The Cuban Gov. Without Maduro: Nervousness and Repression

A sign of the Union of Young Communists burned in full view on Cuba’s Central Highway. The video of the intentional arson quickly went viral on social media. The images, recorded in Güira de Melena, join a series of symbolic acts rejecting state propaganda in a context of deep crisis.

Did Cuba Declare a “State of War”?

Official Cuban media circulated messages on Sunday that raised questions inside and outside the island about a possible declaration of a state of war in the country.

What Cubans Would Put First in a Dialogue With the US

Given the scarce civic spaces in which Cubans can express how they would like that hypothetical dialogue between Cuba and the United States to be conducted—and with the aspiration that the results serve only as a first exploration of an issue that must be studied in more depth—we asked the audience of elTOQUE for their opinion.

To Those Who Explained Venezuela to Us Without Listening

It is undeniable that oil permeates the lives of Venezuelans: the country has made its history—and paid its tragedy—on top of the largest proven crude reserves on the planet. For decades, moreover, Venezuela’s potential has been deliberately minimized and reduced to a functional stereotype: a country of beauty queens and oil.

Nonardo Perea: From the San Isidro Movement to Exile in Spain

Nonardo Perea is an artist, writer, and audiovisual creator who has made his life experience and queer identity the core of his work—deeply self-referential and dissident. This is his way of thinking about Cuba.

Cuban Sports Trainers in Venezuela “Waiting for Orders”

Víctor C., a Cuban coach in Caracas, woke up on January 3 with his heart in his throat. “We got a big scare, but we’re okay.”

Trump Claims US Will Control Venezuela in Transition

During a press conference on Saturday, January 3, 2026, President Donald Trump stated that the United States will run Venezuela until his administration can “ensure a peaceful transition” of power. He did not, however, provide tentative dates for this process.

Nicolas Maduro Captured as USA Attacks Venezuela

Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro “was reportedly detained and removed from Venezuelan territory,” according to a message published by US President Donald Trump on his social network platform. In that same post, Trump stated that US forces carried out attacks inside Venezuela, following reports of explosions in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira, as well as in Caracas.

Faby Rodriguez’s Return Journey to Cuba

Faby Rodríguez, 22, did not think she would be detained that morning, that it would be her last day of freedom in the United States. She arrived on time for her immigration check-in appointment in San Antonio, Texas, as she always had. That day, her journey back to Cuba began.

More Gov. Control Over Foreign Currency and Cuba’s Farmers

Farm production in Cuba’s countryside is thinning out and state investment is minimal. However, in bureaucratic offices ideas abound for tightening control over the flow of foreign currency in the agricultural and forestry sector and over those who work the land.

Arrest of Cubans at ICE Supervision Appointments Continue

While many families were preparing for the Christmas holidays, Belixa Cubena’s greatest wish is for her husband, Daniel Alejandro Escobar, to be released from the detention center where he has been held since early December 2025.

Cuba: The Country That Is Running Out of People

If Cuba’s political landscape does not change, there is a real risk that in 50 years the Cuban nation will no longer exist as we know it, but only as an ever-diminishing remnant: an aging, impoverished population trapped in the prolongation of a regime that presents itself as mutable in form, but eternal in essence.

From a Cuban Medical Mission in Venezuela to Limbo in Colombia

The car Manuel* was traveling in moved slowly at dawn along a muddy dirt track in the Venezuelan state of Táchira. Four passengers were crammed into the back seat, while the driver turned off the headlights every time he heard the sound of an engine in the distance.

Conclusions from Cuba’s National Assembly Session

The structural crisis Cuba is going through is becoming increasingly evident. In 2025, the tourism industry—one of the country’s main sources of income—recorded its worst performance in decades, while deficits in the energy sector continue to greatly affect the daily lives of Cubans.

The Key Figure in the Flow of Oil Between Venezuela & Cuba

In late September 2025, the name Ramon Carretero Napolitano appeared in several press reports across the region. The Panamanian businessman was aboard the Learjet 55 that crashed in Maiquetia, Venezuela.