Cuban Teen Gets Eight Years for Carrying “El Quimico”

On September 4, 2025, the sentencing was announced in Moron (Ciego de Ávila) of an 18-year-old who must now spend eight years in prison for being in possession of several doses of the drug with intent to traffic, according to a report in Invasor, the official newspaper in that central province.

Cuban Honey Sweetens Europe While It Sours for Producers

Any jar of organic honey sold in shops in Germany, Spain, or France —and in other European Union countries— may contain the product of Carlos’s hard work and the dozens of hives he maintains in a rural area of eastern Cuba. Yet this beekeeper is one of many dissatisfied with the State’s debts to producers and with the new payment terms imposed after the XIII Congress of the National Association of Small Farmers.

Cuba Announces Integration into Chinese Payment System

Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, informed government media on September 7, 2025, that the island’s banks will integrate into the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS). The system is designed by China as an alternative to SWIFT for conducting international payments in Chinese yuan, and that the use of this currency will increase in transactions between the two nations.

Cuban Power Grid Collapses Again: Fifth Nationwide Blackout in Less Than a Year

Cuba’s power grid collapsed again on Sept. 10, marking the fifth nationwide blackout in less than a year as the island’s energy crisis worsens.

Leased Taxis Provide a Lifeboat for Cuba’s State-Run Company

This story explores how Cuba’s state-run taxi company, faced with a crumbling fleet and economic crisis, increasingly relies on private drivers. Through voices like Alex’s, it shows the opportunities and burdens of a hybrid system where drivers shoulder costs and risks, while the State still comes out on top.

Marisabidillas – A Reading Club to Combat Cuba’s Chaos

In Havana, Elizabeth Quintana Lezcano reclaims the word marisabidilla—once a slur for opinionated women—to name her book club. Through short, powerful works by contemporary women writers, the club has become a space of community, resilience, and self-discovery amid Cuba’s crises.

Rosangela: Ten Years Repairing Washing Machines in Havana

When someone in Havana needs to repair a washing machine, they imagine the mechanic will be a tall man, with rough hands and a smell of grease. But the person who shows up at the door is a young woman with a firm step, a calm gaze, and a soft voice who asks, “Where’s the patient?”

Reactions to US Deployment of Warships in the Caribbean

The alleged US naval deployment in the Caribbean has deepened regional divides, with Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua denouncing it as imperialist aggression. Meanwhile, countries like Trinidad and Tobago, Paraguay, and Argentina have aligned with Washington, labeling the Cartel of the Soles a terrorist organization.

Everyday Miracles: Church Feeds Hundreds in Santiago de Cuba

Every other Saturday, something extraordinary happens at Santa María parish in Santiago de Cuba. There, Anglican priest Rodhin A. Colomar has woven a community network that provides food to hundreds of Cubans.

U.S. Dollar Hits 400 Cuban Pesos in Informal Market

Dollar trades at historic 400 CUP in Cuba’s informal market; official rates lag far behind amid dire economic pressures.

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.

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.