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Trump DOJ indictment of Raúl Castro, renewed sanctions, and Cuba's deepening energy and economic collapse
Spanish hotel chain Meliá will cease operations at 15 of the 34 hotels it manages in Cuba, citing corporate responsibility and external factors that have affected the operation, legality and security of the establishments, according to…
3 MIN READAsian hotel chain Archipelago International has ended its operations in Cuba under the Aston brand, becoming the third international hospitality operator to exit the island in less than a week ahead of a Friday deadline for foreign…
3 MIN READIn a look at the Trump administration’s escalating pressure on Cuba, Associated Press reports that U.S. strategy is taking cues from its approach to Venezuela—oil-focused coercion, a larger military footprint, federal criminal charges, and…
3 MIN READThe Trump administration is employing the same pressure tactics against Cuba that it used against Venezuela — an oil blockade, a growing U.S. military presence, federal indictments and repeated threats of intervention — but analysts warn…
3 MIN READActing U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Wednesday that former Cuban President Raúl Castro, now 94, has been indicted on murder, conspiracy and aircraft‑destruction charges for ordering the 1996 shootdown of two civilian exile…
3 MIN READPresident Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio renewed warnings Thursday about potential U.S. military intervention against Cuba, with Rubio expressing doubt that diplomacy can resolve differences. The renewed threat came a day…
3 MIN READThe Trump administration’s strategy against Cuba is drawing comparisons to the “Venezuela playbook,” including a focus on pressure campaigns, legal charges and the buildup of U.S. military capacity in the region, according to experts cited…
3 MIN READPresident Donald Trump said he would be “happy” to order U.S. military intervention in Cuba, telling reporters Thursday that previous presidents had considered such action for decades, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed doubt that…
3 MIN READThe Supreme Court voted 8-1 Thursday to revive a long-stalled lawsuit by a U.S. company seeking compensation from four cruise lines that used dock facilities in Havana confiscated by the Castro government more than 60 years ago.
3 MIN READFederal prosecutors announced criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro in the 1996 downing of civilian aircraft flown by Miami-based exiles, as the Trump administration escalated pressure on Cuba. Acting Attorney General…
3 MIN READPresident Donald Trump’s administration has escalated pressure on Cuba while it has pursued new diplomacy with Havana and increased sanctions, culminating this week in a U.S. indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro. The indictment…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Justice Department is seeking an indictment against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, prosecutors say. The case revives…
3 MIN READPresident Donald Trump said Sunday night that he has “no problem” with a Russian oil tanker delivering about 730,000 barrels of oil to Cuba, despite U.S. sanctions and a U.S.-led blockade on fuel shipments. Trump made the remarks aboard…
4 MIN READPresident Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio renewed threats of potential U.S. military action against Cuba on Thursday, even as Rubio said the administration’s preference remains a “negotiated agreement that’s peaceful.” The…
3 MIN READ
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a federal appeals court in Atlanta wrongly dismissed claims by Havana Docks seeking recovery tied to property confiscated by Fidel Castro’s government more than 65 years ago. In an 8-1 decision,…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Justice Department has indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro, 94, charging him in connection with the 1996 shootdown of two unarmed civilian aircraft operated by Miami-based exiles. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro for his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes flown by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, as the Trump administration…
3 MIN READFederal prosecutors announced criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro in the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles, as President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Cuba. Acting Attorney…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Justice Department sought an indictment against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over a 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. The move revives a long-simmering dispute…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Justice Department announced Tuesday it will seek an indictment against former Cuban leader Raul Castro for the February 1996 downing of two civilian Brothers to the Rescue aircraft flown from Miami. The incident, in which Cuban…
4 MIN READIn Washington, federal prosecutors announced an indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 shootdown of two planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. The move comes as tensions…
3 MIN READUS prosecutors have indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro on murder and other charges over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, according to an indictment announced…
4 MIN READThe U.S. Justice Department has decided to seek an indictment against former Cuban President Raúl Castro for his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two planes operated by the Cuban exile group Brothers to the Rescue, a person familiar…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Justice Department is considering seeking an indictment against Cuban leader Raúl Castro tied to the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes operated by a Miami-based exile group, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The group Brothers to the Rescue—also known as Hermanos al Rescate—has been central to U.S. and Cuban efforts to use the 1996 incident to define the decades-long dispute between Washington and Havana.
The U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment Wednesday charging former Cuban President Raúl Castro with murder and conspiracy in connection with the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft flown by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue.
The U.S. has indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro, charging him in the 1996 shootdown of two planes flown by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, as the Trump administration renews pressure on Cuba. The indictment, announced May 20, lands amid months of intensified U.S. rhetoric about regime change and growing tensions with Cuba’s government. The moves have unfolded alongside sensitive U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East and a U.S.-Iran war in which the United States has been in an uneasy ceasefire.
The U.S. Justice Department is weighing seeking an indictment of Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two aircraft linked to the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, the Associated Press reported on May 18. The case would revive one of the lowest points in U.S.-Cuba relations, which have been shaped for decades by events tied to the group. A person familiar with the investigation told AP on condition of anonymity that Castro’s alleged role is among the factors DOJ is considering.
U.S. Justice Department prosecutors are considering seeking an indictment of Cuba’s former defense minister Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 shootdown of planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, the Associated Press reported. A person familiar with the investigation, speaking anonymously because the matter is ongoing, said the potential indictment is tied to Castro’s alleged role in the deaths of four people when Cuban fighter jets shot down two civilian aircraft.
The Justice Department is preparing to seek an indictment against former Cuban President Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 shootdown of four planes, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Friday, as the Trump administration increases pressure on Havana.
The U.S. Justice Department is preparing to seek an indictment against former Cuban President Raúl Castro, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Friday. The prospect of charges, which would be decided by a grand jury, would be tied to Castro’s alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of planes operated by a Miami-based exile group, AP reported.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Raúl Castro’s grandson and senior Cuban officials in Havana on Thursday, conveying President Donald Trump’s message that the United States is prepared to engage on economic and security issues only if Cuba makes fundamental changes, U.S. and Cuban officials said.
Cuba’s national power grid collapsed early Thursday, severing electricity to all eastern provinces from Guantánamo to Ciego de Ávila, authorities said, while residents in Havana faced rolling blackouts that stretched to 24 consecutive hours. The failure is the latest symptom of an energy crisis that has crippled the island’s aging infrastructure amid a prolonged economic downturn and tightening U.S. sanctions.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe met in Havana with Cuban officials including Raúl Castro’s grandson during a high-level visit Thursday, Cuban and U.S. officials said. Ratcliffe discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability and security, and a CIA official said he delivered President Donald Trump’s message that the U.S. is prepared to engage if Cuba makes fundamental changes.
Cuba’s national power grid suffered a major failure early Thursday, cutting electricity to the island’s eastern provinces, authorities said. The state-run Electric Union said power was lost from Guantánamo to Ciego de Ávila, as residents in Havana continued facing rolling outages.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday defended the Trump administration’s new sanctions on Cuba, including a sweeping designation against the military-run business conglomerate GAESA, which experts said could deter foreign investment and deepen the island’s economic crisis.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the Trump administration’s decision to impose new sanctions on Cuba, including measures targeting GAESA, a military-run business conglomerate. In remarks Friday, Rubio said the sanctions were aimed at GAESA, and not at Cubans, as the administration also moved to widen authorities that can reach foreign partners.
A free solar-powered charging station that opened in early April in Santa Clara, Cuba, is providing residents a way to charge electric vehicles, cook meals, and power devices amid chronic blackouts and fuel shortages, the Associated Press reported.
Federal prosecutors filed a civil denaturalization complaint to revoke the U.S. citizenship of Manuel Rocha, the former American ambassador convicted of serving for decades as a secret agent for Cuba, alleging he lied about his communist party affiliation when he naturalized in 1978.
Santa Clara, Cuba, opened a free, solar-powered charging station known as a “solinera” in early April, giving residents a way to recharge devices and vehicles amid chronic blackouts and a severe shortage of gasoline. The station, installed with solar panels and batteries, is drawing crowds who say it has eased daily travel and business losses tied to unreliable power.
Federal prosecutors filed a civil denaturalization complaint in Miami seeking to revoke the U.S. citizenship of former diplomat Manuel Rocha, who admitted serving for decades as a secret agent for Cuba. Prosecutors said Rocha lied on his citizenship application, including by denying Communist Party of Cuba affiliations and claiming he believed in the U.S. Constitution.
Cuba’s government ration book system, established by Fidel Castro in the early 1960s to guarantee subsidized food for every household, has collapsed to the point that state-run stores are nearly empty and a growing number of Cubans say they can no longer survive on the meager goods it provides. José Luis Amate López, who works at a bodega in central Havana, said his store served almost no customers for two weeks in late April because the shelves — once so full you could barely walk — held only rice, sugar and split chickpeas.
Cubans say government ration books, or “la libreta,” now offer shrinking supplies that leave them unable to cover basic food needs. In late April, some customers at state-run stores in central Havana said the only items available included rice, sugar and split chickpeas, forcing them to stretch money and rely on remittances or private shops.
Tens of thousands of Cubans gathered along Havana's Malecón seawall on Friday to mark International Workers' Day, celebrating the electric and petroleum workers who have labored around the clock as the island's power grid deteriorates under the strain of fuel shortages and aging infrastructure.
Thousands of Cubans crowded along Havana’s seawall on May Day to celebrate electric and petroleum workers as the island’s power grid continues to deteriorate and outages remain widespread. Electric Union employees and Petroleum Union refinery and fuel workers described operating around the clock and relying on limited fuel amid a continuing gasoline shortage tied to the U.S. energy blockade.
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday rejected Democratic legislation that would have required President Donald Trump to obtain congressional approval before ending the U.S. energy blockade against Cuba unless lawmakers agreed otherwise. Republicans voted to dismiss the war powers resolution, arguing the United States is not in “out of outright hostilities” with Cuba, delivering a 51-47 tally.
Cubans have been signing up for the “My signature for the Homeland” campaign launched by President Miguel Díaz-Canel earlier this month, as the United States and Cuba trade sharper rhetoric over sanctions and threats of aggression. Supporters say the signatures are a message to Washington that Cubans want peace but will defend their sovereignty, while some critics question why people are lining up amid hunger and economic stress on the island.
Havana (AP) — On a recent afternoon, elderly residents gathered at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Old Havana for a modest meal, part of a ritual offered three times a week amid a worsening economic crisis. Carmen Casado, 84, said her pension is too small to live on and that the church meals and state-supplied rations are a necessary supplement.
HAVANA — Cubans in recent months have altered everyday routines as water, electricity and fuel shortages deepen, including changes to beauty grooming, transportation timing and laundry habits. Residents and workers in Havana told The Associated Press that chronic blackouts and limited water availability—compounded by U.S. energy restrictions—are pushing them to abandon or stretch practices they long relied on.
A Cuban diplomat said Havana will not consider releasing political prisoners as part of new talks with the United States, rejecting U.S. “ultimatums” and saying detainees’ status is an internal matter. Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Cuba’s ambassador to the United Nations, made the remarks in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, as secret talks resumed in Havana.
A child at the center of a custody dispute involving gender identity was returned to their biological mother after federal authorities said a Utah couple took the child to Cuba. Rose Inessa-Ethington and partner Blue Inessa-Ethington face parental kidnapping charges, according to an FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court. Federal officials involved Cuban authorities and sent a government plane to retrieve the child, the court filings and U.S. law enforcement actions described in the case say.
Cuban exiles say President Donald Trump’s renewed threats toward Cuba have revived hopes for political change, while also raising fears that claims to property seized after Fidel Castro took power in 1959 could be sidelined in any broader deal. Lawyers and property owners say negotiations between Washington and Havana will need to address a maze of legal claims and statutes, including the Helms-Burton law.
Cuban exiles are weighing renewed hope and worry as President Donald Trump threatens military action against Cuba and pressures negotiations between Washington and Havana, with property-seizure claims from after Fidel Castro’s 1959 takeover at the center of talks. Lawyers and landowners in exile say the claims could span hundreds of thousands of people, and that any settlement could determine whether they receive compensation. (Associated Press)
Cuba's government confirmed Monday it had recently met with U.S. State Department officials on the island in early April—the first such diplomatic engagement since 2016—as both sides remain at odds over the U.S. energy blockade. Senior Cuban officials led by Alejandro García del Toro, deputy director general for U.S. affairs at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with an American delegation that included assistant secretaries of state. García del Toro said the exchange was conducted "respectfully and professionally" and that the U.S. delegation "did not issue any threats or deadlines."
Havana's avenues sit empty at night. Theaters are closed, bars have lowered their curtains, and the streets that once thrummed with music fall silent under the weight of an oil embargo imposed by President Donald Trump and Cuba's most severe economic crisis in decades. International airlines including Air France, Air Canada, and Iberia have abandoned Havana because they cannot refuel there.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Thursday that Cuba does not seek military conflict with the United States but is prepared to fight should one occur, addressing hundreds of people at a Havana rally marking the 65th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution's declaration of its socialist character. The remarks came days after President Donald Trump said his administration could turn its attention to Cuba after the ongoing war in Iran concludes, describing the island as a "failing nation."
On a sweltering afternoon in Havana, dozens of commuters gathered at the entrance of the Havana Bay Tunnel waiting to ride the Ciclobús—an underwater bus built to carry both passengers and their bicycles or motorcycles through the tunnel. The service has grown essential as Cuba’s fuel crisis limits gasoline supplies and disrupts public transportation.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that the United States has no justification to attack Cuba or try to depose him. He said an invasion would be costly and that, if it happened, Cubans would defend themselves.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel told NBC News that he will not step down, rejecting a question from journalist Kristen Welker on whether he would leave office if it meant “saving Cuba.” The comments were made in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” a portion of which aired Thursday and is scheduled to run in full on Sunday.
The White House on Wednesday played down remarks that Cuba could be “the next” target of U.S. attack, saying the island is not facing a justification for a military aggression. At the same time, President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in an interview published by Cuba’s state-linked outlet Granma that Cuba poses no threat to the United States and that any defense doctrine is defensive.
Hundreds of Cuban women rallied in Havana on April 7 to denounce a U.S. energy embargo and other measures they said have deepened the island’s crisis. The demonstration, led by officials from Cuba’s government and the Federation of Cuban Women, was held to honor Vilma Espín, a founder of the federation and a key figure in the Cuban revolution.
Two U.S. lawmakers visiting Cuba said they saw the effects of a U.S. energy blockade and called for a permanent solution to Cuba’s crises, Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Rep. Jonathan Jackson said after a five-day visit that ended Sunday.
The Cuban government freed prisoners on Friday, a move it described as “humanitarian gestures” ahead of Holy Week. Families gathered outside a prison on the outskirts of Havana as detainees were released in one of the biggest prisoner releases in years, but human rights groups said they had not seen evidence that political detainees or protesters were among those freed.
Russia plans to send a second oil tanker to Cuba, the country’s energy minister said Thursday, citing the island’s ongoing energy blockade. The announcement came days after a sanctioned Russian tanker docked in Matanzas with 730,000 barrels of oil, the first tanker to reach the island in three months. In Havana, hundreds of people staged a protest against the U.S. embargo as Cuban officials watched.
Cuba’s energy ministry and other officials on Tuesday hailed the arrival of a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in Matanzas as the island battles rolling blackouts and shortages. The Trump administration allowed the shipment to proceed despite an ongoing U.S. energy blockade, AP reported.
HAVANA (AP) — Yuneisy Riviaux, an unemployed mother of two in Havana, said she sometimes cannot provide lunch for her daughters amid persistent blackouts, shortages and cuts to Cuba’s state ration system. She and her husband, Cristóbal Estrada, describe how U.S. energy restrictions intensified an already worsening economic crisis, leaving pharmacies empty and public transportation strained by gasoline shortages.
Cuba prepared Monday to receive a sanctioned Russian oil tanker carrying about 730,000 barrels of oil, its first such delivery this year as it struggles under U.S. sanctions. The tanker’s reported position shifted between Russian transport officials and Cuban television before officials said it was approaching the port of Matanzas.
Mexican Navy aircraft located two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid for Cuba about 80 nautical miles northwest of Havana, and the boats arrived in the Cuban capital hours later on Saturday, after days of being out of contact, the Navy and aid convoy organizers said. The vessels set sail March 20 from Isla Mujeres in southern Mexico with at least eight people aboard, and bad weather delayed their arrival, organizers said. The boat’s arrival comes amid warnings about the humanitarian impact of a U.S. fuel blockade on the island, and after a delegation of religious leaders visited hospitals in Cuba.
Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Wednesday that former President Raúl Castro is involved in talks between the island and the United States, which Díaz-Canel said are in their early stages. The comments came in a videotaped interview with Spanish leftist leader Pablo Iglesias shared by state media.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico will continue a bilateral agreement that allows Cuban doctors to work in the country, even as other governments in the Americas have ended similar arrangements amid U.S. pressure. She made the comments on Wednesday in response to questions about whether Mexico would yield to efforts by the Trump administration.
Cuba began restoring electricity on Sunday, a day after a nationwide grid collapse left millions without power for the third time in March. The state-run Electric Union and the Ministry of Energy and Mines said power had returned early Sunday to about 72,000 customers in Havana, including five hospitals, but only a fraction of the capital’s roughly 2 million residents.
Cuba’s power grid collapsed on Saturday, leaving the island without electricity for a third time in March, the Cuban Electric Union said. The union said an unexpected failure at the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant in Camagüey province set off a cascading shutdown.
Cuba’s government rejected a request from the U.S. Embassy in Havana to import diesel for its generators, according to two U.S. officials, as the Trump administration maintains pressure on the island over energy and politics. The refusal came as the U.S. State Department weighs reducing embassy staffing because of diesel shortages.
More than 600 delegates from 33 countries began arriving in Cuba on Friday as part of a solidarity caravan carrying about 20 tons of humanitarian aid, organizers said. The arrival comes as Cuba faces a severe energy crisis and rising U.S.-Cuba tensions, including after President Donald Trump imposed an energy blockade in January, according to the reports.
Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces presented Cuban singer Silvio Rodríguez with an AKM rifle and a replica of one, according to a video posted by President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s office on Friday. The gift ceremony came after Rodríguez said in a March 18 comment that he demanded his “AKM” if Cuba faced an attack.
In March, supplies of oil and other goods to Cuba collapsed, according to shipping data reviewed by the maritime intelligence firm Windward, prompting blackouts and disruptions to medical care on the island. The Associated Press reported that no foreign tankers arrived in March, and that only a handful of container ships listed Cuba as a destination. U.S. officials have linked steps toward private-sector activity and humanitarian shipments, but critics say the approach is starving the country.
Cuba is preparing to receive its first shipment of Russian oil this year amid worsening power outages, with a Russian-flagged tanker expected to arrive in about 10 days, according to energy expert Jorge Piñón. Piñón said the ship, the Anatoly Kolodkin, is carrying 730,000 barrels of fuel, while a separate Hong Kong-flagged vessel, the Sea Horse, is also reportedly carrying Russian oil. The preparations come after Cuba said it has been operating on natural gas, solar power and thermoelectric plants as its grid continues to deteriorate.
Havana’s government accused Washington of threatening “almost daily” overthrow as U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. could take “imminent action” against Cuba’s leadership. Cubans interviewed by The Associated Press described blackouts, shortages and uncertainty after the comments, while some questioned whether the U.S. would seek Díaz-Canel’s removal.
Cuba plunged into darkness this week after a blackout that marked the third major power-grid failure since December, while U.S.-Cuba tensions intensified under President Donald Trump. The Associated Press reported that U.S. officials described the outages as a result of Cuban government failure, and Trump suggested on Monday he could “do anything I want” after Cuba’s current leaders. In Cuba, the outages and transportation shutdowns have disrupted food supplies and medical care, according to the report.
Trump on Tuesday pledged “imminent” action against Cuba’s government as a new nationwide blackout underlines what he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as a deepening economic crisis. Speaking a day after U.S. sanctions on Venezuela included a halt to vital oil exports to Cuba, Trump said Cuba is “in very bad shape” and that “we’ll be doing something with Cuba very soon.”
A protest in central Cuba that partially destroyed a local communist party headquarters ended with five arrests, authorities said. The Cuban government linked the demonstration to the country’s severe energy crisis, including fuel shortages that have led to blackouts and reduced power generation.
Cuba’s energy officials reported an islandwide blackout on Monday as the country’s power grid struggles amid deepening energy and economic crises. The Ministry of Energy and Mines said it was investigating a “complete disconnection” of the electrical system and that crews were trying to restart thermoelectric plants.
Residents of a city in central Cuba took to the streets early Saturday, partially destroying the local headquarters of the ruling Communist Party. Authorities said five people were arrested in the demonstration, which they linked to the island’s ongoing energy shortages and food‑access problems.
**HAVANA —** A nationwide power outage left Cuba’s 11 million residents without electricity on Monday, worsening an already severe energy and economic crisis. The Ministry of Energy and Mines announced a “complete disconnection” of the grid and said crews were working to restart thermoelectric plants, while officials reported that power had been restored to only 5 % of Havana’s customers. The blackout marks the third major collapse of the island’s power system in four months.
HAVANA — Cuba’s entire electrical grid collapsed Monday, plunging 11 million people into darkness as the island’s long-festering energy crisis reached a breaking point. The government confirmed a “complete disconnection” of the national power system and warned that restoring service would be gradual due to the grid’s fragile state.
Cuban authorities arrested five residents after a protest in Moron early Saturday that partially destroyed the local communist party headquarters, as the island grapples with severe fuel shortages and blackouts. The demonstration, linked to energy supply issues and food access, marks a rare public challenge to the government amid ongoing crisis.
Senate Democrats have filed a war powers resolution that would bar the United States from attacking Cuba without congressional approval, as they try to force a vote on President Donald Trump’s stated goal of a “takeover” of the Caribbean country.
In Havana and other cities across Cuba, authorities say young people are increasingly using cheap synthetic drugs known as “químico,” or “papelitos,” as the country’s economic crisis and shortages worsen. An AP visit to a Havana psychiatric hospital described a 90-day detox and rehabilitation effort for patients in their 20s, alongside church-led recovery sessions in the community. Cuba’s Interior Ministry and mental-health officials cite rising emergency-room visits and say new synthetic formulations are increasingly detected by police laboratories.
Students staged an impromptu sit-in protest at the steps of Havana University on Monday, saying Cuba’s energy crisis has reduced in-person classes and disrupted schooling. They cited power outages, transportation shutdowns and unreliable internet that can force classes online and complicate basic access to campus.
Cuba is preparing to withdraw its medical brigade of more than 200 doctors from Guyana, ending a program that spanned nearly 50 years, after Guyana moved to pay Cuban physicians their full salaries directly rather than route most of the payments to the Cuban government. Guyana's Health Minister Frank Anthony confirmed Monday that Cuban authorities had asked their doctors to prepare to leave. Jamaica and Honduras ended their own Cuban medical missions last week in disputes over the same direct-payment question.
Cuban officials said Saturday that crews had repaired a broken boiler at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, ending a massive blackout that left millions in the island's western region without power since Wednesday. The failure marked the second major outage to strike western Cuba in three months.
Cuba's diplomatic mission in Ecuador departed Friday after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa's government declared Ambassador Basilio Antonio Gutiérrez and his staff "persona non grata" and gave them 48 hours to leave. Staff removed the Cuban flag from the embassy in northern Quito before departing, and an Associated Press reporter witnessed a staff member burning papers in an oven on the embassy roof in the hours before the deadline expired. Cuba's Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement Friday that the Quito embassy had ceased all functions, expressing regret over what it called "the unilateral and unfriendly action" of the Ecuadorian government.
Roberto Álvarez Ávila died March 4 from injuries sustained in a Feb. 26 clash between Cuban soldiers and a Florida-flagged speedboat whose passengers allegedly opened fire on troops off Cuba's north coast, the island's interior ministry announced Thursday, raising the death toll from the incident to five.
The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida has assembled a multiagency working group to build criminal cases against Cuban government officials, people familiar with the effort told the Associated Press. The move comes as President Donald Trump has publicly floated a "friendly takeover" of Cuba following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Wednesday his office is reopening a long-dormant state-level criminal investigation into former Cuban leader Raul Castro’s alleged role in the February 1996 shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue planes. The probe had been shut down by the Biden administration, Uthmeier said, and Florida is now reactivating the files.
A blackout left millions of people without power in Havana and western Cuba on Wednesday, in the latest outage affecting an island struggling with dwindling oil reserves and an aging power grid. Cuban officials said the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant east of Havana triggered the outage and that restoring parts of the National Electric System could take at least 72 hours.
Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel said his government should focus “de inmediato” on urgent changes to the island’s economic and social model amid a petroleum squeeze. Speaking during a meeting of the Council of Ministers, he linked the push to efforts to expand business autonomy and municipal authority as the country faces fuel shortages and rolling power outages.
President Donald Trump said Friday the United States is in talks with Havana and raised the possibility of “a friendly takeover of Cuba,” without laying out details of what the prospect would mean. Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is discussing Cuba with Cuban leaders “at a very high level.”
A shooting erupted after a stolen boat with 10 people and weapons left the Florida Keys heading to Cuba, leaving four dead, according to the Cuban and U.S. accounts. The episode has drawn attention in South Florida to long-running anti-Cuban exile political groups, some of which have backed paramilitary action in the past.
Havana said its deputy foreign minister met the U.S. after a Florida-registered speedboat opened fire on Cuban soldiers, killing four people and injuring others during a firefight off Cuba’s north coast. Carlos Fernández de Cossío said Cuba plans to ask U.S. officials for information about the suspects and how they organized the trip, while U.S. officials said at least one American was killed.
Cuba said late Wednesday that a speedboat that entered Cuban waters and opened fire on its soldiers killed four people and wounded six, and that the boat’s 10 passengers were armed Cubans living in the United States trying to infiltrate the island. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is gathering its own information to determine whether the victims were American citizens or permanent residents and to verify the accounts provided by Cuba.
Caribbean leaders convened Tuesday in St. Kitts and Nevis for a four-day summit focused on the region's strained relationship with the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with the group Wednesday as the Caribbean Community — a 15-member trade bloc known as CARICOM — seeks to present a unified position on escalating tensions, including U.S. military operations that have killed at least 151 people since September.
Cuba’s debilitated health care system is being pushed toward collapse because the United States is blocking the island’s oil supply, Cuba’s health minister said Feb. 20. José Ángel Portal Miranda said ambulances have struggled to find fuel, hospitals have faced persistent power outages, and flights carrying vital supplies have been suspended as Cuba says it cannot refuel aircraft.
Drivers in Havana say Cuba’s government-run “Ticket” app is booking refueling appointments only weeks or months out, as fuel shortages worsen amid U.S. pressure on the island. The app requires drivers to book appointments at specific gas stations, where only limited numbers of slots are available each day.
Cuba postponed its annual Habanos cigar fair, scheduled for the last week of February, citing severe fuel shortages and blackouts on the island. Organizers with Habanos S.A., which holds the global monopoly on Cuban cigar sales, said the decision was intended to “preserve its high standard of quality.” The postponement comes as Cuba copes with reduced oil shipments and aviation-fuel disruptions tied to U.S. actions affecting energy supplies.
Two Mexican Navy ships carrying humanitarian aid docked in Cuba on Thursday as U.S. sanctions and a growing oil-supply squeeze deepen the island’s energy crisis. The ships arrived about two weeks after President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on countries providing oil to Cuba, leading Cuba to ration energy in recent days.
Cuban peso hit an all-time low against the U.S. dollar in Cuba’s informal market, according to an independent outlet, as new Trump administration restrictions on oil imports further tighten the island’s already strained economy. The informal rate, widely used in daily transactions, rose from about 400 pesos to the dollar last summer to 500 pesos in the informal market this week, the latest sign of worsening shortages and longer blackouts.
Air Canada said it is suspending service to Cuba after the Cuban government announced aviation fuel would not be available at Cuban airports as of Tuesday. The Toronto-based carrier said it will begin the suspension Monday and plans to send empty flights south to bring about 3,000 customers home in the coming days.
Cuba’s aviation regulator warned airlines that jet fuel will not be available at nine airports across the island starting Tuesday, as Cuba moves to ration energy amid what it says is a deepening U.S. effort to cut off its fuel supply. The notices, published Sunday night, run through March 11 and include José Martí International Airport in Havana.
Cuba’s energy crisis worsened after the United States moved to block oil deliveries, leaving Havana residents reporting that public buses stopped coming and gas lines and blackouts intensified. The change followed warnings from President Miguel Díaz-Canel that the U.S. effort would force further sacrifices, with Cuba saying the impact of sanctions has been severe since 2024.
A coastal town in eastern Cuba has faced recurring power outages, leaving residents in Santa Cruz del Norte to rely on coal, firewood and makeshift cooking and lighting as U.S.-related oil and energy tensions worsen. The Associated Press reported that people in the area say the outages deepened again about a week ago, after months when the town had electricity.
The U.S. government announced an additional $6 million in aid for Cuba as the island’s crisis deepens and tensions between Washington and Havana escalate. Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, said the U.S. is imposing an “energy blockade” through moves that restrict oil supply.
Cuba does not have a formal dialogue table with the United States amid heightened tensions after President Donald Trump threatened new sanctions tied to petroleum shipments, a senior Cuban official said Monday. The vice foreign minister, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, said Cuba instead communicates with Washington through informal channels focused on migration and drugs while insisting it wants relations like with other countries.
Havana’s deputy foreign minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío told The Associated Press that Cuba is not discussing a negotiation with the United States, but would be open to “informal dialogue” if certain conditions are met. The comments came days after President Donald Trump said his administration is starting to talk with Cuban leaders after threatening tariffs tied to oil shipments to the island.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said she plans to send humanitarian aid to Cuba this week, including food and other relief supplies. She said she did not discuss Cuban affairs in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump said the United States is beginning talks with Cuban leaders as his administration increases pressure on the island by cutting off key oil supplies. Speaking Saturday night while flying to Florida, Trump linked the moves to earlier steps he said would force Cuba to the negotiating table.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that would impose tariffs on goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, escalating pressure on Havana amid its worsening energy crisis. The order could primarily affect Mexico, which has provided oil shipments to Cuba even as Trump has urged Mexico to distance itself from the Cuban government.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday her government has paused oil shipments to Cuba, marking a shift as the Trump administration intensifies isolation efforts against the island. Sheinbaum characterized the suspension as a sovereign decision not made under U.S. pressure, though the move follows Trump's stated goal of cutting off Cuba's remaining energy sources after a U.S. military operation deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Priests and priestesses of Cuba's Santería religion held several ceremonies on Sunday, offering gifts to deities and asking for spiritual peace as tensions between Cuba and the United States intensify. The ceremonies came after the U.S. struck Venezuela on January 3, killing 32 Cuban soldiers and arresting then-President Nicolás Maduro, and as Cuba faces mounting economic pressure from U.S. sanctions and direct threats from President Donald Trump.
HAVANA (AP) — As tensions rise between the United States and Cuba and the island braces for more economic difficulties, priests and priestesses of Santería held ceremonies on Sunday offering gifts to deities and praying for peace. Several prominent figures in the Santería community said they were seeking what they described as “spiritual healing” for Cuba and an end to the violence and conflicts they said were foretold for the year.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said his administration is not in talks with the U.S. government after President Donald Trump threatened Cuba following a U.S. attack on Venezuela. Díaz-Canel said any contacts would be limited to “technical” discussions about migration.
