Pope Francis Dies: The Pontiff Who Chose the Path of Dialogue

The Argentine pontiff died in Rome at 88. During his papacy, he played an active role in the thaw between Cuba and the United States and supported mediation efforts with the Cuban government aimed at securing the release of political prisoners.

Cuba Has Become a Country of Empty Houses

The house is still there, but no one has lived in it for a long time.

From Cuban Engineer to Bus Driver in Spain

Mayulis, a Cuban electrical engineer, reinvented herself as a school bus driver in Murcia, Spain, after migration barriers prevented her from validating her degree. With determination and support from a local training program by Cáritas and FROET, she earned her commercial driving license and now works transporting children. Her story reflects the broader experience of over 62,000 Cubans who arrived in Spain between 2023 and 2024—many of whom must rebuild their lives from scratch.

Growing Dollarization in Cuba Raises Concerns About the MLC's Future

Since late 2024, Cubans have grown worried as MLC loses value and dollar-only stores expand. Despite official claims, both the MLC and peso are devaluing, making dollarized goods harder to afford. 

Cuba Expands USD Stores While Wages Are Paid in Pesos

Despite official claims, more state-run shops are switching to USD only. Same products, new price tags in dollars, while wages stay in pesos.

Cuba Loses Appeal in the UK Supreme Court

The legal battle is over. CRF I Ltd, a Cayman Islands investment fund, can now enforce its $75M claim over defaulted Cuban debt. The ruling sets a precedent by recognizing CRF as a legitimate creditor and may open the door to further lawsuits involving the Cuban State.

What Sustains Us in Cuba Through the Dark?

I was five when the socialist bloc collapsed, bringing Cuba into the darkest years of the Revolution. In my innocence, blackouts meant street games and whispered stories, not hunger and fear. Now, at 39, in a crisis worse than my childhood, I finally understand the worries of those nights.

Internet Without Etecsa in Cuba: Possible but Expensive

If you visit Starlink’s website—the satellite Internet service owned by Elon Musk—and search for Cuba, you will see that the service is unavailable. However, the situation on the ground seems to tell a different story. Some Cubans residing in the country have been using Starlink for months.

Cuban Banks “Hijack” Family Remittances

Cuban retirees struggle to access remittances in cash, facing banking restrictions and frustration. Where is their money?

Cuba: How Hospitals Operate During a Total Blackout

The night of March 14, 2025, Cuba has been experiencing its fourth nationwide blackout in the past five months. On social media, citizens have reported the impact of the power outage on several hospitals across the country.

Will Cubans Benefit from a Cap on the Price of Rice?

The fact that there is often not even rice on the Cuban table is yet another sign of the worsening economic—and productive—crisis on the island. During other periods of scarcity, this grain had been the only dish for many families.

Cuba Suffers Another Nationwide Power Failure

The island is in darkness again. Around 8:15 p.m. on March 14, 2025, a failure at the Diezmero substation caused a significant generation loss in the western part of the country, leading to the collapse of the National Power Grid, said the Ministry of Energy and Mines.

Internet in Cuba Is One of the Worst in the World

On February 26, 2025, Cuba’s telecommunications monopoly advised its customers, as a temporary measure, to set their phones to 2G frequency. “This way, the connection will be more stable, and you will be able to receive calls and SMS, and also use Transfermóvil,” a payment gateway.

Cuban Hurricane Victim “They Want Me to Live in a Tent”

“This is what’s left of my house after the hurricane,” Yisneidis Ramirez writes on her Facebook page. Five photos show the palm boards scattered around on the ground and some roof tiles from what should have been her home.

Cuban Mothers Who Protest and the Power that Represses Them

On March 8, 2025, local state-run media published the news of the release of Mayelin Carrasco Alvarez, a mother from Granma who had led a solitary protest three days earlier in a town square in Río Cauto, Granma.