Us-cuba

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

With Cuba under pressure, the Castro dynasty is making a comeback

As Trump officials demand changes, Castro family members are suddenly popping up across Cuba's political scene. Some even ask: Could one be the "Cuban Delcy?"

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, Rubio call for new leadership in Cuba amid deepening economic crisis

President Donald Trump on Tuesday pledged imminent action against Cuba's socialist government as his moves against the island bring the U.S.' longtime opponent deeper into crisis. A day after Trump's sanctions on Venezuela, including a stop to vital oil exports to Cuba, contributed to Cuba's latest nationwide blackout, Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both said that the administration sees the island nation as the next country where the U.S. can expand its influence. "Cuba right now is in very bad shape," Trump said. "And we'll be doing something with Cuba very soon," he added. Until recently, Trump's comments on change in Cuba might have been considered remarkable. But they come after his administration's military raid that captured then-President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela and the launch of U.S. military strikes against Iran. The Trump administration is looking for President Miguel Diaz-Canel to leave as the U.S. continues negotiating with the Cuban government, accordin

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

Cuba brings power grid back online, blames US oil blockade for blackout

Cuba restores its national power grid after a 16-hour blackout, blaming fuel shortages linked to the US oil blockade and an outage at the Antonio Guiteras power plant

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

Canada prepares aid for Cuba amid fuel shortages worsened by US oil embargo

Canada announced Monday that it is working on an aid package for Cuba as it faces blackouts and severe fuel shortages worsened by a US oil embargo. Foreign Minister Anita Anand declined to give details beyond that. "We are preparing a plan to assist. We are not prepared at this point to provide any details of the announcement," Anand said. Cuba is facing an increasingly dire energy crisis that has heightened in recent weeks after oil shipments from Venezuela, its main oil supplier, were halted when the US attacked the South American country in early January and arrested its leader. Mexico, another major supplier, then also suspended oil shipments under US pressure. Air Canada and other airlines have cancelled flights to the Caribbean island because of a shortage of aviation fuel on the island. 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

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

US announces $6 million aid for Cuba amid accusations of 'energy blockade'

The US government on Thursday announced an additional USD 6 million in aid for Cuba as the island's crisis deepens and tensions escalate between the two countries, with Cuba's president accusing the US of an "energy blockade." The aid is largely meant for those living in Cuba's eastern region, which Hurricane Melissa slammed into late last year. The supplies include rice, beans, pasta, cans of tuna and solar lamps that will be delivered by the Catholic Church and Caritas, said US Department of State Senior Official Jeremy Lewin. He warned that officials with the US embassy in Cuba will be out in the field "making sure that the regime does not take the assistance, divert it, try to politicise it." The US previously sent USD 3 million in disaster relief to Cuban people affected by Melissa. Lewin rejected that a halt in oil shipments from Venezuela -- after the US attacked the South American country and arrested its then leader -- is responsible for the humanitarian situation in Cuba.

Cuba's tourism now in downward spiral as Trump restricts fuel and financing

Even before the latest US assault on its economy, Cuba was trapped in a deep recession and an economic crisis that's led to sweeping power outages and shortages of basic goods

Mexican President Sheinbaum pledges to send humanitarian aid to Cuba

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Sunday she plans to send humanitarian aid to Cuba this week, including food and other humanitarian aid. Sheinbaum's comments came after US President Donald Trump said he asked the Mexican leader to suspend oil shipments to the Caribbean island. Sheinbaum said at a public event in the northern state of Sonora that she did not discuss Cuban affairs in a phone conversation with Trump on Thursday. She added that her government seeks to " diplomatically solve everything related to the oil shipments (to Cuba) for humanitarian reasons." Earlier, Trump told reporters that he told the Mexican president not to send oil to Cuba. Following the US military operation carried out in early January to remove Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, the South American nation suspended oil shipments to Cuba, which had been declining in recent years. Mexico then became the main supplier of crude oil and refined products to Havana. Mexican oil has long acte