Residents of a street in Guanabacoa watch the Supermarket23 delivery truck with longing
The gas cylinders it carries are not for everyone, and even less so for the impoverished pockets of most residents on that block. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Havana, Darío Hernández, May 15, 2026 — A liquefied gas delivery truck passes through Guanabacoa, in Havana, under the longing gaze of most of the neighbors. The gas cylinders it carries are not for everyone, and even less so for the impoverished pockets of most residents on that block of Delicias Street, between Potosí and Gloria.
It is liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) that can be purchased through the online store Supermarket23, in dollars and from abroad, at a price of 29 dollars per cylinder, including home delivery. The recipient is a woman whose son lives in the United States. On the same street, people have no choice but to cook with charcoal, or eat only bread.
The sale of gas cylinders in Cuba recently took a turn when, for the first time, Supermarket23 began offering the product in dollars / 14ymedio
The sale of this fuel in Cuba recently took a turn when, for the first time, the digital sales platform began offering the product in dollars and outside the rationed system, amid this unprecedented energy crisis. This has marked a turning point in the commercialization of a product that, until now, had been tied to a state-regulated distribution system and available only in pesos.
It has also created a new social divide between those who have relatives abroad, who can avoid the long lines and uncertainty of the domestic supply system, and the rest of the population, forced to depend on a completely ineffective system. On this street in Guanabacoa, only one family is privileged.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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Díaz-Canel replied that “not a single offensive action” against his neighbor’s national security “has ever come” from his country.
Almost two years ago, the Russian submarine Kazan visited Cuba, drawing plenty of attention from people in Havana. /14ymedio
Agencies/14ymedio, Washington / Madrid, May 13, 2026 – U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated this Tuesday that Cuba represents a threat to U.S. national security because, among other reasons, Russian military vessels — including a nuclear-powered submarine — have repeatedly docked at ports on the Island.
During a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee, which was marked by warnings about alleged Russian intelligence operations — and suggestions that China could be doing the same — with Cuba providing logistical support, Republican Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart asked Hegseth whether Russian military ships had used Cuban territory.
“That’s correct,” Hegseth replied, adding that Washington has long considered it “highly problematic” for “a foreign adversary to use that kind of location,” so close to the United States.
Washington considers it “highly problematic” for “a foreign adversary to use that kind of location,” so close to the United States.
Later on, Díaz-Balart directly asked the Pentagon chief whether he considers the Cuban Government a threat to U.S. national security, and Hegseth answered: “yes,” in one of the toughest exchanges of the hearing.
The hearing focused mainly on the defense and national security priorities of President Donald Trump’s administration, but it drifted toward questions about the growing cooperation between Cuba, Russia, and China, as well as alleged intelligence activities and foreign military presence on the Island, located about 150 kilometers from the U.S. coast.
In what appeared to be a response, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said this Tuesday that “not a single offensive action” against the national security of the United States “has ever come” from his country, adding that the Island “does not threaten or challenge,” but “does not fear either.”
“In more than six decades of socialist Revolution, ninety miles (about 145 kilometers) from the United States, not a single offensive action against that country’s national security has ever come from this territory,” the Cuban leader stressed continue reading
in a social media post in which he also underlined that “Cuba does not threaten or challenge, but neither does it fear.”
By saying “never,” the Cuban leader ignores the many pieces of evidence regarding training camps inside the Island and the delivery of weapons to dozens of guerrilla groups seeking to overthrow governments allied with Washington in Latin America, groups that did not hesitate to kidnap and kill several U.S. diplomats. In addition, Havana offered its territorial waters to Colombian cartels to facilitate cocaine shipments into the United States. It also granted asylum to terrorists wanted by the FBI.
Nevertheless, Díaz-Canel insisted that “every day a new threat comes from the United States toward Cuba,” and that the Island has been subjected to “countless offensive actions concocted” in Washington that have left “thousands of Cubans injured or dead.” The Cuban leader described as “incoherent” and “fantastical” the idea of labeling his country a “threat” while, he claimed, “additional coercive measures are being decreed and its Government is accused of being incapable of minimally sustaining its economy.”
“It is all part of a narrative being built in order to continue suffocating the Cuban people, as well as escalating toward a conflict that could have unimaginable consequences for our peoples and the region,” the leader reflected, referring to Washington’s measures affecting strategic sectors such as energy, mining, and financial services.
Along the same lines, Díaz-Canel said it has been “proven,” “documented,” and even “acknowledged by international organizations and U.S. agencies from previous administrations” that his country “has contributed to preserving U.S. security in the fight against different kinds of transnational crime.”
“Cuba has had to work all this time to confront with firmness and calm the threats coming from the United States, and that is how we will continue to the very end,” he concluded.
“Cuba has had to work all this time to confront with firmness and calm the threats coming from the United States, and that is how we will continue to the very end.”
That same Tuesday, the occupant of the White House said before leaving for Beijing that Cuba “is asking for help” and that both countries “are going to talk,” without giving further details. All this comes amid his repeated and habitual threats against the Havana authorities, including the possibility of a military offensive.
Fifteen days ago, Senate Republicans once again blocked a Democratic initiative seeking to limit Trump’s war powers regarding Cuba. Even so, more and more Republicans are opposing an armed solution that could further damage the party’s chances in the November elections.
Last week, in an interview with Fox News, Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted at the Trump administration’s displeasure over the use of Cuban territory by its adversaries and described their operations, 90 nautical miles off the coast of Florida, as a threat.
Translated by GH
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Her mother, the Lady in White Annia Zamora, is traveling with her thanks to a humanitarian visa granted to both of them by the State Department
Sissi Abasca in a 2019 photo. “I VOTE NO”. / Screenshot
14ymedio, Madrid, 14 May 2026 / Political prisoner Sissi Abascal Zamora and her mother, Annia Zamora, also a member of the Ladies in White, are arriving in Miami this Thursday with a humanitarian visa accompanied by other family members, according to activist Ángel Moya, husband of the leader of the women’s organization, Berta Soler.
The release of the young activist, just 27 years old, was reportedly arranged by the regime, as Abascal was being held in the La Bellotex women’s prison in Matanzas, serving a sentence for her participation in the July 11, 2021 protests. Saylí Navarro, daughter of fellow prisoner of conscience Félix Navarro, is also serving her sentence in the same prison. Both rejected, as was learned earlier this month, a proposal to leave Cuba made by the auxiliary bishop of Havana, Eloy Ricardo Domínguez Martínez, who visited them at the prison where they are serving their sentences.
In an audio recording shared by the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH), Sonia Álvarez Campillo, Saylí’s mother and Félix’s wife, said that they were not going to leave the country. “Last Tuesday, the auxiliary bishop of Havana and president of the Prison Ministry appeared at the Agüica prison in Matanzas, with the aim of inviting Félix to leave the country,” Álvarez Campillo recounts in the audio.
From there, the prelate went to La Bellotex to present the same situation to Saylí, who refused, just like her father. It’s reasonable to assume the message was also intended for Abascal, and that she would have accepted, although this will surely be one of the questions the young woman will have to answer upon her arrival in Florida. continue reading
It’s reasonable to assume the message was also for Abascal, and if so, she would have accepted, although this will surely be one of the questions the young woman will have to answer upon her arrival in Florida.
Abascal’s release has been arranged by the Fundación Rescate Jurídico [Legal Rescue Foundation], headed by activist and businessman Santiago Álvarez, who announced that the young woman will be available to the press this Thursday from 12 noon at the organization’s headquarters.
Known for being the youngest member of the Ladies in White, as well as a member of the Pedro Luis Boitel Party for Democracy, Abascal was serving a six-year prison sentence, meaning she still had 14 months left to complete. Last September, Annia Zamora denounced the seventh time the authorities had refused to grant her the benefit of a less restrictive prison regime, despite her having just undergone surgery for a gynecological condition.
Abascal, known for her refusal to wear a prison uniform, which has earned her severe punishments, is one of the most internationally recognized prisoners. In early April, it was reported that Washington had given Havana 15 days to release some of its highest-level political prisoners as a goodwill gesture, but the deadline—if it ever was given—passed without consequence.
This Wednesday, USA Today published a brief audio recording of a conversation with Maykel Castillo Osorbo, who told the American media outlet that he had also received an offer of freedom in exchange for exile—though this wasn’t the first time such an offer had been made public. “Either you want to emigrate, tell me if you want to emigrate, or you want to stay in this same situation you’re in now, imprisoned until 2030,” the rapper claims State Security made the offer.
However, his answer was no: “Freedom cannot be bought at any price. That’s clear. I understand. I will always make that clear.”
However, his answer was no: “Freedom cannot be bought at any price. That is clear. I understand. I will always make that clear.”
For his part, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara also spoke briefly with the media outlet, telling them: “I am an artist, and I believe that both Maykel and I could be in New York right now, in any reality, living our art, fighting as artists to make our mark in the art world. But we decided to sacrifice all that vanity.” The artist, probably the most internationally known political prisoner, who has two months left on his sentence, added: “We found a path in art, a reason to believe that art could change things, and that’s why we put our bodies on the line for change in Cuba. Our responsibility as artists, as Cubans, is that we came as prisoners.”
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The U.S. secretary of state again insisted that “additional designations can be expected in the coming days and weeks”
The Gran Muthu Habana was built a few years ago by Gaesa in Playa, Havana. / 14ymedio
EFE/14ymedio, Washington, May 14, 2026 — United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio once again lashed out at the Cuban Government this Wednesday, asserting that the Island is “controlled by a company owned by military generals,” in a new criticism amid Washington’s pressure on Havana, which has intensified in recent weeks.
“Wealth in Cuba is controlled by a company owned by military generals who keep all the money,” Rubio stated during an exclusive interview with Fox News, broadcast Wednesday night and recorded aboard Air Force 1 en route to China.
The head of U.S. diplomacy, who has Cuban roots, also warned that people in Cuba are currently “literally eating garbage off the streets” while at the same time the “company” that controls the Island has “16 billion dollars” at its disposal.
The head of U.S. diplomacy, who has Cuban roots, also warned that people in Cuba are currently “literally eating garbage off the streets”
Last week, the United States announced sanctions against the Cuban military conglomerate GAESA, its director, and Moa Nickel, a joint venture with the Canadian company Sherritt International, as part of actions aimed at strangling the Island’s economy amid threats by President Donald Trump to take control of the country.
These new “decisive measures” by Washington seek “to protect the national security of the United States and deprive Cuba’s communist regime and military forces of access to illicit assets,” Rubio said.
“Just 90 miles from U.S. territory, the Cuban regime has continue reading
driven the Island into ruin and auctioned it off as a platform for foreign intelligence, military, and terrorist operations. Additional designations can be expected in the coming days and weeks,” Rubio added.
According to the State Department, the military company GAESA “constitutes the heart of Cuba’s kleptocratic communist system,” controlling “an estimated 40% or more of the Island’s economy” for the benefit of “corrupt elites,” while the Cuban people endure one of the most severe economic crises in the country’s history.
Last March, however, an official close to talks between the United States and Cuba affirmed precisely that the precarious economic situation of GAESA could serve as leverage for change. The information was published by The Economist, which argued that Gaesa’s collapse is due to having invested 70% of its resources over the last 10 years in a tourism sector that is now practically at zero.
“Before the United States tightened restrictions, Gaesa barely had one billion dollars in reserves”
“Before the United States tightened restrictions, Gaesa barely had one billion dollars in reserves. That figure is rapidly declining, as its luxury hotels remain empty,” the article said, estimating Cuba’s international reserves at around 3 billion dollars.
Trump signed a new executive order on May 1 extending the scope of sanctions against Cuba to include almost any non-U.S. person or company doing business with the Island, especially in the energy, defense, security, and financial sectors.
This adds to the oil blockade imposed in January by the American president, who has said he will “take control” of Cuba “almost immediately” and could deploy the USS Abraham Lincoln to Caribbean waters.
On Tuesday, before departing for China, Donald Trump said that Cuba’s situation was that of “a failed country” that “is asking for help, and we’re going to talk!”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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The system disconnected early this morning from Ciego de Ávila to Guantánamo, and the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant broke down again
Protests in Marianao, Havana, after more than 20 hours without electricity. / Mario Pentón/Facebook
14ymedio, Havana, May 14, 2026 – The night was turbulent in a Havana abandoned even by the breeze, and dawn does not look any better. Cuba’s Electric Union has announced the largest projected deficit in history for today, with 2,202 megawatts of outages expected during peak hours. For that time, and if nothing worsens, generation is estimated at 976 MW against a demand of 3,150.
The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant disconnected again due to a boiler leak, adding its shutdown to that of Felton and creating a perfect storm that only lacked one more aggravating factor: at 6:09 a.m., a partial collapse of the electrical system occurred from the province of Ciego de Ávila to Guantánamo, and recovery efforts are currently underway through isolated energy islands.
All of this comes after a night of widespread protests in the capital, during a month of May already registering high temperatures. In the newsroom of 14ymedio, despite being on the highest floor, the heat was already unbearable yesterday, and summer, which is expected to be intolerable, has not even arrived yet. Even so, in Nuevo Vedado the many pot-banging protests that multiplied throughout the city during a blackout lasting more than 20 consecutive hours were not heard.
The fuse had been lit in San Miguel del Padrón, where in broad daylight yesterday and after 24 continuous hours without electricity, residents took to the streets banging pots and pans, demanding “electricity” and “food” and calling for solutions that ultimately arrived almost simultaneously with arrests. But tensions began spreading from neighborhood to continue reading
neighborhood.
Under cover of darkness, when identifying demonstrators becomes more difficult, the protests intensified. So much so that in the municipality of Playa, a police truck arrived at improvised barricades and bonfires, as shown in a video published by journalist Mario Pentón, to disperse the large group of people occupying the street.
In Diez de Octubre, several piles of garbage were also set on fire while horns blared and pots clanged. “My neighborhood, there’s no fear anymore. We want freedom, they won’t be able to stop an entire people,” wrote a resident in Santos Suárez, where the pot-banging protests were equally loud.
Cubans both inside and outside the Island proudly commented on the many videos circulating on social media when they recognized streets where they live or once lived. “My neighborhood heating up. Fire against the PNR [National Revolutionary Police],” urged a former resident of Lawton and Dolores in response to other images in which only the defiant noise and the powerful chiaroscuro of the bonfires amid another black night without power could barely be distinguished.
Chants and demands were also heard on San Lázaro, near the famous staircase of the University of Havana where, on a very distant day, Fidel Castro railed against Batista’s dictatorship. The same occurred in Guanabacoa, where it is difficult to find a place to charge a phone and even harder to charge a motorcycle in order to get around. “The 4G signal appears, but there is absolutely no connection,” one resident said.
The fact that Nuevo Vedado was calm last night does not mean its residents’ patience is immune to what is happening. On the contrary, the loud pot-banging protests heard Tuesday in the area around the Ministry of Transportation, even if they did not last very long, drew attention. The noise spread toward the area around the 14ymedio newsroom, surrounded by buildings where state officials reside, giving these protests added significance.
It is precisely the Ministry of Transportation that is one of the most effective blackout detectors in the area, since the noise from its generator begins instantly every time the electricity goes out.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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The dilemma Cubans face every day is that whatever they can afford doesn’t exist, and whatever does exist they can’t afford.
Empty of products, but not of slogans, was the ration store this Tuesday.
14ymedio, Havana, Juan Diego Rodríguez, May 13, 2026 – The old state-run bodega next to the market at 19 and B, in Havana’s Vedado district, has never really been able to compete with the bustling produce market. Well stocked with every kind of fruit and vegetable, the market stands in stark contrast to the shop reserved for ration-book purchases, which has increasingly become the very symbol of the country’s shortages.
When, at the end of December 2023, the private home-delivery business Zona K’liente set up shop in half of the premises, the contrasts became even sharper. But never to the extent seen now, as the crisis has worsened due to the fuel shortage and the ration-market stores have been left completely empty.
Meanwhile, not only is the small private business Zona K’liente thriving, but so are the stalls in the adjacent market.
This Tuesday — the first day of the week when the market at 19 and B reopens after the Sunday and Monday break — the shelves contained only a tiny quantity of fruit purée, intended for children up to two years old in each household. Empty of products, but not of slogans. “We Are Continuity,” “Thinking as a Country,” are some of the phrases written continue reading
in capital letters across the front of the green-painted counter, as if big, strident lettering were enough to feed people.
Meanwhile, not only is the small private business Zona K’liente thriving, but so are the stalls in the neighboring market. Prices*, however, are another matter. Imported mandarins at 1,500 pesos a pound, soursop at 1,000, red cabbage at 2,000, pork leg at 950, a single mamey fruit at 400 pesos…
Both places lay bare the dilemma ordinary Cubans face every day just to survive: whatever they can afford doesn’t exist, and whatever does exist they cannot afford.
*Translator’s note: The monthly retirement benefit in Cuba is roughly about 3,000 to 4,000 pesos a month.
Translated by GH
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The left-footed player, born in 2010, can also play as a left back and defensive midfielder
Pere Villacorta joined Barça’s youth ranks in 2024 from RCD Espanyol / Instagram La Masia Promises
14ymedio, Andy Lans, Matanzas, May 13, 2026 — FC Barcelona’s youth academy has adorned Spanish football with great defenders. Names such as Gerard Piqué and Carles Puyol were written in the past in golden letters. Other current players like Pau Cubarsí and Gerard Martín inspire confidence for the present and the future. Meanwhile, another center-back of Cuban descent is being polished at La Masía: Pere Villacorta García.
As 14ymedio was able to confirm, the player born in Barcelona in 2010 has Cuban ancestry. His father is from Cienfuegos, and his mother from Havana. In addition to playing center-back, the left-footed player can also perform as a left back and defensive midfielder. On the field, he stands out for his personality, exquisite technique, and tactical maturity.
In his emerging career, he has passed through three prestigious football institutions in Catalonia
Pere Villacorta arrived at Barça’s youth academy in 2024 from RCD Espanyol, which had signed him in 2022 from CF Damm. As can be seen, in his emerging career he has already passed through three prestigious football institutions in Catalonia.
This season, Villacorta has been one of the key figures in Barcelona Under-16’s title in the Catalan Honor Division, with two matchdays still remaining before the championship concludes. Wearing his usual number 4 shirt and the captain’s armband, Pere has played 21 matches so far in the tournament, with the same number of starts and a pair of goals. Due to his strong performances, he has been rewarded with four call-ups and two appearances in the National Youth League with Barcelona Under-19 B.
Could Pere Villacorta join a Cuban national team? In theory, he is eligible through his parents’ birthplace, but he would need to obtain a Cuban passport and be recruited by the Cuban Football Association.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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Donald Trump’s poor relationship with Pedro Sánchez increases exposure to reprisals, especially for the hotel chain Meliá, which has 34 establishments on the Island.
Meliá owns nearly 14,000 rooms in Cuba, but according to its latest report, it is keeping just over 700 open. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Madrid, May 13, 2026 — Nearly a week after the Canadian mining company Sherritt International withdrew from Cuba over the possibility of U.S. sanctions tied to its operations on the Island, attention has now turned to Meliá. The Spanish hotel chain, which manages 34 properties owned by the Cuban State, has been forced to reduce its available rooms by approximately 50%, and although it has not expressed any intention of ending its business there, warnings are coming from various quarters.
This happened last Saturday, when the U.S.-Cuba Economic and Trade Council (U.S.-Cuba Trade) published an article asking whether the Mallorca-based company would be the next to end its collaboration with the military conglomerate Gaesa due to pressure from Title IV of the Helms-Burton Act, already activated during Trump’s first term, and a possible inclusion on the SDN (Specially Designated Nationals) list of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Treasury Department. This directory includes sanctioned individuals, companies, or vessels, implying a financial blockade and a prohibition on Americans doing business with them.
Although theoretically any company could be exposed to such measures, U.S.-Cuba Trade believes there could be an additional political motivation for acting against Meliá: the stance of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who prohibited the U.S. from using Spanish military bases for operations against Iran. In fact, the organization believes that Sherritt’s withdrawal may have stemmed from a similar situation involving Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has also been confrontational toward the American president. continue reading
The organization believes Sherritt’s departure may have resulted from a similar situation involving Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister and likewise confrontational toward the American president
Meliá also has a precedent. Its CEO, Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, son of Escarrer Juliá, founder of the hotel chain and closely linked to Fidel Castro, was already sanctioned by OFAC in February 2020. Exactly six years ago, during a visit to Cuba for the Tourism Fair, the businessman said he was indifferent to the sanctions and stated that his intention was to remain on the Island for at least another three decades. “We do not tremble in the face of outside pressures we may suffer,” he insisted.
At that time, the hotel chain had already begun receiving claims under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, although none have succeeded. Meliá relied on the European regulation known as the Blocking Statute, which prevents European Union companies from complying with extraterritorial measures. Companies based in the EU are strictly prohibited from applying legislation or court rulings from other countries listed in an annex that expressly includes the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996.
But now, U.S.-Cuba Trade points out, there is the possibility of being placed on the SDN list, which would mean, in addition to losing the two hotels it owns in the United States, the INNSiDE in New York and the Meliá Orlando Celebration in Florida, the possibility that banks could sever relations for fear of being affected themselves.
The Spanish newspaper ABCconsulted a lawyer specializing in these matters for an article published Tuesday. “From a legal standpoint, this is a major change, because the United States is giving itself a weapon it can use however it wants. For companies operating in Cuba, their existence in the country is going to become more complicated. There will be much greater scrutiny from banks, insurers, and partners when doing business, and many companies will reconsider whether it is worth continuing,” said José María Viñals, a partner at the international law firm Squire Patton Boggs. In his view, financial institutions will have to conduct “a very exhaustive analysis and review their credit history with the Island,” and the measures discourage investment in Cuba.
ABC also spoke with Ignacio Aparicio, from Andersen Lawyers and head of Cuban affairs, who said several companies have consulted about “the validity and continuity of their contracts with entities linked to Gaesa, the personal risk to their executives regarding entry visas to the United States, and the position of their banks and insurers regarding ongoing operations.” The expert does not believe there will be a total withdrawal of Spanish companies, but he warned: “This is neither a hypothetical nor a distant nor a legally simple risk.”
Among the most visible companies potentially affected, the Madrid daily notes, are also the hotel chains Barceló and Iberostar, Banco Sabadell, and Alto Cedro, the latter linked to Banco Santander, which has a strong presence in the United States.
“Europe will have to decide whether it protects European companies and confronts the United States”
Viñals, in any case, raises an even broader issue in the conflict. “Europe will have to decide whether it protects European companies and confronts the United States,” he said. The Blocking Statute mainly functions as a tool capable of nullifying the legal effects of U.S. court decisions on European soil, but it can do little against an OFAC designation, which would exert coercive pressure on other businesses. However, the EU still has a weapon it has never used, known as the trade bazooka: the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI).
Created in 2023 by the European Commission, this mechanism activates direct trade reprisals if authorities determine that there is a policy attempting to influence the policies of the EU or its member states. Measures can range from tariffs to service restrictions or suspension of U.S. patents in Europe. The first time the bloc of 27 countries considered invoking it was last January, when Donald Trump threatened to take over Greenland, but given the potential for open conflict implied by its use, it was never even formally considered.
Just a week ago, French President Emmanuel Macron again brought the ACI into the spotlight when Trump threatened new tariffs on the EU. Sánchez joined the initiative, supporting its use to block measures against judges of the International Criminal Court. However, even if the EU wanted to use its “last golden bullet” against the United States, activating the measure would take months to move through Europe’s high-level institutions, compared to the immediacy of OFAC measures.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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This is about circumventing the US measure that only authorizes small private businesses to import petroleum products
A gas station known as the Shell Roundabout in Havana, rented from a micro, small, or medium-sized enterprise (MSME), where state vehicles are served. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Havana, May 12, 2026 / Starting at midnight on Friday, May 15, the fixed price for gasoline purchases will be eliminated. The Cuban regime announced this Tuesday through its media, stating that “the sale prices of fuels in foreign currency will be updated, either upward or downward, according to the actual costs of each specific transaction.”
“The gradual process of social and economic transformations that Cuba, in its legitimate and sovereign right, has been carrying out has allowed multiple actors to import and sell fuel in foreign currency,” states the press release published in official media. The statement does not specify what has “allowed multiple actors” to import and sell fuel; that is, not only the Cuban government’s willingness—which since February has facilitated the purchase of fuel by any company with the means to do so—but also the permit issued by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for Cuban private entities to import fuel from the United States, provided that regime institutions are excluded.
“Different retail fuel prices will coexist, reflecting the actual import costs for each economic actor.”
Without mentioning any of this, the official statement reports that from now on “different retail fuel prices will coexist at service stations, reflecting the actual import cost for each economic actor; this will be influenced by the supplier, freight costs, supply route, insurance, risks and international market fluctuations.”
Until now, it explains, “a fixed price for the sale of fuels was maintained as a policy of protection against the changes and instabilities inherent in a turbulent market, which cannot be economically sustained under the current conditions.”
However, the mere fact that the government issued a statement dictating a price policy supports the hypothesis that Havana is, in reality, circumventing the US regulation by de facto intervening in the newly privatized market. This newspaper has documented continue reading
how Cupet not only leases state-owned gas stations to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), but also serves vehicles belonging to state-owned companies at these stations , which is expressly prohibited by the OFAC order.
“Cuba demands its inalienable right to import fuels to guarantee the country’s economic and social development and the well-being of its people.”
Far from apologizing, the regime asserts: “Cuba demands its inalienable right to import fuels to guarantee the country’s economic and social development and the well-being of its people.”
US oil sales to Cuba surged in March, reaching $8,788,501 in a single month. According to the latest figures from the US-Cuba Trade Council, the total value of gasoline, fuel oil, diesel, and lubricants in the first quarter of the year reached $11,624,773, indicating significant growth in March compared to the previous month.
In February, US-Cuba Trade already reported a quantitative jump in the figures, with almost 2.44 million dollars – 2.2 in fuel oil and 162,100 in gasoline, which is more complex to transport in isotanks (tank containers of just over 20,000 liters).
Broken down by product, this March, light fuel oil was one of the most purchased items, totaling $3,066,920, although petroleum oils were the star performer, reaching nearly four million dollars. Additionally, $490,223 was spent on gasoline, three times more than the previous month. All shipments originated from Florida, New Orleans, and Houston.
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While hundreds stand in line to leave the country after sleepless nights, a class emerges capable of shielding themselves from blackouts and sleeping soundly.
Tejas Corner, in Havana, this Tuesday. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Havana, 12 May 2026 / Everyone on the street is talking about the same thing. “I couldn’t sleep even an hour last night,” a young woman tells an elderly woman she passes as she walks along Calzada del Cerro. I follow behind, with the clumsy gait of someone who spent the night awake, barely blinked the night before, and managed, if anything, a couple of hours of sleep. The constant sleeplessness imposed by the combination of blackouts and heat weighs heavily on all of us in this city.
Before five o’clock in the morning this Tuesday, I’d already had a couple of cups of coffee. By seven, my eyes were wide open, and I headed out, but I made a mistake turning right at Rancho Boyeros instead of going straight, and I ended up at the Ciénaga train workshops. I crossed the avenue and decided to walk to Esquina de Tejas. The oak trees were in bloom all over the city, so with every step I stumbled upon a tapestry of petals on the ground. A soft carpet that got me yawning. All I could think about were pillows, blankets, and a cool room where I could snore for hours on end.
The owner of the most powerful Ecoflow, the longest-lasting battery, and the generator with the most fuel is now the neighborhood ‘big shot’.
Several blocks before reaching the Immigration and Foreigners Directorate office, I see the crowd. There are dozens, most likely hundreds, of people who have spent the night there to apply for a passport. The exodus continues unabated. A woman boasts to others that she spent the night at a friend’s house who has a generator and that she slept “like a log with the air conditioning on.” The looks she gets from those who hear her bravado are like poisoned arrows.
The new class emerging is the one that can isolate itself from blackouts and enter the deep sleep stage, essential for physical recovery. People with resources are no longer identified so much by the designer clothes, the car they drive, or the drinks they toast with. Now, the deepest social divide is between those who can count on an energy supply that allows them to rest during the early morning hours, and those who experience that time of day amidst mosquito bites, sweat, and sudden awakenings.
Our status is written all over our faces. That woman with dark circles under her eyes; she probably doesn’t even have a rechargeable fan to keep cool in the dark. That young man with puffy bags under his eyes; he probably lives in a windowless tenement and has a small child he must fan all night. And those cheeks without a dark spot on their upper part; there we have the nouveau riche. The owner of the most powerful Ecoflow, the longest-lasting battery, and the generator with the most fuel is now the neighborhood dandy.
When the sun starts to beat down, they take refuge in their offices with a certain air of duty fulfilled, while outside, mountains of garbage continue to dominate the landscape. / 14ymedio
I arrive at the Esquina de Tejas. The park benches at the base of the two 20-story buildings are full of families. Some children sleep stretched out on the granite, while their mothers wave cardboard boxes close to their bodies. These towers, which I can see from my apartment, spend a good part of the night in darkness. When I feel that my building’s electricity is being mistreated more than the others, I only have to look toward the horizon at the windows of these darkened buildings to remind me that in this city there’s always someone who might be worse off, much worse off.
I turn onto Infanta Street. Several government offices have been ordered to clean up the mess in front of their buildings. So, several employees, brooms and dustpans in hand, are sweeping up a piece of paper here, some cardboard there, in the middle of an avenue overflowing with filth. As the sun begins to beat down, they retreat to their offices with a sense of accomplishment, while outside, mountains of garbage continue to dominate the landscape. One of the enthusiastic cleaners has forgotten the bin of accumulated waste, which a cart driver accidentally knocks over, and it all spills back onto the street.
The flowers have continued to fall, and her shoulders, skirt, and bag are covered in those fragile petals that are ruined as soon as they fall. / 14ymedio
She bought some coffee from a street vendor. She never drinks it after eight in the morning to avoid sleep problems later, but who cares about a little more caffeine in a city where you can’t sleep anyway? The small dose came with sugar, but she didn’t care; she just wanted to wake up and get to her destination. She reached Parque de la Normal.
In one corner, a woman has fallen asleep leaning against a tree trunk. It’s an oak. The blossoms have continued to fall, and her shoulders, skirt, and bag are covered in those fragile petals that wither as soon as they fall.
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.
Police arrest Yoan de la Cruz, the young man who broadcast the start of the 11J protests from San Antonio de los Baños
Beyond the ceremonial language and official photographs, the day was marked by reports of surveillance, police cordons, and repression. / Granma
14ymedio, Havana, May 9, 2026 / An unknown man intercepted journalist Reinaldo Escobar at his front door on Friday and asked if he planned to go out. When told no, the man warned him that neither he nor Yoani Sánchez could leave because there was a special mass for the Pope that day. “And what does that have to do with us, if we’re not even Catholic?” Escobar asked. “That’s what I told you,” the unknown man responded, in a phrase that betrayed the existence of orders from above. The man concluded: “Well, you know, stay upstairs and don’t go out.”
In effect, the Cuban regime once again presented its best diplomatic face to the Catholic Church this Friday. In Havana’s cathedral, Cardinal Juan de la Caridad García, Archbishop of Havana, and the president of the Episcopal Conference, Arturo González Amador, celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving for the first anniversary of the pontificate of Leo XIV. In the front row were Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez and Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa, both members of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party.
However, outside of the ceremonial language and official photographs, the day was marked by reports of surveillance, police cordons, and pressure against independent journalists and activists.
The Apostolic Nuncio, Antoine Camilleri, focused his message on the Pope’s approachability, simplicity, and spirit of service. He also referred to the more than 90 years of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Cuba, which he described as a “constant channel of dialogue, respect, and cooperation.” The official newspaper Granma presented the ceremony as a new episode of “respectful and constructive dialogue” between Havana and the Vatican.
While the government speaks of dialogue before the Church and diplomats, its repressive forces keep under control those who could offer a different image of the country.
Several reports of harassment and police blockades circulated on social media in the hours leading up to and following the mass. Opposition members and independent reporters asserted that State Security agents were stationed around their homes to prevent them from leaving. Among those surrounded were journalist Camila Acosta, opposition member Ángel Moya, and Berta Soler, leader of the Ladies in White movement. According to independent journalist José Raúl Gallego, Moya and Soler were detained.
While the government speaks of dialogue before the Church and diplomats, its repressive forces keep under control those who continue reading
could offer another image of the country: that of political prisoners, those released from prison under surveillance, the mothers of “11J” and the journalists who document the crisis outside the state press.
Adding to this climate was the report about Yoan de la Cruz, the recently released political prisoner who live-streamed the first protests on 11 July 2021, in San Antonio de los Baños. A Facebook post circulated this Saturday alerted the public that the police had arrested him and confiscated money, perfumes, and other items during the operation. “Under what pretext? I don’t know, this is robbery to me,” the post stated, adding that De la Cruz was working and complying with the regulations imposed since his release.
“They seized several items from him, including perfumes, money, a phone, and a computer.”
A source close to the family, consulted by 14ymedio, later confirmed some of the information circulating on social media. “According to neighbors, they confiscated several items from him: perfumes, money, a phone, a computer, and so on. I don’t yet know the reason for his arrest,” the source explained. As of now, it is unknown what charges he was arrested under or whether the authorities have formally informed the family about his situation.
Yoan de la Cruz was first arrested on July 23, 2021, after broadcasting from San Antonio de los Baños the images that sparked the 11J protests across the island. In March 2022, he was sentenced to six years in prison, and in May of that same year, he was released after his sentence was reduced to five years without incarceration.
This system, presented by the authorities as an alternative to prison, functions in practice as supervised release. The offender is obligated to comply with restrictions, subject to police monitoring, and vulnerable to any alleged violation being used as grounds for returning to prison.
The coincidence of the official mass, the reported blockades, and the operation against De la Cruz paints a picture difficult to reconcile with the discourse of openness the regime projects to the Holy See. In the cathedral, officials spoke of respect and cooperation. In the homes of activists and former political prisoners, the police reminded them of the true limitations of that dialogue.
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Several lawmakers believe all efforts should be focused on Iran and that economic sanctions should be enough to force change on the Island
Republican U.S. senators trust that economic pressure will be enough to reach an agreement. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Madrid, May 12, 2026 — U.S. President Donald Trump posted a message on his social network, Truth, in which he claimed that Cuba is asking for help and that he will respond through dialogue. The post makes a veiled reference to an article published Tuesday by the newspaper The Hill, which quoted several Republican senators rejecting military intervention on the Island and urging priority be given to the war with Iran.
“No Republican has ever talked to me about Cuba, a failed country that is only going in one direction: downward! Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk! Meanwhile, I’m going to China!” Trump exclaimed, just hours before his trip to Beijing, which begins this Wednesday and will last through Friday the 15th.
The Hill spoke with several senators from the president’s party who warned of the mistake it would be to attack Cuba while problems with Iran continue, and who called for continued economic pressure so that the Cuban regime collapses on its own.
The lawmakers are apparently concerned about the political repercussions that presidential decisions could have ahead of the midterm elections in November, when all signs point to a Democratic victory. The war against the regime of the ayatollahs is worsening the already negative polling numbers forecast for Republicans, and senators are asking for the issue to be resolved as soon as possible.
The lawmakers are apparently concerned about the political repercussions that presidential decisions could have ahead of the midterm elections in November.
“I think right now we are focused on what we should be, which is trying to open the Strait of Hormuz,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who considers the matter a national priority. “I’d love to see regime change in Cuba, like everyone else,” he added, but said continue reading
that this may come through the force of events. “I think the things happening in the world are putting more pressure on many of these dictatorial-type governments. Maybe something there will happen naturally.”
James Lankford, Republican senator from Oklahoma and vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference, called for increased sanctions to try to force change, but when asked whether he would support a military operation against the Island, he was blunt: “No, I would not. There is a lot of economic pressure that can be put on Cuba that makes a huge difference by itself.”
Another firm “no” came from Susan Collins, representative from Maine and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Steve Daines argued that although Cuba is “in our backyard,” he prefers “less conflict rather than more, given what’s happening in the world.”
“I trust,” he added, “the instincts of the president and Secretary Rubio. They are much closer to that situation, frankly, than I am,” highlighting the role of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said a military operation in Cuba would be a mistake and suggested that the Cuban regime is open to reforms in exchange for investment. “I want less war, not more. I am not in favor of a war with Cuba, which right now is suffering economically from the embargo, although I think they were suffering even before that because of socialism,” he stated.
“From what I have discussed with their ambassador, I think they are open to negotiations, they are open to better relations. They have told me they are open to U.S. investment. That is really the way societies are transformed,” he argued.
Shelley Moore Capito, senator from West Virginia and chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, downplayed the likelihood of military action and insisted that Iran is the priority. “It’s very far down the list, even if it’s on a list. I think we have to focus on what’s happening in Iran,” she told The Hill.
“It’s very far down the list, even if it’s on a list. I think we have to focus on what’s happening in Iran,” she said.
By contrast, Axios sees more signs that Trump may be preparing military action in Cuba, in an article published Monday titled “Trump and Rubio’s escalating rhetoric shows a Cuba invasion could be imminent.” While the outlet does not provide strong indications from government sources pointing toward military intervention — they cite a White House official saying that Cuba “will soon fall, and we will be there to help them” — it does include a relevant opinion in that direction.
That opinion comes from Sebastián Arcos, interim director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University, who told Axios that intervention is more plausible now that “the war with Iran is in a kind of limbo.” “I sense a reorientation toward Cuba, not only in the surveillance flights, but also in the president’s statements to Marco Rubio and the newly announced sanctions,” the specialist declared.
He does not believe the U.S. president will deploy troops on the Island, but rather “undertake a remote military action, similar to what occurred in Iran, that would shock the regime, weaken the ruling leadership, and perhaps create an opportunity for the emergence of new leadership.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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The young man who broadcast the first images of the historic July 11 protests was transferred to the prison known as Técnico de Guanajay
One of the relatives assured this newspaper that Yoan de la Cruz was working and complying with the regulations imposed since his release from prison. / Facebook
14ymedio, Madrid, May 12, 2026 – Yoan de la Cruz, who livestreamed the first protests of 11 July 2021 in San Antonio de los Baños and was detained last Saturday following a police operation at his home, has been transferred to the prison known as Técnico de Guanajay (Artemisa). A relative confirmed this to 14ymedio, requesting anonymity, and explained that the authorities want to accuse the young man of having “financially helped some prisoners who were going to carry out sabotage.”
According to the same source, however, “they have not been able to link him to what they are alleging, they have not been able to tie him to anything,” so “there is a possibility they will release him soon.” During the search of his home, his relatives said, authorities not only “took his cellphone and his computer,” but also the electronic devices belonging to his mother (a cellphone and a computer) and his grandmother’s cellphone. “Punishing the whole family,” another relative remarked.
“They feel completely free to do whatever they want with Yoan,” the first source lamented. “They can take him, interrogate him, detain him whenever they want, because he is a July 11 prisoner, and his sentence continue reading
does not end until December of this year, and that’s just how it is.”
“They can take him, interrogate him, detain him whenever they want, because he is a July 11 prisoner and his sentence does not end until December”
The family, the legal organization Cubalex denounced on Monday, suffered “a severe emotional crisis,” especially his mother and his 87-year-old grandmother, “who was recently hospitalized.” The NGO stated on its social media that the young man “was returned to prison,” which demonstrates “the fragility of freedom in Cuba and the permanent risk of revocation against those persecuted for political reasons.”
On Saturday, the day of the police operation, one of the relatives told this newspaper that De la Cruz was working and complying with the regulations imposed since his release from prison. The young man was first detained on July 23, 2021, after authorities located him for broadcasting from San Antonio de los Baños the images that sparked the July 11 protests throughout the Island. In March 2022 he was sentenced to six years in prison, and just over a month later he was released after his sentence was modified to five years of imprisonment without confinement.
Presented by the authorities as an alternative to prison, the measure works in practice as supervised release. The convicted person is required to comply with restrictions, subjected to police monitoring and exposed to any alleged violation being used as grounds to send them back to prison.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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The State Security Crimes Chamber sentenced him for sabotage after he stole more than 5,700 liters of diesel
The diesel was stolen from the hospital’s generator units. / Facebook/Hospital Saturnino Lora
14ymedio, Madrid, May 12, 2026 — A worker at the Saturnino Lora Provincial Hospital in Santiago de Cuba was sentenced to 12 years in prison for “embezzlement” and “sabotage.” The man was prosecuted for stealing more than 5,700 liters of diesel intended for the health center’s generator units and contaminating the reserve fuel with water, which left the generators unusable during a blackout.
According to an official statement from the Santiago de Cuba Provincial People’s Court regarding the trial, held in the State Security Crimes Chamber, the accused worked as a “Specialist B” in energy saving and rational energy use, and was the only person responsible for controlling the fuel stored to power the hospital’s generator units. Taking advantage of that responsibility, he extracted a total of 5,742 liters of diesel from the storage tanks, which he later sold on the black market.
To conceal the shortage, according to the ruling, the employee temporarily refilled the generators with reserve fuel. However, anticipating an inspection by the Energy Generation Base Business Unit, he poured a similar amount of water into the reserve tank, thereby contaminating the diesel.
The failure caused the interruption of treatment for five patients connected to mechanical ventilators in intensive care
The manipulation became evident, the official account continues, after a shutdown of the national electrical system and the hospital’s generator units failed to start operating. According to the statement, the failure affected medical services at both Saturnino Lora Hospital and the Santiago de Cuba Cardiology Center, and caused the interruption of treatment for five patients connected to mechanical ventilators in intensive care. The fuel contamination also damaged protective filters and settling devices in the generator units.
The court considered the accused guilty of the crimes of embezzlement and sabotage, established in Articles 424 and 125 of the Cuban Penal Code, and imposed a combined sentence of 12 years’ imprisonment, in addition to a ban on leaving the country and the loss of public rights. He must also assume “civil liability arising from the damages.” continue reading
The sentence comes amid a penal crackdown promoted by the Cuban Government against any disruption related to the national electrical system. In April of this year, Cuba’s prime minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, demanded a “heavy hand” against these crimes and an increase in efforts to combat the theft of fuel and dielectric oil from transformers.
Depending on the seriousness of the act and its consequences, penalties can reach up to 30 years in prison, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty
In that context, the official press recalled that sabotage against the national electric power system is classified in the Cuban Penal Code with penalties that can reach, depending on the seriousness of the act and its consequences, up to 30 years’ imprisonment, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty.
Recently, the courts have increased the so-called “exemplary trials” for fuel thefts and crimes associated with energy infrastructure, in a way that appears intended to shift responsibility for the structural deterioration of the national electrical system onto these specific crimes. Last March, two men in Ciego de Ávila were sentenced to nine and seven years in prison for stealing bolts intended for a photovoltaic park, also under sabotage charges.
Scarcity, necessity, and the opportunities of a black market that pays what the State cannot guarantee have multiplied this year’s thefts of fuel and dielectric oil. These acts directly affect the population but also put the perpetrators themselves at risk, as some have been injured or killed during the thefts.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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In an interview on ABC News, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez hesitates in his answers about free elections and political prisoners.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez during an interview with Whit Johnson in Havana. / ABC News
14ymedio, Madrid, May 11, 2026/ Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez experienced awkward moments in front of ABC News cameras while trying to answer questions about free elections in Cuba, political prisoners, and reforms demanded by Washington.
Rodríguez gave the interview last Thursday in Havana to reporter Whit Johnson, but this Sunday the program Good Morning America highlighted the answers that the foreign minister gave in broken English, when the journalist asked him what changes the Cuban government would be willing to make in the face of pressure from Washington.
The Foreign Secretary, stammering and visibly struggling with the language, managed to reply, “I reject those accusations,” referring to the issues of political prisoners, human rights, and free elections in Cuba. Johnson pressed on: “What do you reject about free elections? It is a single socialist party—essentially, a single family—that has practically ruled Cuba for almost seven decades.”
“Cuba is a democracy, a different kind of democracy.”
Notably nervous, Rodríguez responded that he would return to that topic at another time, maintaining that Cuba “is a country with its own history and its own particularities, and we are a free and independent nation […] but Cuba is a democracy, a different kind of democracy.” Johnson was quick to point out that it cannot be called a “democracy” when there is only one party and a single candidate for whom the population can vote, and asked directly: “What are you worried might happen if there were free elections in Cuba?”
The chancellor hesitated and managed to say: “You are presenting a prejudice.”
Johnson pointed out to viewers that Rodríguez never answered this direct question, which was repeated several times. However, he did answer a question about political prisoners, stating that they “didn’t exist” in Cuba.
In response to Rodríguez’s refusal, the ABC journalist countered by mentioning reports from international organizations and independent monitoring groups that document hundreds of people imprisoned continue reading
Bruno Rodríguez asserted that “there has been no progress” in recent talks with the US, and that Washington’s threats would provoke a “bloodbath in Cuba.”
Good Morning America ‘s Cuban-American host, Gio Benitez, noted how “shocking” it was to see a foreign minister responding to those questions in this way. Johnson added that in Cuba he saw the population surviving this desperate crisis on their own and that the citizens he spoke with do want change.
In other fragments from the interview that had been published last Friday, Bruno Rodríguez had asserted that “there has been no progress” in recent talks with the US, and that Washington’s threats were going to provoke a “bloodbath in Cuba.”
The conversation took place amid a new escalation of tensions between Washington and Havana, after the Trump Administration announced new sanctions against the Business Administration Group (Gaesa), the military business conglomerate that controls much of the Cuban economy.
From the outset of the report, ABC described a country exhausted and on the verge of economic collapse: “There is a growing sense of despair and exhaustion here in Cuba, and the government remains defiant.”
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14ymedio, Havana, Darío Hernández, May 15, 2026 — A liquefied gas delivery truck passes through Guanabacoa, in Havana, under the longing gaze of most of the neighbors. The gas cylinders it carries are not for everyone, and even less so for the impoverished pockets of most residents on that block of Delicias Street, between Potosí and Gloria.
