for the independent press, which is already persecuted in practice.

The document emphasizes the increasingly frequent use of forced expatriation. Examples include the cases of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, deported after serving his full sentence; Yosvany Rosell García Caso, whom the prison administration informed would be “sent out of Cuba,” a fact his family denounces as a violation of his right to remain in the country; and Roilán Álvarez Rensoler, whose release depends on his family buying him a ticket to leave Cuba.

“Leaving the country is presented as the only alternative to regaining freedom,” notes Prisoners Defenders. Exile, the report emphasizes, “adds uprooting, family separation, and the silencing of a critical voice within the national territory.”

______________________

COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.