Translating Cuba – English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island

There Are Towns in Cuba That Have Been Without Electricity for More Than 100 Days, Says the Minister of Energy

The general manager of the thermoelectric plant, Antonio Guiteras, attributes the delay in maintenance to the World Cup.

Many pieces of equipment are damaged when that product fails, some of them “special transformers, difficult to replace.” / Cubadebate

14ymedio, Madrid, July 31, 2026 / The issue that robs Cubans of their sleep and prevents any kind of economic recovery on the island went almost unnoticed in the official press coverage of the National Assembly’s summer session. And it is that the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, revealed a chilling statistic during his appearance before the deputies. “There are communities and population centers that have gone up to 105 days without electricity,” the official said. Almost a third of the year.

The official appeared on Wednesday, during the first of two days of parliamentary meetings, to address the “extremely tense” situation facing the national electricity system. His remarks, reported by the official newspaper Granma, offered nothing new: that US sanctions “have exacerbated the difficulties in maintaining power generation,” that the government is monitoring the situation, that renewable energy capacity has been expanded but is still insufficient to compensate for the shortages, and that it is necessary to increase national sovereignty using the island’s oil, gas, and solar resources…

De la O Levy then referred to the effort needed to “more firmly confront the theft of dielectric oil,” since it affects not only the electrical service but also the water supply. Many pieces of equipment are damaged when this product fails, some of them “special transformers, difficult to replace, which has caused some settlements to remain without electricity for many days,” Granma reported. What the official media outlet omitted was the statement, reported by Canal Caribe, that there are entire towns that have gone more than one hundred days without power, apparently without a solution in sight.

De la O Levy then referred to the effort that needs to be made to “more firmly confront the theft of dielectric oil,” since it affects the electricity service, but also the water supply.

The minister stated that these transformers “are circuits with old, outdated voltages that are difficult to acquire; and there are constant thefts: thefts of transformers, thefts from water pumps, thefts of dielectric oil.” He added that they are not like a thermoelectric plant, where “if a unit breaks down, it cools down and is repaired, even if it only lasts two days.”

Cubans are already well aware of this, accustomed to the ups and downs of the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas, to which the provincial newspaper Girón dedicated a very informative special report this Thursday, providing a technical overview of its condition. The thermoelectric plant is not the oldest on the island, much less so: Renté, which turns 60 this year, is much older.

However, it has ten more than it should theoretically have. Built in 1988 with French technology and the last subsidies from the USSR, the Matanzas plant, the largest in the country, has gone “more than 15 years without a major repair, but also without enough time to carry out continue reading

diagnostic work,” says Román Pérez Castañeda, the unit’s general director, in the statement.

“Shortly after being synchronized for the last time, we realized there was a fault in a superheater tube; however, since steam is circulating through it, the plant continues to operate, albeit with high water consumption. At dawn on the 26th, there was another outage due to a fault in an economizer tube. This time we had two breakdowns: one in the low-pressure superheater and another in the economizer,” he explains regarding the most recent outage at Guiteras.

The manager explains the technical details of how a team, working grueling 12-hour shifts on such a dangerous job, struggles to resolve the constant problems plaguing the power plant. “Just the economizer and superheater failures require about 50 people to work,” he reveals, a real headache in times of labor shortages.

“Before, at our thermoelectric plant, having 20 or 25 highly qualified welders (…) was not unusual. Nowadays, finding seven or eight is almost impossible.”

In the same report, Pérez explains that mass emigration is severely impacting the plant. “We’ve lost many good, qualified people who have decided to change their work plans and have moved to other countries,” he notes.

“Before, at our thermoelectric plant, having 20 or 25 highly skilled welders (…) was not unusual. Nowadays, finding seven or eight is almost impossible.”

The manager also explains that the thermoelectric plant is fundamental for the proper functioning of the system, but his response to the journalist’s question about why the major maintenance announced a year ago keeps being postponed is surprising. “From a material standpoint, I was saying that we’ve been ready for over a month to carry out a massive replacement of the economizer. But then summer arrived, the World Cup, the Cuban people’s desire for a well-deserved vacation without major power outages in their homes; and the extended shutdown of the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin has an impact,” he blurts out.

Pérez mentioned, again, the problems the embargo poses for repairs. The official pointed out that the problem isn’t only the import of parts; there is also the issue of contracting. He further warned that it’s no longer just the US, but also France and Germany, due to pressure from Washington, which has led many companies to “desist” from working with Cuba. “We have most of what we need, but not everything, and that has to do with what some people refuse to understand exists: the blockade. We received a visit from a UN rapporteur who sought evidence and became convinced that the impact is real,” he stated.

The picture accurately reflects the current situation. This Thursday, during peak hours, the outage affected 2,042 megawatts, slightly less than the previous day. Perhaps that is why, speaking about territorial inequalities in energy distribution, De la O Levy told Parliament: “There isn’t enough energy to go around.”

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Two Cuban Baseball Players Abandon the Island and Are Already Training at Academies in the Dominican Republic

Víctor Manuel Denis is training at the Alex Sánchez Academy, while Richard Bouquet is with Bailli Baseball.

Denis is an athletic outfielder who runs the 60-yard dash in 6.3 seconds. / Francys Romero

14ymedio, Havana, July 30, 2026 — The abandonment of baseball players from Cuba shows no sign of slowing down. Between Monday and Wednesday, 21-year-old Víctor Manuel Denis and 17-year-old Richard Bouquet flew to the Dominican Republic, where they will pursue opportunities to sign with a Major League Baseball (MLB) team in the United States.

Denis’ case has attracted the most attention. Last year, the Guantánamo native was left off Cuba’s Under-23 national team that won the bronze medal at the Pan American Baseball Championship. He was not selected despite posting a .440 batting average and finishing among the top four hitters in total hits during the tournament, as journalist Pavel Otero pointed out at the time. “I have no doubt that the other outfielders selected have good numbers, but we shouldn’t leave the player from Guantánamo at home when he produced just as well,” Otero said.

Journalist Francys Romero reported that Denis will continue developing his skills at the academy run by former Major League player Alex Sánchez. The academy is also home to Cuban players Oliver Monteagudo and Alex Batista, who also chose to leave Cuban baseball.

According to Romero, Denis “is an athletic outfielder who runs the 60-yard dash in 6.3 seconds. He is a contact hitter with continue reading

strong defensive skills and power.”

Richard Bouquet, the other player who left Cuba, will train at Bailli Baseball. / Francys Romero

Other players who have trained at the Alex Sánchez Academy have gone on to sign professional contracts, including Jordan Pérez, who signed with the San Diego Padres for a $300,000 bonus, and Kevin Álvarez, who signed with the Houston Astros for a $2 million bonus. In addition, José Junior Muñiz and Cristhian Lías are reportedly close to agreements with organizations such as the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Bouquet will train at Bailli Baseball. “With a couple of months of work, he will probably improve his tools and be close to turning professional by signing with a Major League franchise,” Romero estimated.

The Holguín native represented Cuba at the 2025 U18 World Cup and throws between 90 and 91 miles per hour.

Last July, this newspaper reported that four Cuban baseball players between the ages of 17 and 19 achieved their dream of signing with Major League Baseball organizations in the United States. Rodelvis Santiesteban signed with the Chicago Cubs and received a $20,000 signing bonus.

César Morales reached an agreement with the New York Mets. The pitcher left Cuba in June of last year after previously playing for Cuba’s Under-17 national team.

In early June, Jonathan Torres reached an agreement with the Baltimore Orioles for the current international signing period. Meanwhile, catcher Andy González signed with the Houston Astros on May 30 in the Dominican Republic.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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“Never Before Has There Been So Much Lying in Public Health, Everything Is Inflated, Nothing Is True”

Cuban doctors denounce the lack of resources, their low salaries, and the poor working conditions.

The line for X-rays at Calixto García Hospital in Havana. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Natalia López Moya/Mercedes García, Havana/Sancti Spíritus, July 27, 2026 / “With what I earn at my job, plus the classes I teach and the occasional participation in a scientific event, I don’t even make $25 a month in salary.” Dante, a name changed to avoid reprisals against this Cuban neurologist, is speaking. Neurology is a prestigious profession in any country, but in Cuba, it’s an incentive to flee . “I live with my mother, and she helps me a lot by preparing snacks and lunches for me to take to work, but I wouldn’t have any of that if it weren’t for the help of my sister, who deserted from her mission in Brazil and helps us a lot from there,” he says.

A specialist at one of the most important hospitals in Havana’s Vedado district, the doctor believes his work is “at half capacity every day.” A resident of the eastern zone of the Cuban capital, he must cross the bay tunnel daily to reach his practice. “They say they guarantee us transportation, but everything is very unreliable . The schedules always clash with our free time because it’s almost always late getting us home.”

“I can’t detect a problem just by looking at the patient. I need to have devices on hand to measure and review neurological responses.”

The low salary and the poor conditions for getting to work each day are not, in any case, the worst of it. “My work is with the brain. I can’t detect a problem just by looking at the patient. I need to have devices on hand to measure and review neurological responses,” he explains to this newspaper. “I can’t just improvise, put a piece of wood on a fracture to immobilize it, or recommend chamomile tea to my patient to soothe their itchy skin. My specialty often doesn’t allow for substituting diagnostic methods, much less medications.”

His short-term goal is “to finish this stage of direct patient care, try to find an academic position that will relieve me of having to deal with hospital problems every day, and from there, look for a scholarship abroad.” He concludes, “I’d rather never see urban healthcare centers again, not even in photos.” It’s the same path that thousands upon thousands of professionals like him have taken.

In 2021, the year of the pandemic, Cuba had 106,131 registered doctors, but the catastrophe, which overwhelmed healthcare systems across much of the world, marked a before and after for Cuba. Just two years later, there were only continue reading

80,763 doctors in Cuba. The most recent data, from 2024, indicates that there are 75,364 registered doctors on the island, but the figures for 2025 and the current year promise to be catastrophic. The crisis is worsening, resources are increasingly inadequate, and staff cannot endure grueling shifts without the means to combat disease.

“They force us, for example, to do more than 20 consultations a day, which nobody believes can be done under these conditions.”

“I spend all day filling out paperwork, and almost everything I have to write is a lie. They force us, for example, to do more than 20 consultations a day, which no one can believe is possible under these conditions,” denounces Elsa. She is a nurse at a family doctor’s office in Nuevo Vedado, and she complains about the excessive forms and bureaucratic reports she has to fill out every day, which are killing the enthusiasm she felt for her profession a few years ago.

“We also have to report some 15 cases in the field every day, whether we have to visit a bedridden patient or go to the home of a newborn to check on them, but even that number isn’t credible; it’s never met, but we have to record that it was done.” For Elsa, “never before has there been so much lying in Public Health; everything is inflated, nothing is the truth.” She believes that these falsehoods not only distort the figures that health authorities present regarding primary care in Cuba but also “have the staff very upset and frustrated.” In her case, she is also seriously considering resigning. “I feel ashamed to face patients anymore; I no longer have the energy to keep lying so much.”

The occupation of these premises, intended for the Family Doctor program, has become a common practice throughout the Island

The same thing is happening to Yadira, a nurse at a medical clinic in the city of Sancti Spíritus. The doctor, who graduated more than a decade ago, arrived last week at the clinic where she has worked for the past five years. “We haven’t had a doctor at the clinic for a while, but I’ve continued to see patients in the area, taking their blood pressure, treating some diabetics in the neighborhood, and also taking care of some of the pregnant women,” she told 14ymedio.

“That Wednesday, when I arrived at the clinic, it turned out that the night before, a homeless family had broken in by breaking down the door.” The occupation of these premises, designated for the Family Doctor program, has become a common practice across the island. “It was a very tense situation because I had to do my job, and they were there, lying on the floor on a mat with small children who were very distressed by everything they were experiencing.” The nurse called the police, but “they didn’t arrive until after I had finished my shift.” Yadira had to treat the patients “in a small corner of the doorway.”

So far, the family has not left the clinic, and the police have not been able to evict them. “I haven’t been able to work anymore because there are no suitable conditions there. I’m currently going to the Polyclinic to try to continue treating the diabetic patients I had under my care, but I don’t have a space; I’m practically doing it in a hallway. I can’t continue like this because I can’t. I have neither the resources nor a place to practice my profession.”

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Havana Chronicles: A Tour of the Ruins of the Gaesa Empire

A tour of El Vedado reveals the decline of the commercial network that the military built to control remittances, tourism, and foreign currency stores.

Fincimex office on 23rd Street in Havana’s Vedado neighborhood. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, Yoani Sánchez, July 29, 2026 / There are buildings that collapse with a crash, while others crumble in silence. The former Fincimex card processing center on 23rd Street in Vedado belongs to the latter category. I walk past its entrance and barely find a faded sign still proclaiming the grandeur of a company that once controlled a significant portion of the dollars entering the country. Behind the dusty windows, there are no longer lines, nor rushed employees, nor Cubans waiting to receive the magnetic card that unlocked the door to the remittances sent by an emigrant relative. Only the echo of a bygone era remains.

For years, that building was a funnel through which the money of thousands of families flowed. The prosperity within their homes fit on a plastic card with a magnetic strip and the Fincimex seal. You had to wait days to get one, but whoever left with the card in hand felt like they had conquered a lifesaver. Today, the building stands abandoned, the plaster is peeling from the walls, and silence has taken the place where impatience once reigned.

I cross the sidewalk and retrace my steps. The heat turns the asphalt into a griddle, and the shade from the trees is scarce. On the way, I enter one of those dollar markets that, just a few years ago, symbolized the power of Cimex, that immense business network of the Business Administration Group SA (Gaesa), the military conglomerate that wanted to control almost everything: remittances, hotels, hard currency stores, imports, ports, and even the last centavo a Cuban received from continue reading

abroad.

The bags of frozen chicken that some employees received as an incentive disappeared, as did the transportation that picked them up and took them to the door of the establishment.

The employee barely looks up when I walk through the door. She’s fanning herself with a folded piece of cardboard while she waits for her shift to end. Her face is tired, and her sour expression gives the lie to that self-satisfied image many Cimex employees used to project, when working there was considered a privileged position. I ask her about a product, and she answers listlessly. Before I can press her, she sighs, “I haven’t even had a snack.”

She doesn’t need to tell me more. Her very appearance tells the whole story. Gone are the bags of frozen chicken some employees received as a bonus, the transportation that picked them up and took them to the door of the establishment, the food rations that arrived punctually, and even the discreet tips left by customers grateful for having found a liter of oil or a package of detergent. Now, without US coins for change and giving change in bouillon cubes or candy, almost no one leaves them a cent, not even in Cuban bills.

Decadence has a peculiar way of equalizing people. Workers who once seemed to belong to a commercial elite now share the same weariness as the rest of the country. Their privileges evaporated as quickly as the products began to run out on the shelves.

I go down to the sea. The landscape around the Grand Aston Hotel is disconcerting. The facilities look impeccable, but a silence reigns that is unusual for a tourist establishment. The only sound is the persistent crashing of the waves against the nearby Malecón, the seawall. It is hard to believe that this was one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by Gaviota, owned by the Cuban military, and managed in partnership with a foreign partner who eventually left the island. Where a constant flow of visitors was once promised, now stillness and a sense of waiting prevail.

The sanctions imposed from Washington hit precisely the nodes where the conglomerate had accumulated the most influence

For years, Gaesa built an economic empire with the ambition of controlling every profitable corner of the country. Remittances ended up under Fincimex; tourism fell into the hands of Gaviota; stores selling goods in freely convertible currency sprouted like mushrooms under the TRD* [Tiendas Recaudadoras de Divisas] and Caribe umbrellas; imports and much of the logistics also came under its control. It seemed an impregnable model, a machinery designed to concentrate resources and power.

But that very concentration ultimately was converted into its greatest weakness. The sanctions imposed from Washington struck precisely at the nodes where the conglomerate had amassed the most influence. When the center of the system began to falter, the shockwave reached offices, shops, hotels, and workers who had built their lives around that gigantic structure.

While I retrace my steps, I look again at the Fincimex building on 23rd Street. I think that ruins aren’t always mountains of rubble. There are also administrative, commercial, and symbolic ruins. They remain standing, with closed doors and signs still hanging, as if awaiting an impossible return. Perhaps that is the ultimate fate of empires that wanted to encompass too much: to discover, when it’s too late, that size can also be a form of fragility.

*Translator’s note: TRD, Tiendas Recaudadoras de Divisas, translates literally to “Stores Collectors of Hard Currencies”

The “Havana Chronicles” series can be read here.

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Cuba Falls Behind in Third Place in the Central American and Caribbean Games Medal Standings

The authorities’ goal of finishing among the top three in the medal table is threatened by Venezuela.

Cuba’s men’s quadruple sculls team won the silver medal this Wednesday. / Jit

14ymedio, Havana, July 29, 2026 – Cuba is clinging by a thread to third place in the medal standings at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo. As of this Wednesday, the country has 15 gold medals, far behind first-place Mexico, which has already accumulated 56 golds, and Colombia, with 34, while holding only a slight edge over Venezuela, which already has 12.

During Wednesday’s events, the Island had already added three medals, although none were gold. The first two of the day came in rowing, both silver. In the men’s quadruple sculls event, the Cuban team posted a time of 6:39.18, behind Mexico with 6:31.18, while Venezuela finished third with 6:48.98.

The same podium was repeated in the women’s event. Cuba finished in 7:46.52, behind the favored Mexican team, which clocked 7:44.06. The Venezuelans finished a distant third with continue reading

8:06.36.

Minutes later, in archery, in the mixed recurve event, the pair of Hugo Franco and Larisa Pagán defeated Panama’s duo 5-1 in the bronze medal match.

The Cuban delegation will compete today in swimming, speed skating, softball, diving, beach and indoor volleyball, field hockey, racquetball, and handball

For today, the Cuban delegation is scheduled to compete in swimming, speed skating, softball, diving, beach and indoor volleyball, field hockey, racquetball, and handball.

As for Tuesday’s medal haul, the Cuban delegation in the Dominican Republic collected eight medals, four of them gold. The first came in taekwondo, after winning the mixed team Kyorugui event with a 2-0 victory over the Dominican Republic. Later, in rowing, Cuba’s men’s quadruple sculls crew won the event with a time of 6:20.87.

The third gold came in rapid chess. Roxángel Obregón was crowned champion on the second board of the women’s Blitz tournament. Finally, Taymara Oropesa won the women’s singles badminton title after rallying to defeat Mexico’s Vanesa García.

The Island also collected four silver medals on Tuesday. In the women’s quadruple sculls rowing event, Cuba finished second with a time of 7:11.81, behind Mexico, which recorded 7:10.96.

Two chess medals were also won thanks to Daniel Hidalgo Díaz, on the second men’s board, and Ineymig Hernández Gil

Two chess medals were also won thanks to Daniel Hidalgo Díaz, on the second men’s board, and Ineymig Hernández Gil, on the first women’s board.

Likewise, veteran cyclist Marlies Mejías returned to the podium in track cycling, this time by taking second place in the points race. It was the athlete’s second medal at the Central American Games. Last Saturday, she won gold in the time trial.

Tuesday’s medal haul, however, was overshadowed by the defection of rower Leah Daniela Almeida, the second recorded within the Cuban delegation during the regional event. The athlete, born in Máximo Gómez, in the Matanzas municipality of Perico, left the Cuban delegation just two days after winning the bronze medal in the women’s lightweight double sculls alongside Ana Laura Jiménez.

The withdrawals of Olympic wrestling champion Luis Orta, who is suffering from an arboviral illness, and boxer Erislandy Álvarez, who is still recovering from surgery for an inguinal hernia, were also reported. Both were considered strong contenders for medals.

Tuesday’s medal haul, however, was overshadowed by the defection of rower Leah Daniela Almeida

So far, in addition to its 15 gold medals, Cuba has won 16 silver and 20 bronze medals, for a total of 51.

With a delegation of 504 athletes, Cuba arrived with the goal of finishing among the top three in the medal standings, a modest objective considering that the Island has historically dominated the regional competition. Of the 24 editions of the Games, Cuba has won 12. It also remains the all-time leader in the medal table, with 1,934 gold medals, including those won in this edition, well ahead of second-place Mexico, which has 1,574.

However, the last time Cuba finished first in the competition was in 2014 in Veracruz. The last two editions, Barranquilla 2018 and San Salvador 2023, were won by Mexico, leaving the Island in third place, matching its worst historical performance in the competition, similar to its results in Panama 1938 and Kingston 1962.

Translated by Regina Anavy
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Havana, a Dead City, Faces an Unprecedented Blackout Today

The Elecric Union (UNE) Forecasts a Record 2,380-Megawatt Shortfall During Peak Hours.

Exterior of the Cuban Art Factory, completely dark. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Darío Hernández, Havana, July 29, 2026 – Cuba’s Electric Union (UNE) forecast a record shortfall of 2,380 megawatts (MW) during peak hours this Wednesday, a figure that, if realized, would further deepen the paralysis of a country battered by blackouts, the lack of transportation, and the deterioration of its cultural spaces. The outlook was already bleak last weekend, when a nighttime tour by 14ymedio through several central areas of the capital confirmed that Havana is dead.

It was around nine at night, and only a few cars were traveling along Línea Street. The sidewalks were empty, the building facades blended into the darkness, and the few buildings that still had some light looked like isolated islands in a deserted city. There were no groups of young people walking, no couples looking for a place to sit, and no audience waiting to enter a concert. “There’s nowhere to go,” summed up a young man from Havana. The darkness swallowed everything.

And this Wednesday threatens to be even worse. UNE estimates that during the period of highest consumption there will be demand for 3,200 MW compared with availability of just 850 MW, enough to cover little more than a quarter of the country’s needs (26.5%). If the projected 2,380 MW shortfall is reached, the figure will surpass the record of 2,341 MW recorded on July 8.

If the projected 2,380 MW shortfall is reached, the figure will surpass the record of 2,341 MW recorded on July 8

Although Havana has traditionally received more favorable treatment than the provinces, prolonged outages now frequently affect large areas of the capital. The deterioration of the electrical system coincides with the fuel shortage, the collapse of public transportation, the prohibitive cost of taxis, rising violence, and the loss of continue reading

purchasing power. Going out at night has become a difficult undertaking even before choosing a destination.

And there are not many destinations left to choose from either. In front of the entrance to the Cuban Art Factory (Fábrica de Arte Cubano) this past weekend, there were no lines, conversations, or street vendors. The building remained closed and completely dark. For more than a decade, the former industrial building has been one of the busiest centers of Havana nightlife. Its halls hosted exhibitions, concerts, theater, dance, cinema, and parties that could last until dawn. Now, the vertical FAC letters were barely visible beside the walls.

At the beginning of June, the venue announced a pause in its regular programming without specifying when it would fully resume activities, although it later reopened for some individual events. Its management said it needed to reorganize in the face of difficulties that were part of “a broader context.”

During the 14ymedio tour, the vehicle’s headlights were at times the only source of illumination. / 14ymedio [view video here]

The electrical crisis had already pushed the institution to the brink. In October 2023, the consumption plan assigned by the authorities only allowed it to operate two days a month instead of the usual sixteen. To keep some events going, it resorted to generators and even asked the public to bring their own sources of lighting.

The current closure has not been attributed exclusively to the blackouts, but it is impossible to separate it from a crisis that drives up fuel costs, makes air conditioning difficult, paralyzes equipment, and drives audiences away. Without electricity, the lights, sound system, refrigerators, and ventilation do not work; without transportation, there is no way to get home after a performance.

The paralysis extends along Línea Street, an avenue that for decades connected some of El Vedado’s main cultural venues. The street is home to theaters, cinemas, Café Brecht, and bars where musicians, actors, students, and audiences used to continue the night after performances. That night there was no trace of that activity.

The crisis at the Bertolt Brecht Cultural Center began even before the current worsening situation. The failure of its transformer left part of the facilities without adequate conditions, forced limitations on the use of its halls, and turned the heat into yet another enemy for artists and audiences.

The paralysis extends along Línea Street, an avenue that for decades connected some of El Vedado’s main cultural venues

Havana has always built part of its identity around the night. Cabarets, jazz clubs, theaters, cinemas, concerts, and cultural gatherings survived different periods of hardship. Even during the harshest years of the Special Period, when public transportation collapsed and the overcrowded camellos [‘camel buses‘] appeared, meeting places capable of sustaining some cultural life endured.

Now it is not just a matter of lacking electricity. There is also a lack of audiences, artists, fuel, transportation, and money. Many young people have emigrated; others remain in their homes to make use of the few hours of electricity or to avoid walking through completely dark streets.

During the 14ymedio tour, the vehicle’s headlights were at times the only source of illumination. They revealed trees, walls, parked cars, and closed entrances for a few seconds before everything disappeared again. The camera was not capturing a sleeping city, but a paralyzed city.

The forecast of a record 2,380 MW shortfall provides a technical measure of the disaster. Havana’s nightlife offers another one, visible in miles of avenues without pedestrians, closed cultural institutions, and an entire generation with nowhere to go. The capital that once prided itself on never sleeping can no longer even keep its lights on.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Blackouts Prevent Filling Building Water Tanks in Matanzas, Cuba

With the bay at their feet, many residents along Vía Blanca are forced to buy water from private tanker trucks

14ymedio, Matanzas, Julio César Contreras, July 29, 2026 / From the third-floor balcony of her apartment, Marianela looks out at the bay of Matanzas as if contemplating an irony. The water stretches out calmly until it disappears into the horizon, but in her kitchen there is barely anything left at the bottom of the plastic tank where she stores the water she uses for cooking, bathing, and cleaning. Leaning her elbows on the railing, she dials her son’s number. “Bring me at least a gallon,” she asks him. She has gone twenty days without a stable water supply, and every call is a mix of appeal and resignation.

In the multifamily buildings that line Vía Blanca, peeling façades, balconies left open to catch a bit of breeze, and gardens ravaged by neglect conceal a routine marked by scarcity. From the street it looks like any other neighborhood: a neighbor chatting under a doorway, a child crossing the hallway of a block, a motorcycle parked by the entrance. But just crossing the threshold of the buildings is enough to find rows of buckets, empty containers, and cisterns that no one expects to see full anymore.

“The power comes on for a little while every 48 hours, and there isn’t enough time to pump the water up to the rooftop tanks. No matter how quickly the pump switches on, there’s no way to supply the 24 apartments in this building,” Marianela tells 14ymedio. At 61, she lives alone and says she never imagined hygiene would become a luxury. “I bathe with a bucket, wash dishes with a little pitcher, and clean the house when I can. If I’m struggling, imagine what it’s like where four or five people live. If this keeps up, we’ll have to haul water from the bay, because the Government promises a lot and doesn’t send so much as continue reading

a single tanker truck.”

“The power comes on for a little while every 48 hours, and there isn’t enough time to pump the water up to the rooftop tanks. No matter how quickly the pump switches on, there’s no way to supply the 24 apartments in this building”

The desperation is made even more bitter by the fact that a water treatment plant stands just a few blocks away. And yet its proximity does nothing to stop many neighbors from having to buy five liters of water for 650 pesos or walk to an evangelical church where they are allowed to fill a couple of containers. The everyday landscape has filled with people carrying containers of every size, which have become an extension of their arms.

“There have been days when we’ve only washed our faces and the sweatiest parts of our bodies,” says a state employee, pointing to the four-story building where he lives with his wife and young daughter. “The elevated tanks should be filled every day, but with the blackouts they go two, even three weeks empty.” Only a few hours earlier the family had traveled across half the city to El Naranjal to shower at his in-laws’ house. “We at least have that option. But what do people who have nowhere to go do?” he asks.

In his building the problem doesn’t end with the lack of electricity. Water also fails to reach the cistern with enough pressure, so the entire supply chain breaks down. Complaints to the Poder Popular, he says, have only ever received the same explanation. “It all ends up running into the wall of the internal blockade,” he says wryly. Tired of waiting, several neighbors organized a collection to hire a tanker truck unofficially, off the books.

“It costs us 15,000 pesos each time,” he explains. “It’s a huge amount of money, but at least we fill the tanks and families have less to deal with. The sad part is that there are already people who can’t chip in and get left out. Now there are even social differences over something as basic as having water.”

In another nearby block, Arturo has lost count of how many times the building’s pump has been repaired. In the last quarter alone, he says, the unit has been fixed five times after breaking down due to the constant power outages and restorations, which often come with voltage surges.

“Sometimes they leave it uncovered and it ends up full of mosquitoes, frogs, and all sorts of bugs. That’s the water we bathe with and even cook with”

“I’ve had to fill buckets directly from the cistern,” says the interprovincial bus driver. “Sometimes they leave it uncovered and it ends up full of mosquitoes, frogs, and all sorts of bugs. That’s the water we bathe with and even cook with. You boil it, but you know that doesn’t solve every problem.”

As he speaks, an elderly woman slowly climbs the stairs with a small bucket in her hand. In another nearby building, a group of neighbors chats beside two parked mopeds. The façades show decades of wear from lack of upkeep, but it is inside the apartments where the crisis leaves its deepest marks: dishes piled on the counter, sticky floors, laundry waiting for a wash that never comes, and empty tanks turned into the symbol of a city surrounded by water yet unable to get it through its pipes.

Arturo remembers when coming home from work meant turning on the shower and letting the water run without a second thought. “In this country we’ve ended up folding into our routine the lines, the food shortages, the blackouts, and now the thirst as well,” he laments. Then he looks out toward the bay, so close it seems within arm’s reach.

Translated by GH.

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More Sectors to Open to Private Enterprise, Including Pharmacies and Energy, but the State Remains the Driving Force

“We are not moving toward privatization of the economy; the socialist state enterprise retains its fundamental role,” Cuban authorities insist

Service stations are opening up to private entry, with participation from the state sector and foreign investment.

14ymedio, Madrid, July 29, 2026 / The long-awaited list of new activities permitted to the private sector is now known, and while it holds a few surprises, it leaves many prohibitions intact, starting with education, medical practice, and the media. By contrast, the transportation, pharmaceutical, and energy sectors are opening up, especially in the area of renewables, while crude oil and natural gas extraction remain reserved for private parties associated with state enterprises or foreign investors.

The Government has made clear that this loosening does not affect the essence of the economic system. “It is not that we are moving toward privatization of the economy,” emphasized the president of the National Institute of Non-State Economic Actors, Lázara Mercedes López Acea, “the socialist state enterprise retains that fundamental role it has as an enterprise, as this core pillar, but it is clearly being expanded, and non-state economic actors are being given greater participation.”

The new regulations, published this Tuesday in the Gaceta Oficial, establish four levels of regulation, changing the system in force until now, which applied prohibitions uniformly. There will now be a set of activities “reserved for the State,” which private parties may not carry out for reasons the Government describes as matters of sovereignty, critical infrastructure, or essential public services.

There will now be a set of activities “reserved for the State,” which private parties may not carry out for reasons the Government describes as matters of sovereignty, critical infrastructure, or essential public services

However, a narrow opening remains for authorized private collaboration, as the regulation specifies when it states that this is “without prejudice continue reading

to the administrative concession for economic association and national joint ventures” – two types of merger between private and state entities, regulated since March – and to “foreign investment” ventures.

The most notable activity in this regard is the operation of gas stations, something private individuals are already doing to some extent by importing fuel from the US and storing it at service stations belonging to the state-owned Cupet. Also included are oil and natural gas extraction, large-scale mining, pharmaceutical manufacturing, pipeline transport, maritime transport, services linked to air transport, and the management of sports facilities. Also included are non-formal education and health and dental care, as well as the operation of cruise and tourist transport.

As expected, the media remain under strict State control, as stipulated in Article 55 of the 2029 Constitution: “The principal means of social communication, in any of their forms or media, are socialist property of the entire people or of political, social, and mass organizations, and may not be subject to any other type of ownership.” However, the provisions announced this Tuesday indicate that, with prior authorization, specialized press outlets may be enabled, as may technical services linked to production for channels and broadcasters.

The group of activities under absolute prohibition is limited to familiar areas, such as the fishing of protected species, Defense and public order, the manufacture and maintenance of weapons, gunpowder or explosives, the printing of currency, stamps, and other items that carry official certification, and games of chance.

Self-employed workers face the most limitations. The regulations formalize a specific category of activities “not authorized for the self-employed” that other private parties may in fact carry out, a category that already included some sectors, such as wholesale trade. Added to it are the manufacture and assembly of vehicles and motorcycles, mining, and the installation of alarm and closed-circuit television systems. In addition, many of the activities now considered authorizable or subject to conditions remain off-limits to them.

Private companies – once they have obtained the required documentation, whether licenses, certifications, or specific authorizations – will be able to engage in sectors that until a few months ago were reserved exclusively for the State. Among the most notable are pharmaceutical services – thereby authorizing an informal activity that had been making up for the enormous shortcomings of the state sector – engineering and power generation from renewable sources, the operation of terminals, railway stations, roads, tolls, bridges and tunnels, services linked to air and water transport – including boatbuilding – and small-scale mining.

These include engineering and power generation from renewable sources, the operation of terminals, railway stations, roads, tolls, bridges and tunnels, services linked to air and water transport – including boatbuilding – and small-scale mining

They will also be able to participate partially, though in a limited way, in the health and education sectors. In health, in addition to operating pharmacies, they will have the option of providing optical and rehabilitation services, alongside the already familiar elder care and childcare services. In education, language, music, shorthand, and typing courses, as well as tutoring services, are permitted; all of these are likewise authorized for self-employed workers, who may teach individually.

Private parties will also be able to enter the field of leisure and culture, through audiovisual production – including music recording – the marketing of plastic and applied arts, sports facilities – including golf courses and swimming pools – and ecological and agrotourism services.

In addition, the field of computer services is opening up – software development, programming, and web design – as are accounting services – consulting, payroll – design, translation, photography, and decoration, as well as veterinary care. In the real estate sector, the creation of home renovation companies is also permitted, as are housing rental services. Although some of the options opened up by the update to the regulations were already known, the current list is more specific about the rules.

As López Acea reminded the state press, the decree in force until now listed 125 prohibited activities. Now, 45 of them are being eliminated entirely, while another 35 are being modified.

The official added that there are currently more than 15,600 approved mipymes (micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises), a figure expected to reach 16,000 by the end of August thanks to the streamlining process recently approved as part of the 176 measures to transform the economy, the effect of which remains to be seen.

Translated by GH.

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Evicted In Havana Two Weeks Ago, Cubans Are Sleeping On the Street

The building where they lived, at the corner of Campanario and Neptuno streets, has suffered several partial collapses.

The group, which includes elderly people and children, remains in front of the building with their belongings: chairs, tables, a bed, a stove, and even windows. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 27 July 2026 / A dozen residents of 264 Campanario Street, at the corner of Neptuno, in Central Havana, have been sleeping on the street since they were evicted from their building by authorities more than two weeks ago, due to the risk of collapse. The group, which includes elderly people and children, remains in front of the building with their belongings: chairs, tables, a bed, a stove, and even windows.

The evicted families have demanded explanations from the local government, according to a complaint posted on social media by Zol Arias, but so far their pleas have been ignored. They were evicted but offered no alternative.

“They demand an answer and all they do is pass the buck while they remain in the street,” the user says in a comment, in which she states that although she now lives outside of Cuba, it was her old home and her mother and brother are still there.

“They are asked for an answer and all they do is pass the buck while they remain in the street.”

From the outside, the building appears to be in very poor condition, having lost a large part of its balconies. The interior also shows signs of collapse. For this reason, the police have cordoned off the street.

Central Havana is, after Old Havana, the most deteriorated neighborhood in the capital, and Neptuno Street itself has been the scene of several collapses. One of them, a balcony collapse continue reading

in 2022, fortunately caused no injuries .

There was an injury, last September, when a woman was walking along San Lázaro Street, between Hospital and Espada, when a balcony collapsed. According to witnesses who spoke to 14ymedio at the time, “a rock fell on her and made her roll to the edge of the sidewalk,” requiring her to be hospitalized.

From the outside, the building appears to be in very poor condition, and has lost a large part of its balconies. / 14ymedio

A month before that incident, an elderly woman was injured when a building partially collapsed on Reina Street , between Manrique and San Nicolás, also in Central Havana. The woman was hospitalized, and nearly 15 families were left homeless, their furniture and appliances piled up in the street. That night, most had to spend it outdoors, and, according to one of the affected families who spoke to this newspaper, on that first day “no one” from the government came to check on their situation.

In a partial collapse of a building on the corner of San Rafael and Galiano streets, in the same municipality and also in August 2025, an employee of Café Boulevard, located on the ground floor, died. The collapse of part of the roof trapped several people. According to neighbors who spoke to this newspaper at the time, the building has a tenement on the upper floor with infrastructure problems and overcrowding. Part of the roof collapsed on the café’s employees, and one of them died under the rubble. The entire block where the building is located shows alarming signs of deterioration and lack of maintenance.

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The Detention in Cuba of a 13-Year-Old Boy Following the Protests in Santiago de las Vegas is Denounced

His mother says four police officers beat him during the arrest, and independent organizations are demanding an investigation into the case.

Photographs released by his mother show injuries to Álex Javier Hernández’s face, neck, and back following his detention. / Social media

14ymedio, Madrid, July 28, 2026 – Alex Javier Hernández González, a 13-year-old boy, was detained for his alleged participation in last Wednesday’s protests in Santiago de las Vegas, Havana, according to his mother and confirmed by independent organizations including Cubalex, Justicia 11J, and the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and Press (ICLEP).

According to the woman’s testimony in a video shared on social media, her son was violently arrested by police during the operation deployed to suppress the pot-banging protest, in which residents were demonstrating over the lack of electricity. He is currently being held at the juvenile detention center known as “El Combinadito” in Havana.

The mother said she was able to visit him and confirmed the injuries he suffered during the arrest. Photographs she released show wounds to the boy’s face, neck, and back. According to her testimony, the police claim the injuries were caused by other protesters, but her son insisted that four uniformed officers beat him during the arrest.

While Álex Javier was being assaulted, her account continues, he pleaded with the officers to stop beating him because he was a minor. According to his mother, the boy was unable to escape because he was wearing flip-flops and could not run as fast as the other protesters. continue reading

Far from being isolated incidents, these cases reflect the continuation of a policy of criminalizing minors in the context of protests and violating their rights

Cubalex reported that this is not the first time excessive use of force by police during public protests has affected minors. “Far from being isolated incidents, these cases reflect the continuation of a policy of criminalizing minors in the context of protests and violating their rights, as previously warned by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child,” the organization stated.

Justicia 11J also denounced the arrest and recalled that “the Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes that the deprivation of liberty of minors must be a measure of last resort, applied for the shortest appropriate period of time, and that every child must be protected from violence and treated with dignity and humanity.”

The Cuban Observatory for Freedom of Expression, a project of ICLEP, recorded the case under the category of “physical assaults,” considering it an alleged act of violence against a minor during the repression of public demonstrations.

The organizations demanded that the authorities clarify the facts and investigate the allegations of police violence. They also called for the protection of Álex Javier’s physical and psychological well-being, that his family be kept informed, and that the enhanced guarantees recognized under international law for every minor deprived of liberty be respected.

“The Black Berets Were Saying: ‘Whoever They Catch on the Street Gets Beaten… Beat Everyone'”

During last Wednesday’s protests in Santiago de las Vegas, in Havana’s Boyeros municipality, demonstrators marched through the streets banging pots and chanting, “We want electricity!” until they reached the National Police station, where authorities had deployed a police cordon.

According to Cubalex, when the demonstrators attempted to continue toward the local headquarters of the Communist Party with the same demands, they were intercepted by members of the Interior Ministry’s special forces, known as the “Black Berets,” who suppressed the protest and made several arrests. The organization has not yet been able to confirm how many people were detained or their identities.

According to witnesses who spoke to Martí Noticias, the operation resulted in numerous detainees at the Santiago de las Vegas police station and direct threats from the special forces against anyone who remained in the streets. “The Black Berets were saying, ‘Whoever they catch on the street gets beaten… Beat everyone,’” one witness recounted.

Protests over blackouts and the deteriorating living conditions are becoming increasingly frequent both in Havana and in other provinces as the energy crisis worsens. Despite increased surveillance and the police response, pot-banging protests, road blockades, and the burning of garbage piles continue to occur almost every night in different municipalities across the capital.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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A Business Lobby Suggests Washington Support U.S. Investors in Cuba With $500 Million

A US-Cuba Trade report uses a strategic program already announced for Africa as a model.

Mariel Terminal, in Artemisa. / Canal Caribe/Screenshot. / Canal Caribe/Captura

14ymedio, Havana, July 28, 2026 – An analysis published Tuesday by the U.S.-Cuba Economic and Trade Council (US-Cuba Trade) argues that Donald Trump’s administration could adapt an investment program for Cuba to invest in its infrastructure with a $500 million budget. The organization bases this proposal on a program the United States already has in operation for Africa, with the same budget.

“Within the White House, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, a growing number of mid-level and senior officials, both career staff and political appointees,” the report states, “are reaching the conclusion that the Republic of Cuba will require capital and guarantees, particularly for infrastructure, that the U.S. private sector will neither be able nor willing to provide.”

Accordingly, the organization proposes that public funds could be used to support private investment through guarantees, seed capital, underwriting, or even equity participation in companies. “The goal of the U.S. taxpayer’s financial commitment would be to mobilize at least $1 billion,” the document states.

“The goal of the U.S. taxpayer’s financial commitment would be to mobilize at least $1 billion”

As a possible vehicle for that mechanism, the analysis mentions the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), a U.S. government agency that finances and supports investment projects in other countries through loans, guarantees, and other financial instruments. The agency describes itself as “the U.S. Government’s international development finance institution” and says its objective is to mobilize private capital to advance Washington’s economic and foreign continue reading

policy interests.

The document does not confirm the creation of a program for Cuba or cite a White House decision to that effect. Instead, it examines a possible formula: a new model already proposed for investments in Africa. The U.S.-Africa Strategic Investment Program, announced on July 24, could be replicated and renamed the “U.S.-Cuba Strategic Investment Program.”

The Africa initiative also has a $500 million budget and is specifically intended to finance projects that encourage U.S. private investment in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in areas considered strategic, such as critical minerals and trade cooperation.

According to the U.S. State Department’s official announcement, the program seeks “market-based solutions” that improve conditions for foreign investment through projects with measurable benefits for African countries while facilitating the participation of U.S. companies. The fund is expected to award grants ranging from $5 million to $50 million to companies, nonprofit organizations, and international organizations.

Based on that model, US-Cuba Trade argues that Washington could follow the same approach to attract U.S. investment in Cuba.

The document also anticipates competition among companies and interest groups seeking access to those potential funds. “Every application will have advocates, lobbyists, and members of the U.S. Congress who believe their application is the most important for the Republic of Cuba,” the Council states, predicting that private companies, organizations, and members of Congress would seek to influence which projects are considered priorities. “The epicenter of the pressure will be in South Florida.”

To illustrate its proposal, the report cites a Semafor article on the Africa program, describing the initiative as part of a shift in U.S. policy toward emphasizing “trade over aid.” According to that outlet, Washington aims to use development resources to promote private investment, especially in strategic sectors.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Cohiba Hotel in Havana Still Bears the Meliá Sign – For Now

A visit to the property disproves a viral video about the sign’s removal.

Main marquee of the Cohiba Hotel in Havana, this July 28, 2026, still bearing the word Meliá.

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, July 28, 2026 / The definitive departure from Cuba of the Spanish chain Meliá is certainly historic, but its letters still adorn the marquee of the Cohiba Hotel, in the Havana municipality of Plaza de la Revolución. 14ymedio was able to confirm this in person this very Tuesday, thereby debunking a viral video showing two workers removing the sign, just behind the flags, at the main entrance on Paseo street in Vedado.

It cannot be determined whether those images, circulated on social media – originally from an account that no longer exists – and picked up by independent media, were created with artificial intelligence or are a composite based on some old photographic record of maintenance work, or even of the moment when the current lettering was installed to replace the original from the 1990s. The private company whose workers wear the same uniform seen in the video, Diamante Azul, already worked at the same property in 2025, which in 2022, following the covid-19 pandemic, underwent a renovation.

What is certain is that as of July 28, four days after the hotel chain ceased operations on the island, its name still stands there, repeated twice, next to Cohiba and at the main entrance.

It is likely, however, that it won’t last much longer. The word Meliá has already been removed from the very top of the building, as can be observed from a certain distance. continue reading

Exactly one week ago, the company, which had been in Cuba since 1990 and came to manage 34 hotels – all owned by the Cuban State – announced its definitive withdrawal, after attempting to keep managing the 19 properties that did not belong to Gaesa, which had recently been sanctioned by the United States. Iberostar announced the same on that same day.

The word Meliá has already been removed from the very top of the building, as can be observed from a certain distance.

The decision was to take effect as of Friday, and since then Habaneros have been living in anticipation of when the traces of the chain would be removed from its most iconic locations, such as the Cohiba, where they remain visible not only on the marquee but on napkins, coasters, and carpets.

Asked about the fake images, the receptionist told this newspaper that she “had seen the video on social media” and that “they must have already taken down the sign.” Neither when entering nor leaving her workstation did she make the effort to look up to check.

Translated by GH.

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Cuba’s Team of Rescuers and Doctors Sent to Venezuela After the Double Earthquake Returns Home

According to the latest official figures, at least 5,546 people have died as a result of the earthquakes, while the number of injured stands at 16,740

The Cuban brigade returned from its mission in Venezuela on the night of July 26. / Ministry of the Interior

EFE/14ymedio, Havana, June 208, 2026 / The Cuban teams of military personnel, doctors, and engineers who traveled to La Guaira (Venezuela) to help with rescue efforts and care for the population after the double earthquake in June have returned to the island, Cuban authorities reported this Monday.

On one hand, the army’s Rescue and Salvage brigade, made up of 18 members, was received in Havana by the Minister of the Interior, Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, and the Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, Álvaro López Miera, the official outlet Cubadebate reported.

For its part, the Ministry of Public Health reported the return of a team of surgeons, forensic experts, and structural engineers, who were received in the Cuban capital by Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal.

The Ministry of Public Health reported the return of a team of surgeons, forensic experts, and structural engineers, who were received in the Cuban capital by Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal

The Cuban mission, partly made up of members of the Henry Reeve International Contingent, was officially seen off in Venezuela by the country’s president, Delcy Rodríguez, who thanked them for their technical, medical, and humanitarian support.

The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that shook northern Venezuela on June 24 have caused extensive damage to continue reading

homes, economic assets, businesses, and other types of structures, as well as human losses, figures for which are still being updated.

According to the latest official figures, at least 5,546 people have died as a result of the earthquakes, while the number of injured stands at 16,740.

According to information released by the UN, at least 17 countries mobilized a total of 25 teams made up of about a thousand personnel for search and rescue tasks.

The spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Jens Laerke, said that the first to deploy were teams from Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United States.

A few days later, more professionals arrived from the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Jordan, the Netherlands, and Qatar.

As of today, most of the international teams have withdrawn, but some technical specialists remain in the field

As of today, most of the international teams have withdrawn, but some technical specialists remain in the field assessing infrastructure stability, water sanitation, management of temporary shelters, and mitigation of health crises.

Most of them come from the U.S., Spain, Mexico, El Salvador, Jordan, Qatar, and Turkey. In addition, the largest group is made up of workers from United Nations agencies, both from evaluation and coordination programs and from the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, and the refugee agency UNHCR.

Lastly, the Red Cross also continues to keep international technical personnel deployed in water, sanitation, and psychosocial support for the ongoing care of those affected.

Translator’s note: Israel sent official military search-and-rescue teams, engineers, and multiple NGO medical and aid workers to help Venezuela. Curiously enough the spokesman for the UN Office omitted to mention that.

Translated by GH.

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Kevin Frómeta Released After Fully Serving His Five-Year Prison Sentence for July 11 Protests

During his time in prison, his mother denounced the deterioration of his health and the lack of medical care.

Kevin Frómeta with his mother, Caridad Castro, after being released this Sunday. / Facebook/Caridad Castro Ruiz

14ymedio, Madrid, July 27, 2026 – Kevin Damián Frómeta Castro, who was convicted for his involvement in the massive protests that took place on 11 July 2021, was released this weekend after serving his entire five-year sentence. “He leaves with his release papers after completing his sentence to the very last day. The wait is over,” his mother, Caridad Castro, wrote on social media, illustrating the post with photographs showing the young man alongside her.

In her message, the woman thanked her relatives and loved ones who remained attentive during the five years her son was imprisoned; those who “were present and followed” his case on social media and in the press; and even “those who distanced themselves,” because “pain reveals people’s hearts beyond their faces.” She also asked that they allow the young man a few days of “privacy” to enjoy “his family, his freedom, and peace.”

Frómeta Castro is one of more than 30 people convicted for their participation in the July 11 protests at the Toyo intersection in Havana, where an overturned police patrol car became a symbol of that day’s demonstrations. He was arrested at the age of 19 and sentenced by the People’s Supreme Court (TSP) to five years of “deprivation of liberty replaced by an equal term of correctional labor with confinement,” after his previous 16-year prison sentence imposed by the Municipal Court was reduced.

Kevin Frómeta is one of more than 30 people convicted for their participation in the July 11 protests at the Toyo intersection in Havana, where an overturned police patrol car became a symbol of the demonstrations

His mother, Caridad Castro, denounced throughout her son’s five years in prison the poor conditions in which he was being held and the progressive deterioration of his health. In recent months, she had warned about the lack of medical care for an infection Frómeta suffered after complications from surgery. continue reading

Castro then suggested that the refusal to provide him with medical treatment could be retaliation for the hunger strike her son carried out in March, when he went nine days without eating to demand medical care.

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

More than 30 imprisoned protesters are completing their sentences this July, having received five-year terms for offenses related to their participation in the protests. On July 12, Aníbal Yasiel Palau Jacinto was also released after completing five years in prison. Just one week ago, artist and opposition activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara was released after fully serving his sentence and was forced into exile in Miami under a parole approved by the United States. Otero Alcántara’s case adds to other reports of pressure on political prisoners to leave the Island in exchange for their release.

More than 30 imprisoned protesters are completing their sentences this July, having received five-year terms for offenses related to their participation in the protests

Another July 11 protester who is also reportedly being pressured by the Cuban authorities to accept exile is Yosvany Rosell García Caso, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for demonstrating in Holguín, according to a video posted by his wife in which she said Rosell firmly refuses to leave the country.

Last Tuesday, it also became known that the U.S. approved a parole for rapper and political prisoner Maykel Castillo Osorbo, co-author of the song Patria y Vida, considered an anthem of the opposition. Castillo was arrested two months before July 11 and sentenced to nine years in prison. It is expected that the regime will follow the same course with Osorbo as it did with Alcántara and grant him release in exchange for exile.

Meanwhile, other July 11 prisoners continue to report abuses in prison. One of the most recent cases is that of José Ramón Solano Randiche, imprisoned for the crime of sedition following his participation in the July 11, 2021 demonstrations, who has remained on a hunger strike since July 14 after authorities canceled a temporary leave permit that would have allowed him to attend his son’s birthday. As confirmed this Sunday by his wife, Liuba María Gallo, to Martí Noticias, Solano remains on a voluntary hunger strike in the medical ward of Holguín Provincial Prison.

As of today, the NGO Prisoners Defenders reports 1,312 political prisoners on the Island.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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“Cuba’s Solution Will Be Real Estate, Because It Can Attract a Great Deal of Investment”

Spanish lawyer Hermenegildo Altozano, an expert on foreign investment in the Island, analyzes the future of tourism and the real estate sector, with the exile community playing a leading role.

The Paradisus Rio de Oro hotel is located on land that once belonged to the Sánchez Hill family. / Meliá

14ymedio, Madrid, July 27, 2026 – In Cuba, “a hurricane has been unleashed, and what you have to do is take shelter.” That is how Spaniard Hermenegildo Altozano, one of the best-known advisers on foreign investment in the Island, describes the current situation of the tourism sector. The lawyer spoke just over a month ago with hotel consultant Ivar Yuste for a podcast that aired this Monday, and not only has it remained relevant, but following Meliá’s complete withdrawal, it has become even more timely.

During the program, the two experts analyze the past, present, and future of the economic sector with the greatest potential on the Island, which they believe is real estate even more than tourism itself. The role of the exile community and the Helms-Burton Act are also extensively discussed in a conversation that begins with what the interviewee considers the missed opportunity presented by Barack Obama’s administration. “It was a golden opportunity, but instead of opening the door to investment in real estate, which would have created highly widespread or highly granular investment throughout the Cuban economy and produced a broad multiplier effect with everything that later came with the private small and medium-sized enterprises, they practically thought they were the kings of the mambo and that the situation had become a privilege,” Altozano argues.

“They practically thought they were the kings of the mambo and that the situation had become a privilege”

Among the serious mistakes made by the regime, the specialist points to the “excessive concentration of hotel ownership in the hands of a single chain, Gaviota,” which belongs to the military conglomerate Gaesa. Added to that are the extraordinary measures adopted by Donald Trump’s current administration, which have left the Island operating, he says, “on a flatline.” Faced with what he describes as an abnormal rather than structural situation, the lawyer believes it is only logical that Spanish companies have sought to take cover.

Altozano largely dismisses the possibility that the Cuban Government will end up suing hotel chains over their departure, an option that was discussed weeks ago. In his view, each case would have to be analyzed individually, but it seems highly unlikely that the regime would pursue claims after having withheld money owed to many companies. “There are hotel chains that have not been receiving payments that belong to them for a long time. In other words, there have been appropriations of funds by Cuban operators that simply stopped paying,” he explains.

Those “financial corrals” violate existing agreements, making it difficult, he argues, to envision a wave of lawsuits. “On the one hand, you say, ‘No, you can’t leave,’ but at the same time you don’t pay me. So I bring you customers, work with tour operators, fill your hotels, generate foreign currency, and you don’t pay me. Then how can you be surprised that your industry is in free fall?” In addition, the expert criticizes the Cuban Communist Party for repeatedly continue reading

announcing decisions that ultimately lead nowhere. “It has been very frustrating because you see guidelines being approved, countless economic reforms being announced, and in the end it was just like The Leopard: everything changes so that everything stays the same.”

Spanish hotel chains, he says, have also been harmed by a United States that likewise fails to provide the legal certainty it should. “I cannot rely on a consistent U.S. policy, because an investment takes a long time and requires capital. We could analyze every ailment from the standpoint of international law and all the violations of international law contained in U.S. policy toward Cuba. But the problem is that it’s irrelevant because they couldn’t care less. They literally smoke a cigar over all those considerations.”

Altozano does not hesitate to accuse Washington of also causing harm to the Cuban people through its policies while violating international law. “You cannot use economic coercion to bring about political change. The United Nations Charter tells you that,” he argues. He then cites a dialogue from the play A Man for All Seasons, in which one character says he would cut down every tree to find the devil, and Thomas More replies: “And what tree will you hide behind when the devil turns around and comes after you?” “So what argument will the United States use when it finds itself in a situation where it has to invoke international law?” he asks rhetorically.

“You cannot use economic coercion to bring about political change. The United Nations Charter tells you that”

The European Union (EU) also comes under criticism. The specialist accuses Brussels of looking the other way and failing to use its own legal tools to prevent the forced withdrawal of hotel chains. “Another thing I would like to point out is the absolute cowardice of the European Commission. They have said absolutely nothing,” he contends. The EU has neither invoked the Blocking Statute, which can render U.S. court decisions unenforceable within Europe, nor made use of the Anti-Coercion Instrument approved in 2023. “It seems that everything here is about not upsetting anyone, not doing anything that might cause offense.”

Looking to the future, Altozano offers an extensive analysis of one of his specialties: the Helms-Burton Act and the claims of Cuban exiles. In his view, tourism in Cuba will eventually be dominated by U.S. hotel chains and the capital of those who left the Island. “Over time there will first be a wave, an avalanche, or at least a strong appetite from Cuban Americans, which is perfectly understandable and logical because it is a way of recovering what was lost. As you know, one of the strongest incentives in economics is loss aversion,” he says.

According to Altozano, there are two types of claims. One consists of claims that are fully documented through property titles, making it relatively easy to reach agreements, “both in terms of monetizing those assets through mortgage-backed loans and through their transfer.” The other involves newly built assets on land that was previously publicly owned, where the situation is much more complicated because ownership has changed over time. The specialist believes that a comprehensive compensation agreement similar to those reached with Spain, France, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom could be possible, but above all, he believes many claims could ultimately be left unresolved in exchange for allowing former owners to benefit from the assets.

The specialist believes that a comprehensive compensation agreement similar to those reached with Spain, France, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom could be possible, but above all, he believes many claims could ultimately be left unresolved in exchange for allowing former owners to benefit from the assets

“I actually believe that Cuba’s solution will be real estate. It is what can immediately attract a great deal of investment. That is precisely why I would say this: if you are in Cuba, if you are in Miami, if you are of Cuban descent and have claims to assets, it would be best if those 6,000 claims were left untouched, that nothing happened to them.”

Convinced that those who emigrated more recently will return to the Island, Altozano highlights what he sees as Cubans’ natural entrepreneurial spirit, arguing that many will eventually become real estate developers in Cuba. “From my point of view, it seems quite obvious; it’s only 20 minutes away.” The specialist notes that the Island still has undeniable advantages that make it attractive, beginning with its beaches, which he considers unmatched compared with other Caribbean destinations, and continuing with its culture, history, and well-educated population. Although he acknowledges that recent years have brought severe deterioration in many areas, including public safety, he believes Cuba’s advantages remain beyond question.

As for how that future will come about, the expert admits he has no idea, although he doubts there will be any military intervention given the Island’s proximity to the U.S. coastline. “It seems that Cuba’s future will either be the bear hug or something friendlier.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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