Cuba denounced on Friday the impact of the US blockade on human rights, just days before the presentation of the report by Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan to the United Nations.
According to Alejandro GonzĂĄlez, Director of International Organizations at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the report on the negative repercussions of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights in the Caribbean nation will be presented in Geneva on September 8 and 9.
âThere are foreign companies that have yielded to this pressure and have withdrawn from the country. Others remain and continue working with us,â the Deputy Prime Minister stated.
According to PĂ©rez-Oliva, the intensification of the blockade has severed Cubaâs banking and financial relations with numerous institutions and imposes a trade embargo through direct threats against international shipping companies.
The Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment explained that Cuba has containers being held in international ports because some shipping companies have suspended services to the island, while others are operating under ârestrictions imposed illegally and unilaterally by the United States.â
Das von der Trump-Regierung verschĂ€rfte Ăl-Embargo bezeichnet Lianys Torres Rivera, Kubas ranghöchste Diplomatin in den Vereinigten Staaten als âKrieg ohne Bombenâ. Indes hat die CIA ihre Operation im Land ausgeweitet â Ă€hnlich wie vor dem Venezuela-Angriff.
Russian President Vladimir Putin just held a high-stakes bilateral meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek. The optics and message were unmistakable.
(August 26, 2026)
During a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday, Cuban Representative to the UN Ernesto SoberĂłn GuzmĂĄn spoke about the link between peace and global food stability.
(August 26, 2026)
The Cuban government, in a statement to the Security Council on Tuesday, August 25, warned against the use of hunger as a weapon of war and argued that conflicts, economic inequalities and unilateral coercive measures were aggravating global food insecurity.
Havana specifically linked the worsening food situation in Cuba to the impact of the United Statesâ economic, commercial and financial restrictions, which it refers to as a blockade.
The intervention came only days after Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno RodrĂguez launched a fresh attack on Washington over new sanctions imposed on Cuban state entities and officials, accusing the administration of US President Donald Trump of deliberately squeezing the Cuban economy and undermining the governmentâs capacity to provide basic services.
RodrĂguez said the latest measures were particularly affecting the movement of containers carrying food, medicines and medical equipment, including supplies acquired by Cubaâs private micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
Wenn GECOMEX keine derartigen Maschinen und AusrĂŒstung importieren kann, sind seine Tochtergesellschaften nicht in der Lage, Agrarrohstoffe wie Weizen und Bohnen effizient zu verarbeiten. Dies fĂŒhrt wiederum dazu, dass weniger Grundnahrungsmittel ihren Weg in die kubanischen Haushalte finden.
Die Sanktionen gegen den Hafenbetreiber GEMAR sind noch gravierender: Sie verursachen Compliance-Risiken fĂŒr jedes Schifffahrtsunternehmen, das LiegegebĂŒhren in Kuba zahlt. Mehr als 7.000 Container mit Bestimmungsort Havanna sind daher aktuell in der Karibik gestrandet, nachdem Unternehmen wie Hapag-Lloyd und CMA CGM aufgrund der rechtlichen Unsicherheit ihre AktivitĂ€ten in Kuba vorerst eingestellt haben.
In July, the US State Department announced a round of broad economic sanctions against Cuba targeting industries that have historically been spared, limiting the Cuban governmentâs ability to purchase agricultural commodities and food processing equipment from third countries by singling out Cubaâs state importer (GECOMEX) and port operator (GEMAR).
This is happening in the context of Americaâs monthslong oil blockade against Cuba, which has already immiserated the general population by impeding basic sanitation and food safety and has killed scores of patients in Cuban hospitals. A US congressional delegation that visited in early July described the situation on the ground as a âsilent Gaza.â
(June 8, 2026)
The U.S. declaration of a national emergency in January disrupted fuel shipments to Cuba, severely reducing the country‘s fuel reserves by mid-May. This depletion has led to daily blackouts that now frequently exceed 20 hours. Additional sanctions were imposed in May, including some with extraterritorial effect on private entities, such as traders, insurers, tourism or shipping companies, financial institutions, and others involved in fuel supply or engaged with the country‘s energy, defence, mining, finance, and security sectors.
These measures, combined, are significantly affecting the populationâs human rights, notably their access to essential supplies and services, including water, food and healthcare.
President Donald Trumpâs escalating claims that Cuba and its supporters poses a threat to US security have been denounced as âlaughableâ and âcrazy,â but progressive lawmakers are warning that the State Departmentâs report alleging that the country of roughly 10 million people aims to âconquerâ the United States and is backing âleft-wing terrorism on American soilâ represents a genuine attack on Trumpâs perceived political enemies.
âTrump appears hell-bent on taking America back 70 years to the height of Cold War McCarthyism, when hawkish foreign policy was paired with unsubstantiated accusations of communist subversion and political repression against dissidents at home,â said a group of Democrats led by progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Peace and Security Taskforce. âWe condemn this reportâs attack on Americansâ constitutional rights to free speech and assembly.â
(March 13, 1962)
c. Commence large scale United States military operations.
3. A „Remember the Maine“ incident could be arranged in several forms:
a. We could blow up a US ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba.
b. We could blow up a drone (unmanned) vessel anywhere in the Cuban waters. We could arrange to cause such incident in the vicinity of Havana or Santiago as a spectacular result of Cuban attack from the air or sea, or both. The presence of Cuban planes or ships merely investigating the intent of the vessel could be fairly compelling evidence that the ship was taken under attack. The nearness to Havana or Santiago would add credibility especially to those people that might have heard the blast or have seen the fire. The US could follow up with an air/sea rescue operation covered by US fighters to „evacuate“ remaining members of the non-existent crew. Casualty lists in US newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation.
4. We could develop a Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington.
The terror campaign could be pointed at refugees seeking haven in the United States. We could sink a boatload of Cubans en route to Florida (real or simulated). We could foster attempts on lives of Cuban refugees in the United States even to the extent of wounding in instances to be widely publicized. Exploding a few plastic bombs in carefully chosen spots, the arrest of Cuban agents and the release of prepared documents substantiating Cuban involvement, also would be helpful in projecting the idea of an irresponsible government.
(19. November 1997)
âWe could blow up a US warship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba,â the memorandum said.
âWe could develop a Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington,â it continued. âThe terror campaign could be pointed at Cuban refugees seeking haven in the United States. We could sink a boatload of Cubans enroute to Florida (real or simulated).â
The records show that on March 13, 1962, the Joint Chiefs of Staff endorsed these ideas as âsuitable for planning purposes.â No evidence exists that they were carried out.
(July 21, 2026)
Containing little new information, the report, titled „Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism,“ comes as US President Donald Trump pushes to end communist rule of the island while amping up anti-leftist rhetoric at home.
A months-long pressure campaign has seen Washington effectively impose an oil embargo on Cuba, while issuing economic sanctions against key state-run companies and even indicting the former president, Raul Castro.
(July 20, 2026)
A new report claims Havana influenced âthe George Floyd riots to the rise of Antifaâ and accuses the Democratic Socialists of America of Cuba ties.
(…)
Heâs launched strikes in seven countries so far this term â Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen â after also attacking some of those countries in his first term. That doesnât even count the strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, which have targeted nearly 60 vessels and killed more than 190 people.
He has also threatened or left open the possibility of strikes against seven others this term: Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Greenland (which is part of Denmark), Mexico, Panama and now Oman. He also threatened Mexico and North Korea in his first term.
In a special appeal, FM RodrĂguez addressed U.S. citizens, particularly their youth, invoking their human values and pacifist sentiments. He urged them to seek the truth and resist manipulation by what he described as an âelitist, corrupted and powerful clique in Miami.â According to the Cuban diplomat, this faction does not represent the U.S. people nor the majority of Cubans residing in the United States, many of whom reportedly oppose the âbarbarity of war and the blockade.â
âThis new aggression has united us more and elevated the honor, dignity, and anti-imperialist spirit of a people already recognized around the world for their brave resistance to any form of subordination to the empire,â DĂaz-Canel said.
Cuban legislator Mariela Castro, RaĂșlâs granddaughter, told rallygoers that âwe are prepared for combat.â
âNo one is going to kidnap him. I can assure you of that,â she said, alluding to the US invasion and abduction of Venezuelan President NicolĂĄs Maduro on dubious narco-terrorism charges earlier this year. âNeither him nor anyone else.â
In what appears to be a carefully calibrated show of force, the U.S deployed the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and its accompanying strike group into Caribbean waters this week, a move that coincided with the unsealing of murder charges against former Cuban leader RaĂșl Castro on Wednesday and an intensifying pressure campaign by the Trump administration against Havana.
And reports indicate that the number of U.S. military surveillance flights taking place near the island have skyrocketed in recent weeks, raising fears of an impending operation.
(…)
Trumpâs recent threats to âtakeâ Cuba, however, coupled with the recent loss of energy supplies from Venezuela and the Castro indictment, may mark the most serious threat to the countryâs independence since its 1959 revolution.
A U.S. delegation led by CIA director John Ratcliffe met with his counterpart at Cuba‘s Interior Ministry in Havana on Thursday, the Cuban âgovernment said in a statement, as tensions worsen over a U.S. âfuel blockade that has starved the island of fuel and â power generation.
(August 7, 2021)
Because they want to.
In a post on X, Diaz-Canel urged the United States to instead lift its blockade.
„The damage could be eased in a much simpler and faster way by lifting or relaxing the blockade, since it is known that the humanitarian situation is coldly calculated and induced,“ he said.
But, if Washington showed „true willingness“ to provide aid, he added, „it will encounter no obstacles or ingratitude from Cuba.“
President Donald Trump said Friday during remarks in Florida that the United States would take over Cuba âalmost immediately,â suggesting an aircraft carrier could be positioned offshore after the conflict in Iran.
The comments came the same day Trump signed an executive order significantly expanding U.S. sanctions on the Cuban government and its affiliates.
(April 21, 2026)
The exchange was conducted „respectfully and professionally,“ he said, adding that the U.S. delegation did not issue any threats or deadlines as has been reported in some U.S. media.
„The elimination of the energy embargo against the country was a top priority for our delegation,“ GarcĂa del Toro said. „This act of economic coercion is an unjustified punishment of the entire Cuban population.“
(April 20, 2026)
When President Trump took office in 2017, he reinstated the travel ban, upped sanctions and closed the U.S. Embassy in Havana that Obama had opened.
President Biden left most of Trumpâs restrictions in place. When Trump returned to office last year, he began what the White House has described as a âmaximum pressure campaignâ to force political and economic change in Cuba, including a near-total blockade on oil shipments that has sparked fuel shortages, price increases and prolonged blackouts on the island.
As a result, Cubaâs share of solar in total electricity generation has risen from 5.8 per cent a year ago to over 20 per cent today.
(…)
Battery storageâcurrently in place at only four of Cubaâs 55 solar parksâwill need to be expanded significantly to address the evening peak demand. Wind energy will also make a growing contribution, with 19 wind farms totaling 415 MW currently being built, again with Chinese support. But the pace of the solar buildout, measured against where Cuba was just months ago, is already extraordinary.
In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press after her visit to Cuba, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) says the Cuban people are being collectively punished by the U.S. oil blockade, and says she would like to see formal negotiations between the two countries.
WASHINGTON, D.C.â CODEPINK and the DC Against Trump Agenda Coalition announced plans to âwelcome backâ members of Congress on April 14, coinciding with Congress‘s return from recess, to demand an immediate end to the U.S. war on Iran.
The demonstration is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the intersection of Independence Avenue SE and New Jersey Avenue SE in Washington, D.C. After the âwelcomeâ reception, participants will flood the halls of Congress with the demands for peace. Activists will have banners that read, âNo War on Iranâ, âLet Cuba Liveâ, âStop Arming Israelâ, âFund Communities Not Warâ with Palestinian, Cuban, and Lebanese flags.
âCongress has been in recess while the war rages on. Itâs shameful but unsurprising,â explained CODEPINKâs Olivia DiNucci.
(March 26, 2026)
The image of a rifle in the hands of a singer-songwriter is strange, but not when the one wielding it is Silvio RodrĂguez, 79. The Cuban singer-songwriter has spent his entire life singing, directly or indirectly, about the Revolution, its leaders and its ideals; about the martyrs and the guerrillas. âThere are politics in my songs, but not propaganda,â says the musician, who receives EL PAĂS on Wednesday at the OjalĂĄ studios in Havana. He speaks of the governmentâs âorthodox and closedâ vision in the economic sphere, and of his commitment to a less ârigidâ socialism. âSocialism by the book is very idealistic,â he concludes. He doesnât budge an inch on his opinion of the United States government: âThe world is run by an authoritarian, warmongering, thieving regime. And itâs not Cuba.â
MIAMI, FL â March 20, 2026 â On Friday morning, 140 people from across the United States will depart Miami for Havana as part of the international Nuestra AmĂ©rica Convoy, delivering humanitarian aid to Cuba and protesting U.S. policies that are deliberately creating an economic crisis on the island.
WHAT: Press availability before departure
WHEN: Friday, March 20, 2026 â 10:00 AM
WHERE: Miami International Airport, Terminal G departures, across from Dunkinâ Donuts
SPEAKERS:
– Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK Co-founder
– Brenda Lopez, Global Health Partners
– Danny Valdes, founder, Cuban Americans for Cuba
Organiser David Adler drew parallels between the convoy and the Gaza aid flotilla, which he took part in last year. âFrom the global movement that helped end apartheid in South Africa to the flotillas that sailed to challenge the siege of Gaza, international solidarity has repeatedly emerged to confront injustice,â he said. âThis convoy to Cuba continues that tradition, delivering critical supplies to the Cuban people and a simple message: you are not alone.â
There is no time to waste, as the Trump administration ramps up its assault on the island and its campaign to isolate its people.
So join us in Havana, and support our efforts to secure critical aid for homes, hospitals, schools, and families in need.
Together, we can break the siege, save lives, and stand up for the cause of Cuban self-determination.