cross-posted from: https://expressional.social/users/Peter_Link/statuses/116114943941635294

Update - #NuestraAméricaFlotilla to Cuba is growing into the Nuestra América Convoy.
https://nuestraamericaconvoy.org/

We are mobilizing to #Cuba, bringing critical #HumanitarianAid for its people.

The #Trump administration is strangling the island, cutting off fuel, flights, and critical supplies for survival.

Since launch, we have been overwhelmed by support from communities across the world committed to breaking the criminal #US #blockade.

Now, we are welcoming them to this historic mission, growing the coalition from a flotilla into a global convoy that will converge in Havana on 21 March 2026.

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.

#NuestraAméricaConvoy
#OilForCuba!
#EndTheBlockadeEmbargo
#CubaSolidarity
#LetCubaLive
#LatinAmerica #Caribbean
#news #politics #USpol
@cuba

cross-posted from: https://expressional.social/users/Peter_Link/statuses/116111218052321484

Saw this on Facebook
https://m.twitch.tv/videos/2703083266
#BellyOfTheBeast's Liv Oliva Fernández #Interview with #HasanPiker

#Cuba #NuestraAméricaFlotilla
#OilForCuba!
#EndTheBlockadeEmbargo
#CubaSolidarity
#LetCubaLive
#EndSanctionsAgainstCuba #OffTheList
#VivaCuba #CubaSí #AbajoElBloqueo #SolidaridadConCuba
#PetróleoParaCuba
#LatinAmerica #Caribbean
#news #politics #USpol #BellyOfTheBeast
@cuba

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43502737

Feb. 20, 2026

Individuals who carry out economic activities in the country will be able to access tax benefits for investments in renewable energy sources, following the update of the regulatory framework approved by the Ministry of Finance and Prices (MFP), as part of the strategy for the transformation of the national energy matrix.

With the publication of Resolution 41/2026 in the extraordinary Official Gazette No. 30, individuals who carry out economic activities, such as self-employed workers, agricultural producers, artists, and intellectuals, who are taxpayers subject to personal income tax, are exempt from paying this tax when they invest in renewable energy sources.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43481503

The US Supreme Court’s ruling “implies that Trump’s recent order imposing tariffs on countries selling oil to Cuba exceeds the president’s statutory authority.”

Feb. 20, 2026

With the centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s economic agenda—his use of an emergency law to impose tariffs on countries around the world—struck down by the US Supreme Court on Friday, analysts said the sweeping ruling should promptly end the Cuba blockade that his administration has pressured other governments to take part in, leaving millions of Cubans struggling with shortages of essentials.

The court ruled that the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not empower the president to “unilaterally impose tariffs,” as Trump has on countries across the globe, insisting that doing so would boost manufacturing and cut the trade deficit—despite mounting evidence that the tariffs have instead raised costs on American households.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43475308

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
Updated 6:26 PM EST, February 19, 2026

Guillermo Beltrán walked away with two heavy bags on Thursday, each containing an essential haul — rice, beans, amaranth and crackers — complemented by a bottle of oil, large cans of sardines and canned peaches. Every label carried the same simple phrase “Made in Mexico.”

Beltrán, a 70-year-old Cuban father of two, was one of several hundred recipients of Mexican humanitarian assistance, ordered by President Claudia Sheinbaum in support of the island nation as it faces blackouts and severe fuel shortages worsened by a U.S oil embargo.

“I feel very grateful,” said Beltrán. “The Mexican president should be praised to the skies for showing such concern and courage.”

Havana province is accelerating the installation of photovoltaic panels at priority healthcare institutions.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43392136

[a video about Cuba from the news collective Belly Of The Beast]

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is “extremely concerned” about the worsening situation in Cuba as fuel shortages continue to impact daily life across the island.

According to Secretary-General Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres has been following developments in Cuba “extremely closely” and is warning that unmet oil needs are deepening the crisis.

The spokesperson pointed out that the UN General Assembly has long called for an end to the blockade. Guterres is urging all parties to pursue dialogue, to respect international law and to avoid further escalation.

Dujarric said UN teams remain on the ground in Cuba, working alongside the island’s authorities to support humanitarian relief efforts.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43365406

[a video about Cuba from the news collective Belly Of The Beast]

Despite the U.S. oil blockade to Cuba, Cuban authorities say they will remain resolute in protecting the national security of both Cuba and the United States, arguing that the two countries share common threats: drug trafficking, smuggling and terrorism.

“They need to understand that destabilizing a country just 90 miles from the United States would ultimately create a problem for them. But it seems to me that the ones most concerned about what happens in Cuba are officials in the U.S. government.,” said Chief of Cuba's Border Guard.

For decades, Cuba has cooperated with the United States on counternarcotics and counterterrorism efforts. In fact, the State Department’s 2024 annual counter-narcotics report recognized Cuba as an effective regional partner in fighting drug trafficking.

But last year, the chapter on Cuba was removed from the latest U.S. report without public explanation, a move Cuban officials describe as politically motivated.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43329859

[a video about Cuba from the news collective Belly Of The Beast]

Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, questions how Cuba can overcome its current crisis while facing some of the most severe sanctions in the world.

According to Hurtado, decades-long sanctions, recent U.S. measures restricting oil shipments, and extreme weather events are converging into a nationwide emergency.

Fuel shortages are disrupting hospitals, intensive care units, vaccine storage, water-pumping systems and food distribution. More than 80% of Cuba’s water infrastructure depends on electricity, and rolling blackouts are undermining access to clean water, sanitation and basic healthcare.

Hurtado’s remarks highlight a growing concern inside UN institutions about the humanitarian impact of sanctions and the limits they impose on a country’s ability to respond to economic and social emergencies.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43305644

Jake Johnson
Feb 10, 2026

The inter-American branch of a global labor federation representing tens of millions of workers issued a statement Monday condemning the Trump administration’s intensifying economic assault on Cuba and threats of regime change, calling such actions “war by other means” and violations of international law.

“They are incompatible with peace, the human right to dignity, and the principle of national sovereignty,” said Public Services International (PSI) Inter-America as the Trump administration’s blockade of oil imports fueled a worsening humanitarian crisis for the island nation, bringing rolling blackouts, straining hospitals, and causing shortages of food and other necessities.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43293066

From David Commissiong, Barbados Ambassador to CARICOM. 2/17/2026

In that piteous yet dignified message, our Cuban sister speaks to us about the elderly Cubans who are “dying prematurely because the blockade prevents the arrival of medications for heart conditions, high blood pressure and diabetes”; the new born babies that are fighting for their lives because “incubators in Cuba have had to be shut down due to a lack of fuel”; and the “terrorism through hunger” that is currently being inflicted on the Cuban people through a deliberate US policy to deprive Cuba of food and energy supplies.

Without a doubt, the current situation in our sister Caribbean nation of Cuba constitutes a severe humanitarian crisis that demands a significant and meaningful response from all people and governments of conscience.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43305171

Feb. 17, 2026

US President Donald Trump’s latest comments on his government’s blockade on Cuba Monday evening amounted to “boasting of a war crime,” one journalist said after the president told the press that the Caribbean island is a “failed nation” weeks after Trump himself cut off Cuba’s main source of energy and threatened countries with tariffs if they provided the government with oil.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump listed some of the impacts of the blockade the White House imposed after invading Venezuela last month and pushing for control of its oil supply.

“They don’t even have jet fuel to get their airplanes to take off. They’re clogging up their runway. We’re talking to Cuba right now... and they should absolutely make a deal, because it’s really a humanitarian threat,” said the president. “There’s an embargo, there’s no oil, there’s no money, there’s no anything.”

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43250017

Feb. 14, 2026

Brazil Cuba solidarity reaches new heights as trade unions and social movements launch coordinated efforts to support Cuba amid a severe energy crisis triggered by U.S. pressure. On February 14, 2026, the Unified Federation of Petroleum Workers (FUP) formally requested an emergency meeting with state-owned Petrobras to arrange urgent fuel deliveries to the Caribbean island.

The campaign, dubbed “Petróleo para Cuba” (Oil for Cuba), counters recent threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. He imposed potential tariffs on nations or entities supplying hydrocarbons to Cuba, exacerbating fuel shortages that cause rolling blackouts and disrupt essential services.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43329966

[a video about Cuba from the news collective Belly Of The Beast]

What will happen in Cuba if the blockade ends? Cuba Analysis Podcast asks this question in their interview with Pedro Jorge Velázquez, El Necio, one of Cuba’s most prominent independent journalists and social media influencers.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43236372

Feb. 14, 2026

Despite the inspiration by the Sumud project, the Mexican and Chinese deliveries of aid suggest that there is currently no indication that the U.S. would use its military to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching the island; Israel’s navy, conversely, intercepted the GSF before it reached the Gazan coast.

Major groups participating in the flotilla include Progressive International, an international left-wing activist organization, and Code Pink, a female-led grassroots peace and social justice group.

The flotilla’s mission has been endorsed by a variety of leading international figures, such as Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, member of Colombia’s Chamber of Representatives María Fernanda Carrascal and U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.

Prominent left-wing American streamer Hasan Piker has confirmed his participation in the project. It has also been speculated that prominent Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg will take part.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43214341

Brett Wilkins
Feb 12, 2026

“We are sailing to Cuba, bringing critical humanitarian aid for its people,” the flotilla organizers said on their website. “The Trump administration is strangling the island, cutting off fuel, flights, and critical supplies for survival. The consequences are lethal, for newborns and parents, for the elderly and the sick.”

“That is why we are launching the Nuestra América Flotilla, setting sail from across the Caribbean Sea in solidarity with the Cuban people,” the organizers continued. “And we are asking for your support, to help us prepare the mission and purchase the food and medicine that we will bring to the Cuban people.”

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43258974

Feb. 14, 2026

Cuba’s emergency measures should be seen as crucial test for the BRICS bloc of developing nations, according to Helen Yaffe, a Cuba expert and professor of Latin American political economy at the University of Glasgow, Scotland.

“This is probably the most important test now for BRICS … If BRICS cannot protect, defend and rally around a member, then what is it worth?” Yaffe told CNBC by telephone.

Cuba acquired “partner country” status of the BRICS group in January last year, bolstering its ties with the likes of Brazil, Russia and China. Indeed, each of these three countries have sought to offer support to Cuba in recent days.

“The Cuban government is not going to submit,” Yaffe said. “The fact is, [the U.S. is] going to keep squeezing and the Cubans are going to keep resisting and there’s going to be a lot of unnecessary suffering.”

She added: “I’m a historian and it’s very vainglorious for historians to try and predict the future but we can look at trends — and I can guarantee you that we were here before in the early 1990s where nobody thought Cuba would pull together and pull through — and they did.”

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43212707

Feb. 15, 2026

Stoking concerns is news that lack of fuel is hampering the UN World Food Programme’s efforts to relieve suffering from last year’s Hurricane Melissa. The organisation, which keeps a low-key presence on the island, is now having to draw up plans for a new, far larger crisis. “We’re already seeing the impact in the availability of fresh produce in the cities,” said Étienne Labande, the WFP’s country director.

Diplomats expressed concern at how fast the lack of fuel – for electricity, water and the transport of food – could cause extreme suffering. “It’s a matter of weeks,” said one. “The view is that people in rural villages like Viñales may be OK, but those in the cities would be at terrible risk.”

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43178169

[from the news collective Belly Of The Beast]

Arturo O’Farrill is a Grammy-winning pianist, composer and one of the most influential voices in Afro-Cuban jazz. But for him, Cuba is more than just an inspiration — it’s home, history and identity.

In Havana, during the 41st International Jazz Plaza Festival, Arturo told us why jazz cannot be understood without Cuba, why Afro-Cuban roots remain central to the music’s evolution, and why cultural exchange persists despite the United States’ decades-long economic war on Cuba.

Arturo has been returning to Cuba year after year for over two decades, honoring his heritage, and using music as a bridge between Cuban and U.S. citizens - despite the personal cost of taking political positions.

“This is Cuba,” he says. “I come here to learn how to live.”

👉 Join our WhatsApp Community to get alerts, updates, and behind-the-scenes news in real time: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb9o9eP7oQheND87Gn2H

Common Hasan W

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43119723

Feb. 12, 2026
[from weekly newsletter about Cuba from the Belly Of The Beast news/video collective. Their videos can be found at: https://peertube.world/c/cuba_botb_videos/videos]

Donald Trump said on February 1: "We're talking to the people from Cuba, the highest people in Cuba, to see what happens. I think we’re going to make a deal." But according to Drop Site News, no such talks are taking place.

Meanwhile, in Cuba, the U.S.’ de facto oil blockade has already led to a shutdown of some essential services. Belly of the Beast spoke with Cubans about the fuel crisis and their concerns for the future.

Also:

• Interview With Cuban Jazz Legend Arturo O'Farrill
• With Jet Fuel Scarce, Canada and Russia Cancel Flights
• Mexico Sends Food — But Not Oil
• US Offers Cuba “Aid” While Crushing its Economy
• Guatemala Sends Cuban Medical Mission Packing
• UN Warns of Humanitarian Collapse

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43076998

In this episode of the Cuba Analysis Podcast, Helen Yaffe and Nina Blodau talk to Alan MacLeod about the Trump administration’s use of propaganda, misinformation and psychological warfare to facilitate regime change in Cuba and Venezuela. MacLeod is a researcher and investigative journalist for MintPress News, and author of ‘Bad News from Venezuela: 20 Years of Fake News and Misreporting’, based on his PhD thesis.