Tag: Cuba

Tuesday, May 19th 2026 - 02:09 UTC
After CIA director's trip to Havana, Cuba warns of “bloodbath” in case of attack

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned on Monday that a possible US military attack on the island “will provoke a bloodbath of incalculable consequences,” in the most explicit hardening of Havana's discourse toward Washington since the start of the oil blockade imposed in January. The message, released through the X social media platform, coincided with the public confirmation that the Cuban government has acquired more than 300 drones from China and Iran, a purchase that island authorities framed as part of the exercise of their “legitimate defense.” The rhetorical shift comes just four days after the visit to Havana by the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, John Ratcliffe.
Saturday, May 16th 2026 - 03:45 UTC
Trump claims he will engineer a “turnaround” in Cuba and pull it away from China and Russia

US President Donald Trump on Friday said his administration will bring the Cuban government to align with Washington and pull away from the orbit of China and Russia, in his first public comments on the island since the unprecedented visit by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Havana on Thursday. The remarks, delivered during an interview with journalist Bret Baier on Fox News, come in a week marked by contradictory US gestures toward the Cuban regime: the humanitarian offer of USD 100 million accepted by Havana, the judicial pressure on former president Raúl Castro, and the opening of a direct channel between US and Cuban intelligence services.
Friday, May 15th 2026 - 05:08 UTC
Washington considers prosecuting Raúl Castro over 1996 shootdown of civilian planes

The US government is weighing a federal indictment against former Cuban president Raúl Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the humanitarian organization Brothers to the Rescue, the CBS network and the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday, citing official sources. The potential charges, which still require grand jury approval, emerge on a day marked by escalating tensions between Washington and Havana and by a confidential visit to the Cuban capital by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Friday, May 15th 2026 - 02:58 UTC
Cuba accepts USD 100 million in US humanitarian aid amid energy collapse

The Cuban government on Thursday accepted the United States' offer of USD 100 million in humanitarian aid for food, fuel, and medicines, in a significant political shift after weeks of public rejection and hours after authorities on the island acknowledged the complete exhaustion of their fuel reserves. The aid will be channeled through the Catholic Church, according to the official statement issued by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who only the day before had described the US offer as “inconsequential and paradoxical.”
Monday, May 11th 2026 - 03:51 UTC
Up to 8,000 Latin Americans fight in Ukraine for Russia, many deceived, international report finds

An international report presented in Kyiv in late April estimates that between 1,000 and 8,000 Latin Americans are serving in the Russian army in its war against Ukraine, in what its authors describe as a global human-trafficking network run to replenish front-line casualties. The document, titled “Fighters, Mercenaries or Victims of Human Trafficking?”, was produced by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Ukrainian organization Truth Hounds, and the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights.
Friday, May 8th 2026 - 02:14 UTC
United States imposes new sanctions on Cuban military conglomerate GAESA amid escalating pressure

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday a new package of sanctions against the Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA), the conglomerate linked to the Cuban Armed Forces that controls approximately 40% of the island's economy, in a fresh escalation of the economic pressure deployed by the Trump administration against the Havana regime. The measure is part of the implementation of Executive Order 14404, signed by President Donald Trump on May 1, which authorizes sanctions against those responsible for political repression and threats to US national security.
Sunday, May 3rd 2026 - 09:59 UTC
Trump threatens to take Cuba 'almost immediately' after tightening sanctions on the regime

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that his country would take Cuba “almost immediately,” in remarks made during a private event at the Forum Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, hours after signing an executive order substantially expanding economic sanctions against the Havana regime. The president's words, though framed in colloquial tone, considerably escalate bilateral tensions and open a new chapter in US policy toward Miguel Díaz-Canel's government.
Monday, April 20th 2026 - 19:14 UTC
Cuba confirms meeting with US representatives in Havana, insists on lifting energy blockade

Cuba's government on Monday confirmed that a meeting with US representatives recently took place on the island, in the latest sign of a diplomatic approach between both countries amid a severe energy crisis caused by Washington's blockade of oil supplies.
Monday, March 30th 2026 - 01:16 UTC
US allows Russian oil tanker to reach Cuba in easing of energy blockade

The United States authorized the passage of a Russian oil tanker loaded with crude bound for Cuba, in the first easing of the de facto energy blockade Washington has imposed on the island since the start of the year, The New York Times reported, citing a U.S. official.
Saturday, March 28th 2026 - 01:30 UTC
Trump demands Iran reopen Strait of Hormuz, slams NATO and warns: “Cuba is next”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the military operation against Iran is “two weeks ahead” of schedule, demanded the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and sharply criticized European NATO allies for refusing to join the campaign. “When these times come, you learn who your real friends are,” he told an audience of a thousand investors at the FII Priority forum in Miami.