Cuba-us

Trump admin targets Cuba's leaders, generals and spies with new sanctions

The punitive action is part of the president and Secretary of State Marco Rubio's push to squeeze the island's economy, most notably through a de facto energy blockade

CIA Director John Ratcliffe meets Cuban officials, Raul Castro's grandson

CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials including Raul Castro's grandson during a high-level visit to the island, Cuban and US officials said. Ratcliffe met with Raulito Rodriguez Castro, Ministry of Interior Lazaro Alvarez Casas and the head of Cuban intelligence services on Thursday and discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability and security issues. A CIA official confirmed the meetings to the AP. Ratcliffe was there "to personally deliver President Donald Trump's message that the United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes. According to official reports, the meeting served as a platform for Cuba to present evidence asserting that the nation poses no threat to US national security,'' the CIA official said. An official statement from Cuba's government noted the meeting "took place Thursday, May 14, against a backdrop of complex bilateral relations." While the US stressed the Cuba

Havana faces up to 22-hour blackouts as Cuba runs out of diesel, fuel oil

Only a single large oil tanker, the Russian-flagged Anatoly Kolodkin, has delivered crude oil to Cuba since December, providing temporary relief to the island in April

US not looking at imminent military action in Cuba despite Trump threats

The United States is not looking at imminent military action against Havana despite President Donald Trump's repeated threats that "Cuba is next" and that American warships deployed in the Middle East for the Iran conflict could return by way of the island, US officials say. The officials involved in preliminary discussions with Cuban authorities also told The Associated Press that they are not optimistic the communist government will accept an offer for tens of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid, two years of free Starlink internet access for all Cubans, agricultural assistance and infrastructure support. But they say Cuba has not yet outright refused the offer, which comes with conditions that the government has long resisted, even after the Trump administration imposed new sanctions Thursday on Havana. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks, say there is still time for the government to accept. They cautioned, though, that Trump could

Senate Republicans block Democrats' attempt to end Trump's blockade of Cuba

Senate Republicans rejected legislation from Democrats on Tuesday that would have required President Donald Trump to end the US energy blockade on Cuba unless he receives approval from Congress. The vote on the war powers resolution showed how Republicans continue to stand behind Trump as he acts unilaterally to exert American force in a range of global conflicts, including Venezuela, Iran and Cuba - one of the US's closest neighbours yet a longtime adversary. Democrats have repeatedly forced votes on legislation to put a check on the president's ability to deploy military force in those conflicts, but none have succeeded. Tuesday's vote was the first pertaining to Cuba and would have forced the president to get approval from Congress before launching any attacks on the island nation. To dismiss the resolution, Republicans said that it was out of order because the US is not engaged in outright hostilities with Cuba. Their maneuver to dismiss the legislation succeeded on a 51-47 tall

Cuba's President warns US against attacking island or trying to depose him

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the US has no valid reason to carry out a military attack against the island or to attempt to depose him. Speaking in an interview on NBC News' Meet the Press programme, the president said an invasion of Cuba would be costly and affect regional security. But should it happen, Diaz-Canel said, Cubans would defend themselves. "If the time comes, I don't think there would be any justification for the United States to launch a military aggression against Cuba, or for the US to undertake a surgical operation or the kidnapping of a president," Diaz-Canel said, speaking through a translator. He added: "If that happens, there will be fighting, and there will be a struggle, and we will defend ourselves, and if we need to die, we'll die, because as our national anthem says, 'dying for the homeland is to live'." His comments come as tensions between Cuba and the US remain high despite both sides acknowledging talks, although no details have been ...

Cuba pardons 2,010 prisoners amid mounting pressure from Trump admin

The Cuban government said Thursday it had pardoned 2,010 people at the same time the Trump administration has placed extreme pressure on the government and suffocated the island with an oil blockade. Cuba's government said the pardons were a "humanitarian gesture" in connection with Holy Week and didn't mention mounting pressures with the US. The government said it had "released" foreigners and Cubans, including women, the elderly and young people. Cuban authorities didn't name who was released or under what conditions, nor did it mention the crimes they were accused of committing. Authorities also provided no details on whether any of those pardoned were protesters convicted and sentenced for terrorism, contempt or public disorder. Cuba's government does not recognise political prisoners, but the activist group Prisoners Defended registered 1,214 people imprisoned for political reasons in Cuba. Cuban authorities said the pardon decision "was based on a careful analysis of the ...

'No problem' with Russian oil tanker bringing relief to Cuba, says Trump

President Donald Trump on Sunday night said he has "no problem" with a Russian oil tanker off the coast of Cuba delivering relief to the island, which has been brought to its knees by a US oil blockade. "We have a tanker out there. We don't mind having somebody get a boatload because they need they have to survive," Trump told reporters as he flew back to Washington. When asked if a New York Times report that the tanker would be allowed to reach Cuba was true, Trump said: "I told them, if a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem whether it's Russia or not." Tracking data shows the oil tanker carrying approximately 730,000 barrels of oil, was just off the eastern tip of the island on Sunday night and slated to land in the city of Matanzas by Tuesday. Journalists working for Cuban state media also reported the boat was expected to land, though Cuban officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump, whose government has come at its

Trump says 'Cuba's next', signals tougher stance amid West Asia conflict

The developement comes as US President Donald Trump and his allies continue to express their desire for regime change in Cuba

A Castro may lead Cuba amid rising US pressure for leadership change

As US President Donald Trump pushes for change in Cuba's leadership, speculation is mounting about who, if anyone, might replace Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. As Raul Castro's handpicked largely figurehead successor in 2018, Diaz-Canel has been the only leader without the last name Castro to govern since the 1959 revolution. He still has two years left in his term, but some experts and a growing number of Cubans doubt he'll make it. Two Castro cousins have come into focus as potential replacements, experts said. Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga - Raul Castro's 55-year-old great nephew - has shot to power since emerging from obscurity several years ago. He became minister of Cuba's influential Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment in May 2024 and was appointed the island's deputy prime minister in October. By contrast, Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro - Raul Castro's grandson - has never occupied a government post, having served as his grandfather's bodyguard and later as head of Cuba

Cuba refuses to let US Embassy in Havana import diesel for generators

The Cuban government has refused a request by the US Embassy in Havana to allow it to import diesel for its generators while the Trump administration continues to impose a fuel blockade on the island, according to two US officials familiar with the matter. The Cuban government turned down the request as the US State Department has been weighing a reduction in staffing at the embassy in Havana because of the lack of diesel. Such a move would likely lead to a US demand for a similar reduction in staffing at the Cuban Embassy in Washington, say the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. The Cuban government rejection was first reported by The Washington Post. Cuba has struggled with dwindling oil since the US removed Venezuela's leader, halting critical petroleum shipments from the nation. President Donald Trump then threatened tariffs on any country selling or supplying Cuba with oil. The island is relying on its own natural gas, solar power a

Trade with Cuba falls as Trump ramps up pressure on Communist leadership

The Cuban Communist Party has shown an astonishing resilience over six decades in power. Whether it's the United States trade embargo to counter Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, or the widespread starvation of the "special period" that followed the breakup of its Cold War patron, the Soviet Union, both US hostilities and calamities of its own making have proven no match for the country's leadership. But perhaps none of those crises pose as grave a threat as the one triggered by an all-but-declared naval siege by the Trump administration as it seeks to force regime change in the wake of its successful ousting of Cuba's longtime ally Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Even as he fights a war with Iran, President Donald Trump this week said he believes he'll have "the honor of taking Cuba" soon. While it wasn't clear exactly what he meant, the US is looking for President Miguel Diaz-Canel to leave power as part of ongoing talks with Havana that could avert some kind of US military ...

Concern, anger and hope grow in Cuba as Trump calls for 'imminent action'

A mix of uncertainty, anger and hope simmered in Cuba on Wednesday following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump this week saying that Washington could take "imminent action" against the island's government. Trump, whose government has come at its Caribbean adversary more aggressively than any U.S. government in recent history, has effectively cut Cuba off from key oil shipments in an effort to force regime change. The blockade has had devastating effects on the civilians Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio say they want to help, leaving many desperate. Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospital and slashed public transport. Matilde Visoso, a single mother caring for a sick daughter, said she's been left reeling by the island's spiraling crisis, and wants change in the Caribbean nation. "Cuba is waiting for Trump and Marco Rubio, because we can't wait any longer. It's too m

Trump admin seeks removal of Cuba's President Díaz-Canel amid ongoing talks

The United States has told Cuba that for meaningful progress to be made in negotiations, President Miguel Díaz-Canel must step down, said people familiar with the talks

Cuba suffers nationwide blackout after power grid collapse amid fuel crisis

The Ministry of Energy and Mines is investigating the cause, but said that there was no damage to the power plants operating at the time of the failure

Trump raises possibility of 'friendly takeover' of Cuba after Havana talks

President Donald Trump said Friday that the US is in talks with Havana and raised the possibility of a "friendly takeover of Cuba" without offering any details on what he meant. Speaking to reporters outside the White House as he left for a trip to Texas, Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in discussions with Cuban leaders "at a very high level." "The Cuban government is talking with us," the president said. "They have no money. They have no anything right now. But they're talking to us, and maybe we'll have a friendly takeover of Cuba." He added: "We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba." Trump didn't clarify his comments but seemed to indicate that the situation with Cuba, a communist-run island that has been among Washington's bitterest adversaries for decades, was coming to a critical point. The White House did not respond to requests for more information Friday. His remarks came two days after the Cuban government reported that a Florida-regist

Those killed in US boat encounter planned anti-govt uprising, says Cuba

Seven of 10 occupants were identified by name in a statement, which listed supplies on the boat that included assault rifles, Molotov cocktails, bullet-proof vests, telescopes and camouflage uniforms

Cuba-bound tanker carrying Russian fuels set to test Trump blockade

Pressure on Havana has been mounting since late last year, when US forces seized a ship carrying Venezuelan crude to Cuba

Air Canada suspends flights to Cuba amid aviation fuel shortage crisis

Air Canada said Monday it is suspending service to Cuba because of a shortage of aviation fuel on the island. Canada's largest airline said it took the decision after the Cuban government announced aviation fuel would not be available at Cuban airports as of Tuesday. Cuba has been facing a worsening energy crisis amid a US blockade of oil to the Caribbean nation. Canadian tourism is vital to Cuba's economy. Global Affairs Canada, a governmental office, has said Canada is Cuba's second-largest source of direct investment to the island, particularly in the mining and tourism sectors, which have never fully recovered from the pandemic slump. Air Canada said that in the coming days it will send empty flights southbound to pick up approximately 3,000 customers to bring them home. Air Transat and West Jet/Sunwing both say they intend to continue flights as planned despite the fuel announcement. Air Canada says its flight suspension begins Monday.

Cuba warns airlines of fuel shortage as Nicaragua ends easy entry

The communist government warned international airlines they can no longer refuel at its main airport in Havana for the next month after Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any nation that supplies Cuba