Biden Removes Cuba from List of State Sponsors of Terrorism

In a surprise move, the Biden administration removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. According to Martí Noticias, in exchange, the Cuban government promised to release political prisoners.

Osvel Barzagas: A Free Cuban in Mexico’s Zocalo

Amid the chaos of the Zocalo, Mexico City’s central plaza, Cuban Osvel Barzagas was free. He didn’t know if he was happy, but yes, he was free.

January 10, The Decisive Day for Venezuela Has Arrived

Venezuelan citizens took to the streets on Thursday January 9th to defend Edmundo Gonzalez’s electoral victory of July 28, 2024. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado called for nationwide demonstrations to support Gonzalez’s potential inauguration on January 10.

Supermarkets in USD in Cuba: The Prince and the Pauper

The opening of the new supermarket 3ra y 70, located under the Gran Muthu Habana Hotel, dominated the headlines of Cuba’s independent press in the first days of 2025. Social media reactions, citizen reports, and press coverage highlight the widespread indignation among Cubans over the store’s policy: purchases can only be made with cash in foreign currency or international and certain domestic cards.

What Lessons Does 2024 Leave the Private Sector in Cuba?

In December 2023, during his speech to the National Assembly, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz promised that in 2024, the “mechanisms for supervision and regulation of the governmental control system over the private sector” would improve. 

What We Keep Quiet at Christmas

There is something about Christmas that has always seemed magical to me: the little trees, the parties, the lights in the windows, and that feeling that time pauses a bit to remind us of what truly matters. 

Cuban Government Says It Wants to Dollarize to De-Dollarize

Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, presented an update on the government’s plan and projections for 2025 at the National Assembly of People’s Power on December 18, 2024. In his over two-hour intervention, he emphasized the increased use of dollarization as a strategy to generate foreign currency.

What Changes with the New Internet Rates in Cuba?

The Cuban government needs dollars. The Telecommunications Company of Cuba (Etecsa) can provide them. The equation seems straightforward: the people in Cuba and their emigrant relatives endure, face challenges, and pay.

Promises of the Cuban Government for 2025

During the onset of the current session of Cuba’s National Assembly, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero spoke about the results of the government’s management in 2024, a year when Cuba’s crisis worsened significantly, and the measures they plan to implement in 2025.

Contaminated Fish and Vegetables in Villa Clara, Cuba

The contamination of the Belico and Cubanicay rivers, which border the center of Villa Clara, has a long history. One of the first lessons families in the area teach their children is that the surrounding rivers “are not good for swimming.” 

The Eternal Habit of Making Cuban Athletes Look Bad

Ayumi Leiva has dozens of reasons to feel proud of this title after, in August 2022, at just 19 years old, she fled a Cuban sports delegation at Madrid airport and sought asylum from the passport control police.

The End of Wholesale Trade in Cuba Between Private Entities

On December 5, 2024, the Official Gazette published Resolution 56 from the Ministry of Domestic Trade. Among other provisions, it mandates the cancellation of all commercial licenses granted to cooperatives and small and medium-sized private businesses that had authorized wholesale trade as a secondary activity within their main activity. 

Remittances to Cuba Once Again in Danger

On December 3, 2024, an investigation by journalist Nora Gamez Torres published in El Nuevo Herald uncovered the links between the company Orbit S.A. and the Cuban regime. Since March 2023, Orbit —partnered with the multinational Western Union— has been managing a portion of the remittances sent to the island.

Violence Against Cuban Women on the Migration Route

The lifeless bodies of Cuban women Ana Mercedes Capetillo Savón and Leydi de la Caridad Rodríguez Acosta, aged 33 and 36 respectively, were found on Friday, November 15, 2024, in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico.

Cuba: Tourism First, Housing Recovery Later

The Cuban government has acknowledged that it will only be able to address 50% of the damage to roofs of homes caused by hurricanes Oscar and Rafael, as well as the earthquakes on November 10, 2024.