标签： Cuba

In a significant diplomatic development, Jamaica has abruptly terminated its long-standing health cooperation agreement with Cuba, resulting in the complete withdrawal of Cuban medical personnel from the Caribbean nation. The decision, confirmed by Jamaican authorities on March 4th, directly responds to sustained pressure from the United States government.

The repatriation process concluded Thursday as the final members of the Cuban medical brigade arrived at José Martí International Airport in Havana. The returning professionals were greeted by high-ranking Cuban officials including Deputy Prime Minister Eduardo Martínez Díaz, Public Health Minister José Angel Portal Miranda, and other health sector leaders.

First Deputy Minister of Public Health Tania Margarita Cruz Hernández delivered an emotional welcome address, praising the medical professionals for their service. “The humble will not forget that you were the first to reach places where no doctor had ever gone before,” she stated, emphasizing that Jamaica’s decision deprives its citizens of essential healthcare services from a nation with which Cuba shares deep bonds of friendship.

The terminated program represented one of Cuba’s most successful international cooperation initiatives. Over the past three decades, more than 4,700 Cuban medical professionals have served in Jamaica, delivering extraordinary results including treatment for over 8.1 million patients, performance of 74,302 surgical procedures, assistance with 7,170 births, and the saving of more than 90,000 lives.

Additionally, through the Operation Miracle program active since 2010, nearly 25,000 Jamaicans had their vision restored or improved. The Cuban Foreign Ministry characterized Jamaica’s decision as unilateral and regrettable, noting that it interrupts decades of fruitful collaboration between the two nations.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz have issued formal commendations to the nation’s State Security Forces, marking the institution’s 67th founding anniversary. The leadership recognition occurred on Thursday with both officials emphasizing the organization’s critical role in national defense.

President Díaz-Canel, who also serves as First Secretary of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, expressed his admiration through social media platform X, stating: ‘I embrace our brave fighters of the State Security Organs, to whom we owe so much, for their defense of the homeland, almost always anonymous and risky.’ His message specifically acknowledged founders, leaders, officers, and personnel whose ‘heroic missions are part of the epic legend of the Cuban Revolution.’

Simultaneously, Prime Minister Marrero Cruz, representing both the Cuban government and himself as a Political Bureau member, delivered a formal letter of congratulations. The communication praised security personnel for their ‘patriotism, bravery, dedication, sacrifice, and devotion’ in fulfilling what he characterized as honorable duties. The Prime Minister particularly highlighted how contemporary security challenges are being met with courage and commitment, noting that personnel ‘defend the legacy of the Commander-in-Chief in the year of his centennial.’

The recognition extended to emphasizing the enduring influence of Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, whose teachings reportedly continue to shape the exemplary conduct of security forces. Marrero Cruz underscored that these values remain evident in both the professional and personal lives of security personnel, whom he described as ‘always standing with the people.’ The anniversary celebration reinforces the institutional importance of state security apparatus within Cuba’s revolutionary framework.

Cuba’s energy sector is navigating its most critical challenge in decades as the United States intensifies its six-decade economic embargo, creating unprecedented fuel shortages that have paralyzed power generation and forced nationwide energy rationing.

According to First Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines Argelio Jesús Abad Vigoa, the country has been unable to receive contracted fuel shipments for over three months due to what officials term an ‘energy blockade.’ This has resulted in approximately 1,400 megawatts of power generation capacity remaining idle—including 1,100 MW in distributed generation and 330 MW at Mariel and Moa facilities—primarily due to crude oil shortages.

The current energy mix relies heavily on domestic crude oil at thermoelectric plants, associated gas from oil wells, and renewable sources. This precarious combination has led to prolonged and disruptive power outages across the nation.

Despite these challenges, Cuba has achieved modest progress in domestic production. The Cuban Petroleum Union reversed its production decline in 2025, reaching its highest output in seven years. New wells have shown promising results, increasing crude oil and natural gas production capacity.

Significant investments in renewable energy include the completion of 52 solar photovoltaic parks providing over 1,000 MWp, generating up to 38% of daytime energy consumption. More than 10,000 solar systems have been installed for essential workers, with additional deployments for isolated communities and critical services.

The industrial sector is undergoing structural transformation toward financial self-sufficiency and energy autonomy. Minister of Industry Eloy Álvarez Martínez reported six approved self-financing schemes allowing business groups to retain foreign currency earnings for operational needs. The sector has strengthened its 27 foreign-capital enterprises and developed internal alliances that facilitate raw material procurement.

The water resources sector faces parallel challenges, with only 33% of the country’s 3,300 pumping stations utilizing solar or gravity-fed alternatives. National Institute of Water Resources President Antonio Rodríguez Rodríguez outlined plans to prioritize 480 critical stations serving large populations, while deploying electric vehicles and charging infrastructure to reduce fuel dependency.

Ongoing infrastructure projects include 29 kilometers of new water supply systems and 3 kilometers of sanitation infrastructure expected to benefit 189,000 residents, though implementation remains contingent on fuel availability.

In a significant diplomatic engagement at Havana’s Palace of the Revolution, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez hosted Panama’s Foreign Minister Javier Eduardo Martínez-Acha Vásquez this Wednesday, marking a pivotal moment in bilateral relations between the two Latin American nations.

The high-level meeting, attended by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, centered on strengthening economic cooperation and addressing regional political matters. President Díaz-Canel expressed profound gratitude for Panama’s consistent support of the annual United Nations resolution condemning the U.S. economic, commercial, and financial embargo against Cuba—a longstanding point of contention in international diplomacy.

During the cordial exchange, the Cuban leader emphasized the untapped potential for enhanced trade relations, acknowledging that while current economic exchanges remain modest, both nations possess substantial opportunities for expanded commercial engagement. The discussions reflected mutual interest in developing more robust economic partnerships across various sectors.

Foreign Minister Martínez-Acha, currently on an official working visit to Cuba, conveyed appreciation for the warm reception and logistical support extended by Cuban authorities. The Panamanian delegation included Ambassador Edwin Abel Pitty Madrid, presidential advisor Marcos Caisuutti, and foreign ministry advisor Adolfo Ahumada.

The bilateral talks extended beyond economic matters to address pressing regional and international issues, with both parties characterizing the development of Cuba-Panama relations as progressing positively. Notably, the Panamanian diplomat’s itinerary included meetings with detained Panamanian citizens accused of crimes against Cuba’s constitutional order—a sensitive matter highlighting the complex nature of international legal and diplomatic relations.

This diplomatic engagement represents continuing efforts by Caribbean and Latin American nations to foster regional solidarity despite external political pressures and economic challenges.

A former Costa Rican legislator and university rector has publicly denounced a unilateral decision made by the country’s outgoing executive branch, arguing the move comes at a particularly tense moment marked by growing threats of United States interference against Cuba’s people and ruling government.

In a formal statement released to the public — which he endorsed both in his public capacity and as a private Costa Rican citizen — the ex-lawmaker pointed out that the outgoing administration’s stance, announced shortly after the country’s February 1 general elections, directly contradicts longstanding core traditions of pacifism and international solidarity that define the Costa Rican national identity.

He stressed that there is no plausible justification for the executive branch’s action, which he says lays bare the current government’s subservient posture to U.S. interests. The decision, he argues, reflects the arrogance of foreign powers seeking to undermine the inherent sovereignty of the Cuban people and their government.

Former legislator Salom, the author of the statement, further contextualized the critique by recalling the long history of diplomatic ties between the two Latin American nations, which were first established back in 1907. Across that more than 11-decade relationship, Salom emphasized, the Cuban government has never taken a single action that could warrant the punitive decision communicated recently by Costa Rica’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The statement closes with a clear appeal directed both to the Cuban people and government, and to fellow Costa Rican citizens: Salom expressed his earnest hope that the nation’s incoming democratic leadership will reverse what he frames as an irrational, servile act by the current outgoing administration.

Costa Rica’s February 1 elections brought a historic result, with former government minister Laura Fernández voted in as the country’s next president. Fernández is set to be inaugurated on August 8, and will become only the second woman to hold the nation’s highest office, following former president Laura Chinchilla who served in the role earlier this century.

Against a backdrop of mounting U.S. pressure on Latin American nations to cut off medical collaboration with Cuba, Mexico’s executive leader has reaffirmed that the bilateral agreement between Mexico and Cuba delivers substantial mutual benefits, calling the arrangement particularly valuable for Mexico.

Recounting Cuba’s critical support during one of Mexico’s darkest public health crises, the head of government emphasized that Cuban medical personnel stepped up to assist Mexico at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, working under extraordinarily challenging conditions. Today, these medical professionals remain deployed across multiple regions of Mexico, and the leader confirmed that all contractual payments owed to them are honored in full.

Beyond emergency pandemic support, the executive highlighted the longstanding and cutting-edge medical advancements Cuba has developed, noting that Mexico has already procured the Cuban-developed Abdala COVID-19 vaccine. The countries have also partnered on a specialized treatment program for diabetic foot ulcers, centered on the Cuban biologic medication Heberprot-P.

According to the leader, Mexico plans to expand the network of specialized diabetic foot clinics offering this treatment, which provides a life-changing alternative to amputation for patients with advanced diabetes who have reached the stage of severe tissue damage that would typically require surgical removal of a limb.

As the United States has intensified its decades-long economic blockade against Cuba, Mexico has continued to send material aid to the island nation, a policy the Mexican leader defended as an expression of the country’s long-held commitment to Mexican Humanism. “We lend a hand to those who suffer,” the leader said, framing the aid as a moral obligation rather than a political gesture.

The executive also issued a firm rebuke of Washington’s blockade, particularly the widely criticized oil embargo that the U.S. frames as a measured policy. Mexico will always stand firm in defending two core principles, the leader emphasized: the right of the Cuban people to independently choose their own leaders, determine their system of governance and economic structure, and exercise full sovereignty over their national affairs, as well as Cuba’s inherent right to engage in international trade with all nations.