He joins CGTN to break down how the US has weaponized the international financial system by levying sanctions, in violation of international law, to cause "hunger, desperation and overthrow of government."
Showing posts with label Cuba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cuba. Show all posts
Friday, June 19, 2026
Cuba under Siege, with Ben Norton
Jun 17, 2026 | The US embargo on Cuba has been in place for nearly 70 years and getting tighter by the day, devastating the lives of millions on the island. Ben Norton, founder and editor-in-chief of the Geopolitical Economy Report, has "seen the consequences with his own eyes."
He joins CGTN to break down how the US has weaponized the international financial system by levying sanctions, in violation of international law, to cause "hunger, desperation and overthrow of government."
He joins CGTN to break down how the US has weaponized the international financial system by levying sanctions, in violation of international law, to cause "hunger, desperation and overthrow of government."
Saturday, June 13, 2026
We Witnessed the Devastating Effects of Trump's Oil Embargo on Cuba
Jun 8, 2026 | Often, the outages last for more than 24 hours, putting life on hold for those affected.
Cuba has endured decades of sanctions and trade restrictions, but the choking off of its oil supply, which comes almost entirely from Venezuela and Mexico, has left the country on the brink.
The Trump administration wants to coerce Cuba into accepting sweeping reforms, making it more aligned with the US and less aligned with countries like Russia.
Last month, John Ratcliffe, the head of the CIA, held a summit with senior Cuban officials, delivering a stark message: Allow real change or face military intervention.
Donald Trump said in March that he thinks he will have the "honour of taking Cuba" and has repeated his threats to topple the Communist government with increasing regularity.
Yet Cuba's president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, remains intransigent - and ordinary Cubans are paying the price. Petrol is rationed to 20 litres a month per person, but on the black market, if they can find it, Cubans are paying more than £5 a litre for petrol. It means many of the classic 1950s vehicles, which have become a trademark of the tourist industry, lie stranded.
I burst into tears even watching this! This is proof, if proof were indeed needed, that those across the Pond are cruel swine! This is ideological warfare, pure and simple, the price of which innocent, ordinary and extremely poor Cubans have to pay the inordinately HUGE price. Such UNNECESSARY suffering! And stupid Americans believe that Trump is God’s latest prophet! How ridiculous! How thick! How benighted! How dopey can people be?
As far as I am concerned, this very spectacle, this very suffering draws into question whether there is a god at all! Still less an omnipotent one. For verily, if God truly exists, and He is omnipotent, then he must surely be an exceedingly CRUEL God to allow such suffering and misery to be caused by a self-centred, ruthless man He could so easily take home in the twinkling of an eye! — © Mark Alexander
Cuba has endured decades of sanctions and trade restrictions, but the choking off of its oil supply, which comes almost entirely from Venezuela and Mexico, has left the country on the brink.
The Trump administration wants to coerce Cuba into accepting sweeping reforms, making it more aligned with the US and less aligned with countries like Russia.
Last month, John Ratcliffe, the head of the CIA, held a summit with senior Cuban officials, delivering a stark message: Allow real change or face military intervention.
Donald Trump said in March that he thinks he will have the "honour of taking Cuba" and has repeated his threats to topple the Communist government with increasing regularity.
Yet Cuba's president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, remains intransigent - and ordinary Cubans are paying the price. Petrol is rationed to 20 litres a month per person, but on the black market, if they can find it, Cubans are paying more than £5 a litre for petrol. It means many of the classic 1950s vehicles, which have become a trademark of the tourist industry, lie stranded.
I burst into tears even watching this! This is proof, if proof were indeed needed, that those across the Pond are cruel swine! This is ideological warfare, pure and simple, the price of which innocent, ordinary and extremely poor Cubans have to pay the inordinately HUGE price. Such UNNECESSARY suffering! And stupid Americans believe that Trump is God’s latest prophet! How ridiculous! How thick! How benighted! How dopey can people be?
As far as I am concerned, this very spectacle, this very suffering draws into question whether there is a god at all! Still less an omnipotent one. For verily, if God truly exists, and He is omnipotent, then he must surely be an exceedingly CRUEL God to allow such suffering and misery to be caused by a self-centred, ruthless man He could so easily take home in the twinkling of an eye! — © Mark Alexander
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Democracy Now! Hasan Piker on Being Banned from UK, Travelling to Cuba & Supporting Candidates Critical of Israel
Jun 5, 2026 | The British government earlier this week barred left-wing political commentators Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur from entering the UK ahead of several speaking events. The Home Office said it was cancelling their travel permits because "their presence in the U.K. may not be conducive to the public good."
Piker and Uygur, who are related, are both outspoken in their criticism of Israel. While the government did not cite a specific reason for the ban, some lawmakers and pro-Israel groups had accused the two of promoting antisemitism, which they reject.
"I find what the British government did here to be objectionable. I find it to be disgusting. I also find it to be terrifying," Piker tells Democracy Now!_"I think it's a sign that we're … headed down a very different — dare I say, fascist — direction in the Western world."
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
Piker and Uygur, who are related, are both outspoken in their criticism of Israel. While the government did not cite a specific reason for the ban, some lawmakers and pro-Israel groups had accused the two of promoting antisemitism, which they reject.
"I find what the British government did here to be objectionable. I find it to be disgusting. I also find it to be terrifying," Piker tells Democracy Now!_"I think it's a sign that we're … headed down a very different — dare I say, fascist — direction in the Western world."
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
Wednesday, June 03, 2026
Cuba: A National Crisis | ARTE.tv Documentary
June 3, 2026 | With the kidnapping of Venezuela's President Maduro by the USA, Cuba lost a loyal ally and with it the supply of Venezuelan oil, which covered a good half of its needs - a severe shock for the crisis-ridden island.
Cuba: A National Crisis | ARTE.tv Documentary
Available until: 19/04/2029>
Cuba: A National Crisis | ARTE.tv Documentary
Available until: 19/04/2029>
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Inside Trump’s Fuel Siege on Cuba | The Take
Trump Wants to ‘Take Cuba.’ These Cubans Have Thoughts.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: What do Cubans really think about the United States right now? To find out, the filmmaker and comedian Jeff Seal went to Cuba and asked them.
In this Opinion video, Mr. Seal investigates how Trump’s push to “take Cuba” ties into a nearly 70-year campaign against the island’s Communist government. “Americans should feel ashamed,” he argues.
Watch the NYT video here.
Trump is a cruel b*****d! And so is that snake-in-the-grass, Marco Rubio! Just look at Trump’s eyes! They tell you all you need to know about his character, or rather, lack of it. His eyes are as cold as p*** h**** in the snow! And they look like PHITS, too! If any country needs regime change, America does! Soon! Very soon! The sooner, the better! — © Mark Alexander
In this Opinion video, Mr. Seal investigates how Trump’s push to “take Cuba” ties into a nearly 70-year campaign against the island’s Communist government. “Americans should feel ashamed,” he argues.
Trump is a cruel b*****d! And so is that snake-in-the-grass, Marco Rubio! Just look at Trump’s eyes! They tell you all you need to know about his character, or rather, lack of it. His eyes are as cold as p*** h**** in the snow! And they look like PHITS, too! If any country needs regime change, America does! Soon! Very soon! The sooner, the better! — © Mark Alexander
Humiliated by Iran, the US Wants an Easy Scalp: Keep Your Eyes on Cuba
THE GUARDIAN: The decision to charge Raúl Castro is grimly reminiscent of the run-up to Trump’s military operation in Venezuela. Meanwhile, the Cuban people are suffering needlessly
This screenshot is from this Guardian op-ed. | Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, at a protest against the US indictment of former president Raúl Castro in Havana last week. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock
The US war machine has turned its sights on Cuba. Marco Rubio, the Cuban-American secretary of state who has long craved the fall of the island’s communist government, made that clear again last week. While professing a preference for a “negotiated settlement”, he said the chances of a deal were “not high”. A couple of months ago, I saw up close the economic devastation already inflicted by decades of US siege – and, since January, by a crippling oil blockade introduced by Donald Trump.
The US has now charged the country’s former president Raúl Castro with conspiracy to kill US nationals, four counts of murder and two counts of destruction of aircraft over the downing of two planes in 1996. The evidence points increasingly in one direction: it is all grimly reminiscent of the indictment of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, used to justify his kidnapping by US forces.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is leaking intelligence claiming that Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones, supposedly to attack the US base at Guantánamo Bay. “It’s a growing threat,” claimed one anonymous “senior US official”. The idea that, after several decades of tense relations with the US, a drastically weakened Cuba would suddenly launch an attack on the superpower only 90 miles from its shores, inviting overwhelming retribution, is plainly a fantasy. It is a desperate, threadbare homage to the “weapons of mass destruction” pretext used to invade Iraq. » | Owen Jones | Thursday, May 28, 2026
These are some of my thoughts on the unnecessary suffering of the poor, besieged Cubans. All because of a disgraceful, unfeeling president and his not-to-be-trusted side-kick, Marco Rubio.
The US war machine has turned its sights on Cuba. Marco Rubio, the Cuban-American secretary of state who has long craved the fall of the island’s communist government, made that clear again last week. While professing a preference for a “negotiated settlement”, he said the chances of a deal were “not high”. A couple of months ago, I saw up close the economic devastation already inflicted by decades of US siege – and, since January, by a crippling oil blockade introduced by Donald Trump.
The US has now charged the country’s former president Raúl Castro with conspiracy to kill US nationals, four counts of murder and two counts of destruction of aircraft over the downing of two planes in 1996. The evidence points increasingly in one direction: it is all grimly reminiscent of the indictment of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, used to justify his kidnapping by US forces.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is leaking intelligence claiming that Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones, supposedly to attack the US base at Guantánamo Bay. “It’s a growing threat,” claimed one anonymous “senior US official”. The idea that, after several decades of tense relations with the US, a drastically weakened Cuba would suddenly launch an attack on the superpower only 90 miles from its shores, inviting overwhelming retribution, is plainly a fantasy. It is a desperate, threadbare homage to the “weapons of mass destruction” pretext used to invade Iraq. » | Owen Jones | Thursday, May 28, 2026
These are some of my thoughts on the unnecessary suffering of the poor, besieged Cubans. All because of a disgraceful, unfeeling president and his not-to-be-trusted side-kick, Marco Rubio.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
« Je préfère ne pas être souverain, mais libre » : les Cubains résignés face aux menaces américaines
LE FIGARO : REPORTAGE - Les habitants de l’île communiste semblent à la fois inquiets des conséquences d’une intervention militaire et pressés que leur vie change, quel qu’en soit le prix.
Il se disait ce week-end dans les tréfonds du quartier d’El Cerro, où les parents du secrétaire d’État, Marco Rubio, vivaient chichement dans les années 1950 avant de fuir la dictature de Fulgencio Batista pour Miami, et non le communisme comme leur fils cadet aime souvent à le dire pour séduire la communauté cubano-américaine anti-castriste, qu’une intervention militaire des États-Unis était imminente. « Ça va barder ce week-end. La tension est de plus en plus palpable et elle a atteint un sommet », prédisait aussi un diplomate.
L’invasion ou les bombardements attendus en fin de semaine n’ont pas eu lieu. Cela n’a pas pour autant rassuré les Havanais. L’augmentation des survols d’avions espions Poséidon P8 et de drones près de Guantanamo, où les États-Unis disposent d’une base, mais aussi près de la capitale cubaine, a augmenté les craintes d’une attaque de l’Oncle Sam. L’arrivée de navires de guerre de l’US Navy près des côtes cubaines, dont un groupe aéronaval en début de semaine dernière, ne tranquillise personne. Le plus vieux porte-avions de la marine américaine, l’USS Nimitz, croise depuis quelques jours au large de La Havane. C’est l’une des toutes dernières missions de ce mastodonte de 330 mètres de long, dont la mise au rebut, prévue cette année après 51 ans de service, a été reportée à 2027.
Les Havanais guettent une intervention militaire américaine, sans trop bien savoir à quoi celle-ci ressemblera, résignés, préoccupés, mais peut-être moins qu’ils ne le sont par les contraintes d’un quotidien qui se détériore chaque jour un peu plus. « Cela fait 18 heures que nous n’avons plus d’électricité », déplore Pedro, un retraité havanais du quartier du Vedado. La ville se militarise. Les patrouilles de policiers et les militaires sont plus nombreux, ce qui n’empêche pas les Havanais de manifester le soir en tapant sur des casseroles pour réclamer le retour du courant et exorciser cette chaleur humide, insupportable sans climatisation ni ventilateur dans les foyers. Les manifestants crient aussi bien « Nous avons faim » que « À bas la dictature ». » | Par Hector Lemieux, à La Havane | mardi 26 mai 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Il se disait ce week-end dans les tréfonds du quartier d’El Cerro, où les parents du secrétaire d’État, Marco Rubio, vivaient chichement dans les années 1950 avant de fuir la dictature de Fulgencio Batista pour Miami, et non le communisme comme leur fils cadet aime souvent à le dire pour séduire la communauté cubano-américaine anti-castriste, qu’une intervention militaire des États-Unis était imminente. « Ça va barder ce week-end. La tension est de plus en plus palpable et elle a atteint un sommet », prédisait aussi un diplomate.
L’invasion ou les bombardements attendus en fin de semaine n’ont pas eu lieu. Cela n’a pas pour autant rassuré les Havanais. L’augmentation des survols d’avions espions Poséidon P8 et de drones près de Guantanamo, où les États-Unis disposent d’une base, mais aussi près de la capitale cubaine, a augmenté les craintes d’une attaque de l’Oncle Sam. L’arrivée de navires de guerre de l’US Navy près des côtes cubaines, dont un groupe aéronaval en début de semaine dernière, ne tranquillise personne. Le plus vieux porte-avions de la marine américaine, l’USS Nimitz, croise depuis quelques jours au large de La Havane. C’est l’une des toutes dernières missions de ce mastodonte de 330 mètres de long, dont la mise au rebut, prévue cette année après 51 ans de service, a été reportée à 2027.
Les Havanais guettent une intervention militaire américaine, sans trop bien savoir à quoi celle-ci ressemblera, résignés, préoccupés, mais peut-être moins qu’ils ne le sont par les contraintes d’un quotidien qui se détériore chaque jour un peu plus. « Cela fait 18 heures que nous n’avons plus d’électricité », déplore Pedro, un retraité havanais du quartier du Vedado. La ville se militarise. Les patrouilles de policiers et les militaires sont plus nombreux, ce qui n’empêche pas les Havanais de manifester le soir en tapant sur des casseroles pour réclamer le retour du courant et exorciser cette chaleur humide, insupportable sans climatisation ni ventilateur dans les foyers. Les manifestants crient aussi bien « Nous avons faim » que « À bas la dictature ». » | Par Hector Lemieux, à La Havane | mardi 26 mai 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Monday, May 25, 2026
Out of Gas, Cubans Cook With Charcoal and Wood to Survive
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The U.S. oil blockade has left millions without cooking gas. In Santiago de Cuba, the cradle of the Cuban revolution, apartment tower residents resort to charcoal and firewood.
On a recent night, Yusimi Castellano crouched over her squat iron stove, arranging charcoal and gently placing the Styrofoam and the plastic she used as kindling over it. She used a cigarette lighter to start a small fire.
Noxious smoke billowed through her 18th floor apartment, eventually sweeping out toward the former military barracks where the Cuban Revolution is said to have begun and the verdant mountains that wrap around Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second-largest city.
Slowly, the charcoal began to glow. She put a grill made of old coat hangers on top and boiled some spaghetti for her family’s dinner.
“I shouldn’t be cooking with charcoal,” said Ms. Castellano, 58, who has asthma and lately has been short of breath and coughing constantly. “But if I don’t cook, I die.”
Ms. Castellano’s crude cooking methods have become the norm across the complex of five 18-story buildings, each with 120 apartments, where she lives and that were once meant to showcase the revolution’s promise when they opened four decades ago.
Today, some people can’t even afford charcoal, and resort to chopping firewood to cook in their homes. » | Ed Augustin and Lisette Poole González | Photographs by Lisette Poole González | Ed Augustin and Lisette Poole traveled to the southeastern city of Santiago de Cuba to document the energy crisis engulfing the island. | Monday, May 25, 2026
This is a BLOODY DISGRACE! What the ORANGE MAN in the White House is doing to those poor people is nothing short of CRIMINAL! All in the name of IDEOLOGICAL WARFARE!
Trump can ponce around in luxury in Mar-a-Lago, and pilfer BILLIONS OF DOLLARS from the state’s coffers to line his own pockets, fill his banks accounts, and puff up his investment portfolios, yet he is happy to put his head on his pillow at night—when he is not writing on Truth Social—and rest, knowing that he is causing these poor people such distress and hardship. What manner of man can Trump be? And what sort of people can Americans be, allowing their leader to persecute innocent people like this, in their name?
The sooner the world turns its back on this regime, the better! This is nothing short of the behaviour of devils. Long live compassion! Long live Cuba! — © Mark Alexander
On a recent night, Yusimi Castellano crouched over her squat iron stove, arranging charcoal and gently placing the Styrofoam and the plastic she used as kindling over it. She used a cigarette lighter to start a small fire.
Noxious smoke billowed through her 18th floor apartment, eventually sweeping out toward the former military barracks where the Cuban Revolution is said to have begun and the verdant mountains that wrap around Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second-largest city.
Slowly, the charcoal began to glow. She put a grill made of old coat hangers on top and boiled some spaghetti for her family’s dinner.
“I shouldn’t be cooking with charcoal,” said Ms. Castellano, 58, who has asthma and lately has been short of breath and coughing constantly. “But if I don’t cook, I die.”
Ms. Castellano’s crude cooking methods have become the norm across the complex of five 18-story buildings, each with 120 apartments, where she lives and that were once meant to showcase the revolution’s promise when they opened four decades ago.
Today, some people can’t even afford charcoal, and resort to chopping firewood to cook in their homes. » | Ed Augustin and Lisette Poole González | Photographs by Lisette Poole González | Ed Augustin and Lisette Poole traveled to the southeastern city of Santiago de Cuba to document the energy crisis engulfing the island. | Monday, May 25, 2026
This is a BLOODY DISGRACE! What the ORANGE MAN in the White House is doing to those poor people is nothing short of CRIMINAL! All in the name of IDEOLOGICAL WARFARE!
Trump can ponce around in luxury in Mar-a-Lago, and pilfer BILLIONS OF DOLLARS from the state’s coffers to line his own pockets, fill his banks accounts, and puff up his investment portfolios, yet he is happy to put his head on his pillow at night—when he is not writing on Truth Social—and rest, knowing that he is causing these poor people such distress and hardship. What manner of man can Trump be? And what sort of people can Americans be, allowing their leader to persecute innocent people like this, in their name?
The sooner the world turns its back on this regime, the better! This is nothing short of the behaviour of devils. Long live compassion! Long live Cuba! — © Mark Alexander
Sunday, May 24, 2026
Trump's Corruption Has a New Target | Steve Schmidt | Reupload
The man behind Trump’s impending Cuba adventure is surely that snake-in-the-grass, otherwise known as Marco Rubio. That man is of Cuban descent, and he has an axe to grind with the country. — © Mark Alexander
Friday, May 22, 2026
« Leur système économique ne fonctionne pas » : les États-Unis se disent « déterminés » à imposer un changement à Cuba
LE FIGARO : Marco Rubio, lui-même d’origine cubaine et farouche opposant au gouvernement communiste, a cependant dit que les États-Unis espéraient éviter le recours à la force et privilégier « une solution diplomatique ».
Le secrétaire d'État américain Marco Rubio a averti jeudi Cuba que les États-Unis étaient « déterminés » à imposer un changement dans l'île communiste, au lendemain de l'inculpation par la justice américaine de l'ex-président cubain Raul Castro. « Leur système économique ne fonctionne pas. Il est défaillant, et on ne peut pas le réparer avec le système politique actuel », a déclaré Marco Rubio aux journalistes depuis sa ville natale de Miami.
« Ce à quoi ils se sont habitués toutes ces années, c'est simplement de gagner du temps et d'attendre que nous nous lassions », a-t-il ajouté. « Ils ne pourront ni faire traîner les choses ni gagner du temps. Nous sommes très sérieux, très déterminés. » Le chef de la diplomatie américaine, lui-même d'origine cubaine et farouche opposant au gouvernement communiste, a cependant dit que les États-Unis espéraient éviter le recours à la force et privilégier « une solution diplomatique ». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 22 mai 2026
Je ne suis absolument pas un partisan du communisme, mais affirmer que le système économique cubain ne fonctionne pas est aussi ridicule que stupide. Pour que le système économique cubain puisse fonctionner, il faut le laisser tranquille. Aucun système économique, qu'il soit communiste ou capitaliste, ne peut fonctionner s'il est soumis à des sanctions permanentes et qu'on ne lui laisse aucune chance de se développer. Les déclarations dénonçant le dysfonctionnement du système économique cubain ne sont que des manœuvres de tromperie. La Maison Blanche le sait pertinemment, mais cela sert son discours belliqueux et son intention d'envahir l'île. — © Mark Alexander
Le secrétaire d'État américain Marco Rubio a averti jeudi Cuba que les États-Unis étaient « déterminés » à imposer un changement dans l'île communiste, au lendemain de l'inculpation par la justice américaine de l'ex-président cubain Raul Castro. « Leur système économique ne fonctionne pas. Il est défaillant, et on ne peut pas le réparer avec le système politique actuel », a déclaré Marco Rubio aux journalistes depuis sa ville natale de Miami.
« Ce à quoi ils se sont habitués toutes ces années, c'est simplement de gagner du temps et d'attendre que nous nous lassions », a-t-il ajouté. « Ils ne pourront ni faire traîner les choses ni gagner du temps. Nous sommes très sérieux, très déterminés. » Le chef de la diplomatie américaine, lui-même d'origine cubaine et farouche opposant au gouvernement communiste, a cependant dit que les États-Unis espéraient éviter le recours à la force et privilégier « une solution diplomatique ». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 22 mai 2026
Je ne suis absolument pas un partisan du communisme, mais affirmer que le système économique cubain ne fonctionne pas est aussi ridicule que stupide. Pour que le système économique cubain puisse fonctionner, il faut le laisser tranquille. Aucun système économique, qu'il soit communiste ou capitaliste, ne peut fonctionner s'il est soumis à des sanctions permanentes et qu'on ne lui laisse aucune chance de se développer. Les déclarations dénonçant le dysfonctionnement du système économique cubain ne sont que des manœuvres de tromperie. La Maison Blanche le sait pertinemment, mais cela sert son discours belliqueux et son intention d'envahir l'île. — © Mark Alexander
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Anklage gegen Raúl Castro: China und Russland warnen USA vor Eskalation
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Die Spannungen zwischen den USA und Kuba verschärfen sich weiter. China und Russland stellen sich demonstrativ hinter Havanna, während Donald Trump offen über ein mögliches Eingreifen spricht.
Dieser Screenshot kommt aus diesem Artikel. | Der frühere kubanische Präsident Raúl Castro (94) bei einer Parade zum 1. Mai auf dem Platz der Revolution in Havanna. | © Ramon Espinosa
China und Russland haben die Anklage der USA gegen den früheren kubanischen Präsidenten Raúl Castro als gefährliche Eskalation verurteilt. Peking forderte die die Trump-Regierung auf, Kuba nicht länger mit Sanktionen und juristischen Maßnahmen unter Druck zu setzen. Der Kreml sprach von Methoden, die „an Gewalt grenzen“. Hintergrund ist die Anklage gegen den 94-jährigen Castro wegen des Abschusses zweier ziviler Flugzeuge im Jahr 1996, bei dem vier Menschen starben.
US-Präsident Donald Trump verschärfte den Ton gegenüber Havanna am Donnerstag weiter. „Es sieht so aus, als wäre ich derjenige, der eingreifen wird“, sagte Trump laut AP mit Blick auf Kuba. Einen Tag zuvor hatte er noch erklärt, eine weitere Eskalation sei nicht notwendig. » | Alexander Schmalz | Donnerstag, 21. Mai 2026
LESEN SIE AUCH:
„Es gäbe ein Blutbad“: Kuba warnt USA vor militärischem Angriff: Nach Berichten über ein angebliches kubanisches Drohnenarsenal verschärft sich der Streit zwischen Havanna und Washington. Kubas Präsident Miguel Díaz-Canel warnte die USA vor einem „Blutbad“. »
China und Russland haben die Anklage der USA gegen den früheren kubanischen Präsidenten Raúl Castro als gefährliche Eskalation verurteilt. Peking forderte die die Trump-Regierung auf, Kuba nicht länger mit Sanktionen und juristischen Maßnahmen unter Druck zu setzen. Der Kreml sprach von Methoden, die „an Gewalt grenzen“. Hintergrund ist die Anklage gegen den 94-jährigen Castro wegen des Abschusses zweier ziviler Flugzeuge im Jahr 1996, bei dem vier Menschen starben.
US-Präsident Donald Trump verschärfte den Ton gegenüber Havanna am Donnerstag weiter. „Es sieht so aus, als wäre ich derjenige, der eingreifen wird“, sagte Trump laut AP mit Blick auf Kuba. Einen Tag zuvor hatte er noch erklärt, eine weitere Eskalation sei nicht notwendig. » | Alexander Schmalz | Donnerstag, 21. Mai 2026
LESEN SIE AUCH:
„Es gäbe ein Blutbad“: Kuba warnt USA vor militärischem Angriff: Nach Berichten über ein angebliches kubanisches Drohnenarsenal verschärft sich der Streit zwischen Havanna und Washington. Kubas Präsident Miguel Díaz-Canel warnte die USA vor einem „Blutbad“. »
Steve Schmidt: Trump Lost in Iran. Cuba Is Next.
A tapestry of Trump’s chumps, all with the same thing in common: wet dreams! And the source of their excitement? The domination of the world and the plundering and sequestration of these countries’ assets and wealth.
First came Venezuela, then came Iran, now comes Cuba. Soon will come Greenland. Then, after Greenland, will come Canada. Nowhere on this planet is safe whilst these people are in power. So many dangerous people; so many wet dreams! — © Mark Alexander
Why Cuban Cigars Are So Expensive | So Expensive
Jul 11, 2026 | Cuban cigars hold a reputation as the world's most opulent tobacco product. A box of good quality Habanos can cost thousands of dollars.
Every hand-rolled Cuban cigar goes through about 500 manual tasks from seed to cigar. But over the last 25 years, cigars made in other countries in the Caribbean and Central America have become comparable in quality, consistency, and cost.
Some experts suggest that up to 95% of all Cuban cigars in the US, which hasn't allowed the import of Cuban cigars since the 1962 embargo, are actually counterfeit.
So why are Cuban cigars so desirable? And is that why they're so expensive?
Every hand-rolled Cuban cigar goes through about 500 manual tasks from seed to cigar. But over the last 25 years, cigars made in other countries in the Caribbean and Central America have become comparable in quality, consistency, and cost.
Some experts suggest that up to 95% of all Cuban cigars in the US, which hasn't allowed the import of Cuban cigars since the 1962 embargo, are actually counterfeit.
So why are Cuban cigars so desirable? And is that why they're so expensive?
Cuba Says It’s Ready to Negotiate
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Cuba’s ambassador to the United Nations said in an interview that Havana wanted to talk but the Trump administration was creating pretexts for military action.
This screenshot comes from this NYT article. | Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Cuba’s ambassador to the U.N., in New York on Wednesday. | Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times
Cuba is open to changes to its economy and government, and eager to continue negotiations with the United States, but it does not believe Washington is participating in talks in good faith, Cuba’s ambassador to the United Nations told The New York Times.
“Cuba is willing to talk about everything with the United States. There is no taboo subject in our conversations — on the basis of reciprocity and equality,” Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, the Cuban ambassador, said in an interview on Wednesday.
But, he added, “obviously it does not help a climate of dialogue and trust that every other day there are statements like, ‘We are ready to take over Cuba,’” referring to recent comments by President Trump.
“Warmongering rhetoric does not help,” he said. “Building different pretexts for military aggression against Cuba, which is what they are building, does not help.”
The hourlong conversation was the first time in years that a sitting Cuban government official had granted an on-the-record interview to The Times.
Mr. Soberón Guzmán said the government had decided to do so in an effort to tell the American public that Cuba wants peace and cooperation with the United States, despite the Trump administration’s intensifying pressure campaign against the island. » | Jack Nicas | Jack Nicas, a lead correspondent in Latin America, interviewed Cuba’s ambassador to the U.N. in New York. | Thursday, May 21, 2026
Leer en español.
My MESSAGE to Mr Trump and to Trump’s chumps:
For heaven’s sake, leave those poor Cubans alone! Stop harassing and molesting them! Have you NO HEART? Can’t you see how much those poor people have already suffered because of America’s heartless sanctions? How much more suffering must they endure?
You pretend to speak for all American Christians. Which part of Christianity is this duty of cruelty, exactly? I must have missed that part in my readings of the Bible.
America has always been a heartless, cut-throat, economic system, governed by the laws of the jungle, and generally led by heartless leaders. But you, Mr Trump, take the biscuit! To my knowledge, no other American president’s CRUELTY comes even close to YOURS!
My advice to you, Sir, is this: Beseech the Almighty to fill your heart with LOVE, MERCY, and COMPASSION! — © Mark Alexander
Cuba is open to changes to its economy and government, and eager to continue negotiations with the United States, but it does not believe Washington is participating in talks in good faith, Cuba’s ambassador to the United Nations told The New York Times.
“Cuba is willing to talk about everything with the United States. There is no taboo subject in our conversations — on the basis of reciprocity and equality,” Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, the Cuban ambassador, said in an interview on Wednesday.
But, he added, “obviously it does not help a climate of dialogue and trust that every other day there are statements like, ‘We are ready to take over Cuba,’” referring to recent comments by President Trump.
“Warmongering rhetoric does not help,” he said. “Building different pretexts for military aggression against Cuba, which is what they are building, does not help.”
The hourlong conversation was the first time in years that a sitting Cuban government official had granted an on-the-record interview to The Times.
Mr. Soberón Guzmán said the government had decided to do so in an effort to tell the American public that Cuba wants peace and cooperation with the United States, despite the Trump administration’s intensifying pressure campaign against the island. » | Jack Nicas | Jack Nicas, a lead correspondent in Latin America, interviewed Cuba’s ambassador to the U.N. in New York. | Thursday, May 21, 2026
Leer en español.
My MESSAGE to Mr Trump and to Trump’s chumps:
For heaven’s sake, leave those poor Cubans alone! Stop harassing and molesting them! Have you NO HEART? Can’t you see how much those poor people have already suffered because of America’s heartless sanctions? How much more suffering must they endure?
You pretend to speak for all American Christians. Which part of Christianity is this duty of cruelty, exactly? I must have missed that part in my readings of the Bible.
America has always been a heartless, cut-throat, economic system, governed by the laws of the jungle, and generally led by heartless leaders. But you, Mr Trump, take the biscuit! To my knowledge, no other American president’s CRUELTY comes even close to YOURS!
My advice to you, Sir, is this: Beseech the Almighty to fill your heart with LOVE, MERCY, and COMPASSION! — © Mark Alexander
Democracy Now! Rising U.S. Pressure on Cuba
May 20, 2026 | In Havana, we speak to journalist Ed Augustin, who calls the Trump administration's strict fuel blockade of Cuba, in place since the beginning of 2026, "the collective punishment of a population, particularly targeting poor communities, pregnant women, children and the elderly." Augustin shares stories of hardship faced by everyday Cubans who are increasingly forced to go without electricity, drinking water and medical care.
And in the latest escalation of the decades-long U.S. pressure campaign against Cuba's communist government, the Trump administration is expected to unseal an indictment against Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba, later today. The charges stem from the 1996 shootdown of four pilots with Brothers to the Rescue, the U.S.-based anti-Castro organization formed by Cuban exiles and dissidents. Peter Kornbluh, a Cuba specialist at the National Security Archive, says that the indictment will send "a clear warning" to Cuban leaders and provide justification for a possible future attempt to capture or assassinate Castro. "Military options are on the table and coming soon," says Kornbluh. "It is absolutely clear that the U.S. military is preparing contingency operations in case Trump's impatience runs out because Cuba has not met his imperial demands fast enough."
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
And in the latest escalation of the decades-long U.S. pressure campaign against Cuba's communist government, the Trump administration is expected to unseal an indictment against Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba, later today. The charges stem from the 1996 shootdown of four pilots with Brothers to the Rescue, the U.S.-based anti-Castro organization formed by Cuban exiles and dissidents. Peter Kornbluh, a Cuba specialist at the National Security Archive, says that the indictment will send "a clear warning" to Cuban leaders and provide justification for a possible future attempt to capture or assassinate Castro. "Military options are on the table and coming soon," says Kornbluh. "It is absolutely clear that the U.S. military is preparing contingency operations in case Trump's impatience runs out because Cuba has not met his imperial demands fast enough."
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
EE. UU. imputa al expresidente de Cuba Raúl Castro con cargos de asesinato
THE NEW YORK YIMES: La medida del Departamento de Justicia fue una extraordinaria escalada en la campaña de presión del gobierno de Trump contra el gobierno comunista de la isla.
Raúl Castro es acusado por el gobierno de EE. UU.
El Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos hizo pública el miércoles un acta de imputación en la que se acusa a Raúl Castro, expresidente de Cuba de 94 años y hermano de Fidel Castro, junto con otras cinco personas, de cargos de asesinato y conspiración para matar a ciudadanos estadounidenses a raíz del derribo mortal de dos aviones operados por un grupo de ayuda humanitaria hace 30 años.
El acta de imputación, emitida por el Tribunal Federal de Distrito de Miami, es una escalada extraordinaria de la polifacética campaña de presión del gobierno de Donald Trump contra el gobierno comunista de Cuba.
Los cargos, que se basaban en un caso anterior presentado por primera vez en 2003, pusieron sobre Castro el peso del sistema de justicia penal estadounidense en un momento de gran tensión con Cuba. También sentaron las bases de una posible acción militar para expulsarlo del país por medios similares a la forma en que las fuerzas de operaciones especiales estadounidenses utilizaron una acusación contra Nicolás Maduro, exdirigente de Venezuela, para irrumpir en Caracas en una arriesgada operación en enero y capturarlo. En vivo » | Alan Feuer | miércoles 20 de mayo de 2026
À LIRE AUSSI :
Inculpation de Raúl Castro : Trump parle de « très grand jour » et estime qu’une «escalade» avec Cuba ne sera pas « nécessaire » : « Il n’y aura pas d’escalade. Je ne pense pas que ce soit nécessaire. Cet endroit est en train de tomber en ruines », a déclaré le président américain à la presse. »
LESEN SIE AUCH:
Kuba-Knall! USA klagen Ex-Präsident Raúl Castro (94) an: Marco Rubio ruft Kubaner zur Abkehr von den Kommunisten auf »
El Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos hizo pública el miércoles un acta de imputación en la que se acusa a Raúl Castro, expresidente de Cuba de 94 años y hermano de Fidel Castro, junto con otras cinco personas, de cargos de asesinato y conspiración para matar a ciudadanos estadounidenses a raíz del derribo mortal de dos aviones operados por un grupo de ayuda humanitaria hace 30 años.
El acta de imputación, emitida por el Tribunal Federal de Distrito de Miami, es una escalada extraordinaria de la polifacética campaña de presión del gobierno de Donald Trump contra el gobierno comunista de Cuba.
Los cargos, que se basaban en un caso anterior presentado por primera vez en 2003, pusieron sobre Castro el peso del sistema de justicia penal estadounidense en un momento de gran tensión con Cuba. También sentaron las bases de una posible acción militar para expulsarlo del país por medios similares a la forma en que las fuerzas de operaciones especiales estadounidenses utilizaron una acusación contra Nicolás Maduro, exdirigente de Venezuela, para irrumpir en Caracas en una arriesgada operación en enero y capturarlo. En vivo » | Alan Feuer | miércoles 20 de mayo de 2026
À LIRE AUSSI :
Inculpation de Raúl Castro : Trump parle de « très grand jour » et estime qu’une «escalade» avec Cuba ne sera pas « nécessaire » : « Il n’y aura pas d’escalade. Je ne pense pas que ce soit nécessaire. Cet endroit est en train de tomber en ruines », a déclaré le président américain à la presse. »
LESEN SIE AUCH:
Kuba-Knall! USA klagen Ex-Präsident Raúl Castro (94) an: Marco Rubio ruft Kubaner zur Abkehr von den Kommunisten auf »
Rubio Offers Cuba New Deal as US Announces Major Aid and Pressure Campaign
May 20, 2026 | US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered what he called a “new relationship” between the United States and Cuba in a major video message on Cuban Independence Day.
Rubio announced a proposed $100 million aid package for food and medicine while sharply criticizing Cuba’s leadership over shortages of electricity, fuel, and food.
The move comes as Washington prepares new legal action against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, escalating tensions between the two countries.
ALSO READ THIS RELATED NYT ARTICLE:
Rubio, in Video, Urges Cubans to Align With Trump Administration: In a rare direct address, Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed the former leader Raúl Castro for the country’s longstanding electricity and resource shortages. »
Rubio announced a proposed $100 million aid package for food and medicine while sharply criticizing Cuba’s leadership over shortages of electricity, fuel, and food.
The move comes as Washington prepares new legal action against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, escalating tensions between the two countries.
ALSO READ THIS RELATED NYT ARTICLE:
Rubio, in Video, Urges Cubans to Align With Trump Administration: In a rare direct address, Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed the former leader Raúl Castro for the country’s longstanding electricity and resource shortages. »
U.S. Charges Former Cuban President Raúl Castro With Murder
Monday, May 18, 2026
Après de nouvelles sanctions de Washington, Cuba agite la menace d'un «bain de sang» en cas d'attaque américaine
LE FIGARO : Le ministère américain des Finances a annoncé lundi avoir ajouté le principal service de renseignement cubain, la Direccion de Inteligencia, ainsi qu’une dizaine de hauts responsables du pays à sa liste des entités et personnes sous sanction.
Le président de Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, a averti lundi qu'une attaque américaine contre l'île provoquerait « un bain de sang », tandis que Washington a annoncé avoir sanctionné le renseignement cubain et une dizaine de hauts-responsables de l'île communiste. Miguel Diaz-Canel a aussi souligné le droit « légitime » de son pays à riposter à une éventuelle agression des États-Unis, sur fond de fortes tensions entre La Havane et Washington.
Cuba a acquis plus de 300 drones militaires et évalue de possibles scénarios de leur utilisation près de la base américaine de Guantánamo, dans l'est de l'île, a affirmé dimanche le média américain Axios, en citant des renseignements classifiés. Selon Axios, ces informations ont suscité des inquiétudes à Washington, où des responsables mettent en garde contre une « menace croissante » du fait de la proximité de ces capacités. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 18 mai 2026
Le président de Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, a averti lundi qu'une attaque américaine contre l'île provoquerait « un bain de sang », tandis que Washington a annoncé avoir sanctionné le renseignement cubain et une dizaine de hauts-responsables de l'île communiste. Miguel Diaz-Canel a aussi souligné le droit « légitime » de son pays à riposter à une éventuelle agression des États-Unis, sur fond de fortes tensions entre La Havane et Washington.
Cuba a acquis plus de 300 drones militaires et évalue de possibles scénarios de leur utilisation près de la base américaine de Guantánamo, dans l'est de l'île, a affirmé dimanche le média américain Axios, en citant des renseignements classifiés. Selon Axios, ces informations ont suscité des inquiétudes à Washington, où des responsables mettent en garde contre une « menace croissante » du fait de la proximité de ces capacités. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 18 mai 2026
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