February 12, 2026 — Belly of the Beast

Rumors and reports have circulated in the international press and on social media that Alejandro Castro, the son of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, has been representing Cuba in negotiations with the United States in Mexico.

But these reports and Trump’s claims appear to be “fake news”: There have been no high-level negotiations between Cuba and the United States, according to a Drop Site News article published on Monday based on interviews with five anonymous Cuban and U.S. officials.
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Trump is “saying that because that’s what Marco is telling him,” a senior Trump administration official told Drop Site.

The official added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s strategy is to pretend negotiations are dragging on so they can later be dismissed as pointless — with Havana taking the blame. Once diplomacy is portrayed as exhausted, regime change would appear as the only remaining option.

If Trump were to reach an agreement with Cuba, Rubio would face a choice: abandon the cause that has defined him and his hardline Cuban-American supporters or step down as secretary of state.

Drop Site’s reporting has been corroborated by The New York Times. An article published on Sunday reports that there have been no substantive negotiations between Cuba and the Trump administration. An anonymous senior State Department official told The Times that there have been no talks about changes to the island’s political or economic system. Communication between the two governments, the source said, is mostly about technical issues, such as repatriation flights.

Last week, Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío said the two countries have had “some exchanges of messages” that were “linked” to the highest levels of government in Cuba, but have not established a “bilateral dialogue.”

In televised remarks last Thursday, President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Cuba remains open to dialogue with the United States, but the country’s sovereignty isn’t on the table.

“Viva’s planes are fueled for the round trip, so we reiterate that operations continue as normal,” the company said in a statement.

February 9, 2026 — teleSUR

Despite the lack of aviation fuel at Cuban airports, Mexican airlines operating flights to the island are maintaining their schedules as normal , confirmed Eugenio Martínez Enríquez, Cuba’s ambassador to Mexico, on Monday.

” Flights to Cuba from Mexico are not suspended. We have confirmed that all airlines with connections to Cuba are maintaining their schedules ,” the diplomat stated in a message posted on social media.

READ ALSO:

Díaz-Canel thanks Mexico for sending more than 800 tons of humanitarian aid to Cuba

This situation arises after the Cuban government informed international airlines on Sunday , via a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), that the country would run out of aviation fuel starting February 10 due to the United States’ “oil blockade.” The notice affects all nine of Cuba’s international airports and is initially valid for one month, until March 11.

Embajada de Cuba en México

@ Hemos confirmado que todas las líneas aéreas que tienen conexión con #Cuba mantienen sus frecuencias.

ATTENTION

Flights to Cuba are not suspended from Mexico. We have confirmed that all airlines that have a connection with #Cuba maintain their frequencies.

Given this situation, airlines have adopted contingency measures . Viva Aerobus announced that its planes will depart from Mexico with enough fuel to complete round trips . ” Viva’s planes are fueled for the round trip, so we reiterate that operations continue as normal ,” the company stated in a press release.

Their strategy contrasts with that of other international companies, where Air Canada announced the immediate suspension of its services to the island, while the Spanish airlines Air Europa and Iberia will implement technical stops in the Dominican Republic to refuel on their flights from Havana to Madrid .

The fuel crisis is a direct consequence of the tightening of the US embargo , which first halted oil shipments from Venezuela on January 3 and then threatened to impose tariffs on any country that supplies crude to Cuba, a measure announced on January 29. Mexico, which was one of the island’s main crude oil suppliers, opted to suspend those shipments and will instead send 814 tons of humanitarian aid .

Two Mexican military ships carrying food and hygiene products are scheduled to dock in Cuba mid-week. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has prioritized her country’s support in this area while she continues talks with Washington to resume oil shipments to the island.

Author: teleSUR – eql – SH

Source: Agencies

Washington, Feb 10 (Prensa Latina) Important figures in the United States signed an open letter demanding that President Donald Trump cease his aggression against Cuba, warning that trying to subdue a people today through starvation is a form of terrorism.

Actors Mark Ruffalo, Kal Penn and Susan Sarandon, writer Alice Walker and 22 members of the New York City Council are among the group of artists, elected officials, public figures and organizations that signed the petition.

“Massive famine and human suffering in Cuba are the target of Trump’s latest ’emergency’ Executive Order, which prevents Cuba, an island nation, from importing oil or any energy source necessary for its survival,” the letter, titled “A Call to Conscience,” stated.

According to the text, published on The People’s Forum’s X account, “this is a cynical and crude ploy to distract public opinion from internal problems that are causing massive public dissent and, as we have seen with Venezuela, a precursor to an illegal military attack.”

The statement said: “We, along with millions of people in the United States and around the world, reject this inhumane act against the Cuban people.”

“This is not a national security policy; it is a deliberate act of economic warfare intended to strangle an entire population,” he stressed.

He recalled the Call that at the time President Barack Obama (2009-2017) initiated an important effort to normalize relations between the United States and Cuba.

“Both countries reopened their embassies after 50 years of closure. In the United States, Cuba, and throughout the Western Hemisphere, people welcomed this as a finale to the anachronistic Cold War policies that had dominated the relationship,” he added.

But Trump, he said, has reversed the course set by the Obama administration. His Executive Order of January 29 designates Cuba as an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the United States.

This is obviously false, but it provides a pretext for imposing severe economic sanctions on any country that attempts to supply oil or trade with Cuba, the Appeal to Conscience stressed.

The message warned that “the consequences of the new Executive Order will be measured in human suffering: families will be left without electricity, refrigeration or cooking; hospitals will face impossible decisions, with the risk of closing wards and suspending critical treatments.”

Furthermore, “the distribution of food and medicine will be paralyzed, while the most vulnerable —children, the elderly and the sick— will suffer the consequences of this cruelty.”

This policy is unacceptable. Cuba poses no threat to the United States. Subjugating a population through starvation is not diplomacy; it is a form of terrorism, he stated.

We call upon all people of conscience to reject this cruelty and demand an immediate end to the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by successive US governments against the island, the publication added.

He argued that, for more than 30 years, the UN General Assembly has voted annually, by an overwhelming majority, to condemn the unilateral blockade against Cuba.

Therefore, the Appeal urged Trump to conduct “his foreign policy respecting the wishes of the American people and in accordance with international law.” We, the American people, want normal relations with Cuba, to treat it with equality and respect, and, most importantly, to see Cuba and the Cuban people as our neighbors and not as our enemies, the Appeal emphasized, concluding with “Let Cuba live! Cuba is not a threat!”

npg/dfm

Mexico City, Feb 8 (Prensa Latina) The Mexican government announced today that it sent more than 814 tons of humanitarian aid to Cuba, in a context marked by the intensification of the economic blockade imposed by the United States on the Caribbean nation.

• February 8, 2026 | 5:11 PM

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs specified that, in compliance with the instruction of President Claudia Sheinbaum, the logistics support ships Papaloapan and Isla Holbox, of the Mexican Navy, set sail this Sunday from the port of Veracruz.

The supplies from the Central Naval Region were concentrated at the dock of the National Port System Administration of Veracruz, from where the shipment was made.

According to reports, the Papaloapan transports essential food items, including liquid milk, meat products, cookies, beans, rice, tuna in water, sardines and vegetable oil, as well as personal hygiene items, with a cargo of around 536 tons of these goods.

Meanwhile, on Isla Holbox, just over 277 tons of powdered milk were loaded for the same purpose.

The first vessel departed at 8:00 a.m. local time, and the second at noon, the Foreign Ministry detailed, adding that they are expected to arrive at their destination in four days and noting that there are still more than 1,500 tons of powdered milk and beans pending shipment.

The statement emphasized that, with these actions, the Government reaffirms the humanist principles and solidarity that guide it, and its commitment to international cooperation between peoples, especially with those who, in situations of emergency and vulnerability, require humanitarian aid.

“Cuba and Mexico are sister nations, heirs to a long history of solidarity that we honor today,” she stressed.

In noting that the people of Mexico keep alive their tradition of solidarity with those of Latin America and in particular with those of Cuba, the Foreign Ministry also recalled the aid sent in recent months to other countries that have requested it.

In that regard, he mentioned the support provided in response to the fires in California, USA, and in Chile, the floods in Texas, and the tragedies caused by natural disasters in various nations of the continent.

Sheinbaum stated last Friday that Mexico would send humanitarian aid to Cuba no later than tomorrow, while diplomatic efforts continued to supply oil, following Washington’s threat to impose tariffs on countries that send crude oil to the largest of the Antilles.

Various voices in Mexico, from parliamentarians to social organizations and political parties such as the ruling Morena and the Labor Party, have spoken out in support of the Caribbean nation in the face of the United States’ energy siege, described as unfair, cruel and anachronistic.

rgh/las

The UNDP Executive Board reaffirms its support for the sovereign development of the island, rejecting Washington’s unilateral vote against the Cuban people.

February 7, 2026 — teleSUR

The Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) approved the Country Programme for Cuba 2026-2030 this past Thursday, February 5, with the support of the vast majority of its members , a fact that was highlighted this Saturday by the Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.

The resolution represents a diplomatic victory over the sole dissenting vote of the United States, whose delegation attempted to obstruct international cooperation. This new legal framework will guide development and social protection projects on the island for the next five years.

The Cuban ambassador to the UN, Ernesto Soberón , denounced Washington’s recent measures as specifically aimed at sabotaging Cuba’s fuel supply. The diplomat emphasized that, despite six decades of blockade, Cuba maintains a social model based on free and universal access. The UNDP reaffirmed its role as a strategic partner in preserving these achievements in the face of external aggression.

The new cooperation strategy prioritizes a just energy transition and digital transformation with a focus on equity for the population. It also focuses on disaster risk management and the modernization of public administration at the local level. This shift in approach seeks to strengthen Cuba’s economic resilience in the face of current financial pressures.

The strategic plan addresses key issues such as food security, the circular economy, and direct support for vulnerable groups. It aims to move from traditional models toward more sustainable and efficient production systems in strategic sectors. This evolution responds to the current challenges posed by the climate crisis and the intensification of unilateral sanctions against Havana.

Cuba reiterated its call to the White House to end a policy it described as illegal and inhumane. 
The overwhelming approval of the document at the United Nations demonstrates that the international community rejects the use of the economy as a political weapon. The member countries of the Board affirmed that sustainable development is an inalienable right that should not be subject to hegemonic powers.

This institutional support guarantees that the United Nations system will maintain its active presence in Cuba. Global solidarity prevailed over Washington’s isolationism, ensuring resources for health, education, and citizen well-being. With this agreement, Cuba reaffirms its path toward sovereignty, accompanied by partners who respect its self-determination.

Author: teleSUR – alr – JML

Source: Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla – Cuban Diplomatic Missions Abroad – UNDP

Havana, Feb 6 (Prensa Latina) More than 120 youth organizations and movements from 61 countries launched the international movement “All Voices for Cuba,” a permanent campaign of solidarity and denunciation against the United States blockade, it was revealed today.

• February 6, 2026 | 10:07

The launch took place during an International Youth Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, headed by the First Secretary of the National Committee of the Union of Young Communists (UJC), Meyvis Estévez.

The initiative seeks to coordinate and spread actions globally to “break the media blockade” that attempts to silence the effects of economic strangulation on Cuban families, reported the newspaper Juventud Rebelde.

The movement brings together a wide spectrum of youth forces from all continents: 55 organizations from 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean; 12 from eight African nations; seven from the Middle East; 11 from Asia and Oceania; 35 from Europe and Canada; and even three organizations based in the United States itself.

Among the participating entities are the World Federation of Democratic Youth and the International Youth Organization for Ibero-America.

The participants analyzed and unanimously condemned the recent executive order by the Donald Trump administration, dated January 29, 2026, which declares Cuba an “unusual and extraordinary threat” and imposes a total blockade on fuel supplies.

It was emphasized that in a country that allocates more than 70 percent of its Gross Domestic Product to free social services, the lack of fuel directly threatens the life and well-being of the population, demonstrating the illegal and immoral nature of the measure.

The young people also condemned the US aggression against Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The “All Voices for Cuba” action plan includes the viral spread of content that shows the reality of the island, the systematic denunciation of each new aggressive measure, and public mobilization. ro/mks

• #cuba #ujc

February 5, 2026 — Belly of the Beast

Once Trump halted all Venezuelan oil shipments to the island, he warned Cuba that it better make a deal with the U.S. “before it is too late.”

Since signing the executive order, he said over the weekend, “We’re starting to talk to Cuba.”

Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio told Reuters Monday that Cuba is “ready to have a serious, meaningful and responsible dialogue.”

“We have had exchange of messages, we have embassies, we have had communications, but we cannot say we have had a table of dialogue,” added de Cossio.

Trump has also said that Mexico, one of Cuba’s last oil lifelines, won’t be sending fuel to the island anymore.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Sunday said, “humanitarian aid to Cuba” will continue “in the form of food and other products while we diplomatically resolve everything related to the shipment of oil for humanitarian reasons.”

Last week, Sheinbaum denounced Trump’s executive order, warning that imposing additional tariffs on countries that send oil to Cuba could trigger a large-scale “humanitarian crisis” on the island.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum is warning that Donald Trump’s threat to impose additional tariffs on countries that send oil to Cuba could trigger a large-scale humanitarian crisis, directly affecting hospitals, food supplies and basic services for the Cuban people. While reaffirming Mexico’s commitment to international law, she called on Washington to avoid actions that could worsen Cuba’s economic crisis.

Sheinbaum also announced that Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs Juan Ramón de la Fuente has been instructed to contact the U.S. State Department to clarify the scope of the executive order published yesterday and to convey Mexico’s concern about its humanitarian consequences.

Mexico, she said, will continue exploring ways to provide humanitarian assistance to Cuba, consistent with its long-standing tradition of solidarity.

Havana, Feb 5 (Prensa Latina) Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel affirmed today that his country remains open to dialogue with the United States, based on respect for its sovereignty, independence and self-determination.

• February 5, 2026 | 10:36

He noted that his government is willing to discuss any topic, without pressure or preconditions, to build a civilized relationship between neighbors, which would bring benefits to the people of both nations.

Cubans do not hate the American people; we recognize the values ​​of their history and culture, added the Cuban head of state at a press conference broadcast today on national television.

When we have had the opportunity to create spaces for encounter between our peoples in different sectors—scientific, sporting, religious, cultural, health, and even political dialogue—we have found that there are many things we can work on together, without prejudice, that can contribute a great deal, he noted.

“How many things are we depriving both our peoples of because of this decadent, arrogant and criminal policy of blockade, which is getting worse,” he reflected.

That is our position, it is also a position of continuity and I believe it is possible, the president concluded.

ro/evm