Cuban Military Conglomerate Is Flush with US Dollars

A new investigation by El Nuevo Herald has revealed the financial power of GAESA, the business conglomerate controlled by Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR). El Nuevo Herald gained access to secret documents showing that as of March 2024, GAESA held current assets worth $18 billion, $14.5 billion of which was kept in bank accounts belonging to financial institutions within the group.

How a Spanish Food Products Vendor Makes Big $$$ in Cuba

A Spanish company based in La Coruña, Corporación Alimentaria Vima, made millions in profits in 2024 thanks to its food export business to Cuba, a country going through one of its worst food crises in decades. The contrast between the figures reported by the company and the reality of Cuban peso markets—empty for most of the population—is as striking as it is troubling.

Cuban Government Blames USA for Its Agricultural Crisis

In his speech before the Second UN Summit on Food Systems (UNFSS+4) on July 28, 2025, Jorge Luis Tapia, Cuba’s deputy prime minister grossly misled the body about the cause of Cuba’s agricultural and food crisis. By casting the entire blame for the crisis on the United States sanctions, the official conveniently ignored a series of internal failures.

How to Exchange Currency in Cuba in 2025: What Travelers Need to Know

Buying U.S. dollars or euros in Cuba isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Between digital appointments, daily limits, and a booming informal market, knowing where and how to exchange money can significantly impact your trip. Here’s what you need to know about official and unofficial options, the risks involved, and recent changes to the island’s foreign exchange system.

“We Had to Eat Like Dogs”: Abuse in US Immigration Prisons

The most recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), together with Americans for Immigrant Justice and Sanctuary of the South, reveals a devastating situation in three detention centers in South Florida: Krome, FDC Miami, and the Broward Transitional Center (BTC).

Cuba: It’s Not Loneliness, It’s State Abandonment

For brief moments, Marilu Placencia Gonzalez thinks she’s alone. But she isn’t. She lives with her son Gerardo who has a mental health disorder. Marilu’s skin is dry and scaly like that of a fish.

Cuban Government Announces Pension Increase

During his address to the National Assembly on July 17, 2025, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz presented an overview of the measures implemented by the government during the first half of the year.

“There Are No Beggars in Cuba,” says Labor Minister

Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera, head of Cuba's Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS), claimed that "there are no beggars in Cuba." Her statements are misleading and contradict both official figures and the reality experienced by Cubans.

Infant Mortality Soars in Cuba: Country on Track for Highest Rate in 25 Years

Cuba's infant mortality rate has surged to 8.2 per 1,000 live births—the highest in decades—amid a deepening healthcare crisis, hospital shortages, and declining birth rates.

Does Cuba have a Real Government Program for the Economy?

On July 5, 2025, President Díaz-Canel announced a vague economic reform plan. Experts criticized the lack of details and transparency, citing past failed policies. Core issues like state inefficiency and low productivity remain unaddressed, raising doubts about the government’s ability to deliver real economic change.

“What Comes Out of Your Throat Is Black”: In Moa, Cuba, a Mining Town Suffocates Under Toxic Air

“What comes out of your throat is black. It’s like we’re breathing poison. These people are killing us slowly.” The message captures the anguish of residents in Moa, a mining city in Cuba’s eastern province of Holguín. In recent days, citizen reports have drawn attention to a sharp spike in environmental pollution in this industrial hub—home to Cuba’s main nickel and cobalt processing plants.

Cuban Banks Withhold Euros from Spanish Pensions, Forcing Recipients to Accept Devalued Currency 

Cuban banks are withholding euros from Spanish pensions and aid programs, forcing recipients to accept Cuban pesos or MLC at unfavorable rates—causing financial hardship for thousands of elderly citizens.

Cuban Faces Five Years Jail for Filming a Cooking Gas Line

Filming horror in Cuba is forbidden. For that reason, the Prosecutor’s Office is requesting over five years in prison for Julio Cesar Duque de Estrada Ferrer, for a chain of events that began when he was filming a “crowd” at a cooking gas distribution point.

How Cubans in Mexico Became a Key Source of Remittances to the Island

As more Cubans settle in Mexico, they’re turning from transit migrants into vital remittance providers, reshaping financial flows to the island.

Cuba’s Yipsi Moreno Changed Her Flag, But Not Her Talent

Yipsi Moreno’s story is a gem. The former commissioner, former parliamentarian, former national idol — and, more recently, former exclusive citizen of the island — has returned to world competition in the hammer throw at age 44, with a new flag in hand and as if time only weighs on mortals.