Cuba and the price of defending dignity

Paris, August 26 (Prensa Latina) One of the achievements of the Triumph of the Revolution was the dignity of the Cuban people and the end of their humiliation; hence the spirit of resistance that Fidel Castro instilled, Salim Lamrani declared today.By Antonio Rondón

The French writer and professor noted that the Italian Gianni Minà, in an interview with Fidel, asked him what quality in a human being he most appreciated, and Fidel replied that it was loyalty to principles.

When asked what he detested most, Fidel replied that it was the betrayal of principles, recalled the specialist on the dispute between Cuba and the United States, in statements to Prensa Latina.

Therefore, the resistance of the Cuban people today is based on adherence to the principles of national sovereignty, social justice, socialism, internationalism, and the basic dignity of the human being, he commented.

Cubans are willing to engage in dialogue, but not to have the conditions for good relations dictated to them, noted the doctor and researcher from the Sorbonne University.

That’s why the United States is wrong in its political projection, from an operational point of view, because the Cubans have already shown that they will not give in on matters of principle and will remain faithful to them, the specialist argued.

We must recognize the resilience of the Cuban people. No one expected that when the oil embargo was introduced last December—it was imposed at the end of January, but no tanker had arrived since December—Cuba would hold out for more than two months, he commented.

But Cuba has already been resisting a medieval measure for almost nine months, an energy blockade that has a dramatic impact on all aspects of society, Lamrani said.

“This is because Cuba knows what it would mean to give up, because giving up would mean returning to the era of humiliation,” he said.

“It would be a return to the era when the President of the United States sends a special envoy to Cuba, without notifying the President of the Republic, to publicly humiliate you,” the researcher emphasized.

It is often said that after life, the most important thing is dignity, “although sometimes dignity is more important than life because living without that condition is living on your knees, something that makes no sense and Cuba has demonstrated that,” the specialist stated.

That has also been one of the achievements of the Cuban Revolution. That is why Fidel Castro obtained unanimous support. He managed to express the people’s deep yearning for dignity, he said.

The first conquest of the 1959 Revolution is the conquest of dignity, to definitively end the era of humiliation. That is why the Cuban people resist, because defending dignity is part of the Cuban people’s identity, Lamrani affirmed.

Few countries in the world had to fight for independence under such adverse conditions, and it was a 30-year struggle for that independence, the longest war in the Latin American region, the expert noted.

After an American intervention, which led to 60 years of a pseudo-republic, and despite that, despite the geographical fatalism and despite the fact that the United States dominated the Cuban economy and controlled the political situation, Cuba managed to achieve its independence, he pointed out.

This indicates that the core of resistance existing in the Cuban people is very strong, and that is why they have not managed to create a division in the revolutionary unity, an ever-present objective of the US government to end the Revolution, he explained.

They have not achieved that goal, and there is that legacy of what Fidel taught about not giving in, even in the most adverse circumstances, he stressed.

mem/to

Posted in The Blockade? | Leave a comment

Cuba: Immunology Center develops cancer drug despite US blockade

Scientists at Cuba’s Center for Molecular Immunology (CIM) have created 2C12, a cancer drug similar to pembrolizumab, which is now ready for clinical trials. Photo: CIM social media.

Havana is developing accessible therapeutic options for the population, given the high prices of cancer treatments globally and the economic war waged by the White House.

August 25, 2026 — teleSUR

The Center for Molecular Immunology (CIM) in Cuba is conducting studies for a new cancer treatment, given the impossibility of accessing the usual therapy with pembrolizumab, due to the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States .

In a social media post, the CIM stated that pembrolizumab treatment is highly effective in helping the body’s natural defenses recognize and fight cancer cells more effectively, but its high cost and the embargo against Cuba make it inaccessible. This led them to develop 2C12 , a similar drug that is now ready for patient trials .

In this first stage, the clinical study will be conducted in several hospitals in Havana with people who have advanced melanoma , that is, cases of skin cancer that cannot be treated by surgery or that have spread to other parts of the body, the CIM reported.

According to information published in the local newspaper Granma , the Cuban therapeutic candidate has similar characteristics to pembrolizumab , a drug used internationally in certain cancer treatments by stimulating the immune response against tumor cells. The efficacy and safety of 2C12 will be determined through clinical trials .

Recently, Cuba’s Deputy Minister of Public Health, Dr. Carilda Peña García, stated that the intensified Washington embargo has affected healthcare protocols in the country. Fuel shortages and financial obstacles to acquiring supplies are also hindering the production of medicines and vaccines for the prevention of communicable diseases.

Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health has repeatedly denounced that US sanctions affect the care of cancer patients by preventing access to drugs for cancer treatment and also to supplies for their local production.

READ ALSO:

“Attack on the right to health”: Cuba condemns US sanctions against its medical services

On January 29, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order authorizing punitive tariffs on imports from countries that supply oil to Cuba, after declaring a state of emergency due to the alleged Cuban threat to US national security.

The Cuban government claims that Washington is using the energy blockade to stifle its economy, make living conditions unbearable for its population , and provoke destabilization and a change of political regime.

Author: teleSUR – abl – JDO

Posted in Healthcare, The Blockade? | Leave a comment

The dignity, independence, and sovereignty of Cuba have also been defended by its women

Photo: Courtesy of the FMC Photo: Ronald Suárez Rivas

This was affirmed in Pinar del Río by the General Secretary of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), Teresa Amarelle Boué, on the occasion of the organization’s 66th anniversary

August 24, 2026  — Granma

Pinar del Río – The dignity, independence, and sovereignty of Cuba have also been defended and built by its women.
These 66 years signify that Cuban women have ceased to be spectators and have become protagonists of their own history.
This was affirmed in this province by the member of the Political Bureau and General Secretary of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), Teresa Amarelle Boué, during the main event commemorating this new anniversary of the organization, on August 23rd.
Amarelle Boué also recalled that the triumph of the Revolution and the emergence of the FMC (Federation of Cuban Women) meant that millions of women had the opportunity to study, work, improve themselves, research, produce, and lead in all areas of the economic, political, social, and cultural life of our country.
Currently, “we are the majority in sectors such as education, health, science, and the judicial system, among others,” she said, adding that “there is an increasingly greater female presence in the non-state sector, in agricultural production cooperatives, and in access to leadership positions.”
As an example, she stated that Cuba has the second-highest percentage of women in its Parliament in the world.
The General Secretary of the FMC also addressed the main challenges facing the organization, in a context marked by the intensification of the U.S. blockade, which severely impacts the lives of the Cuban people.
“We must pay special attention to vulnerable individuals and families and contribute, together with the relevant institutions, to finding solutions; we must focus particularly on our young women who are not in school or work; it is essential to continue working for gender equality and the prevention of violence,” she emphasized.
During the event, held at the Hermanos Cruz People’s Council, awards were presented to the provinces of Artemisa, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, and Villa Clara, all recognized for their outstanding work within the FMC, and to Pinar del Río, which received the National Vanguard designation.

Photo: Ronald Suárez Rivas
Photo: Ronald Suárez Rivas

Posted in Cultural, The Blockade? | Leave a comment

Solar-Powered Tricycles Keep Havana Streets Clean

August 22, 2026 — Belly of the Beast

Garbage has piled up on Havana’s street corners for months, a byproduct of the fuel shortages that have ground the Cuban government’s waste collection to a halt since the Trump administration imposed its oil blockade on the island.

In Vedado, one local business has stepped up to provide a solution — solar-powered tricycles.

El Rampeño uses electric tricycles and trucks to collect trash door-to-door. Customers pay 100 pesos a month, or roughly 14 cents. Vulnerable households receive the service for free.

“Due to the situation with the United States, especially the fuel issue, the government doesn’t have enough fuel to collect the garbage,” said Yasiel Hernández, El Rampeño’s president.

The neighbors have noticed the difference.

“This corner was full of trash,” one resident said. “Now it’s not anymore.”

Watch the video HERE.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

“I am a product of Cuba’s solidarity,” says Colombian doctor

Bogotá, Aug 17 (Prensa Latina) While attending to dozens of patients in Cali, one of the cities hardest hit by a deadly earthquake, Colombian doctor Diana Hernández recounts how the importance that Cuba gives to life was engraved in her heart.

A graduate of the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) in 2012, this woman, born in Cali but a resident of Popayán by choice, passionately defends all the learning she received on the island as part of her training to become a health professional.

She kindly agreed to sacrifice some of her precious free time to answer my questions. She did so in the early morning hours when she had a few free minutes amidst the hustle and bustle that Cali is experiencing these days due to the earthquake that has already left a tragic toll of more than 130 dead in that city alone.

Although the chances of finding life are reduced, he tells me that hope has not yet been lost of rescuing those who may still be trapped.

“The solidarity has been endless, and in the first few days many who were near the sites where the buildings collapsed were willing to help, and it was also key to getting some people out at the beginning,” he says.

It also refers to the need for staff support to help sustain and build the city at a time when hundreds of damaged health centers are being reported.

“The hospital network was affected, the University Hospital was greatly affected, there are health centers on the hillsides, in certain parts of the city, that cannot operate where they were in the physical structure and have had to move to other places,” he says.

One question arises: how much of what was learned on the island applies to this context?

“Studying in Cuba undoubtedly gave me many possibilities and many dimensions; it taught me to build a solid scientific education, but above all a human one. It was a people who welcomed me with love, who accompanied me during those years, who taught me, but also who inspired me,” she recounts, moved.

“I experienced hurricanes when I was a student, seeing how the entire country mobilized and, above all, the importance of protecting life, that is something that stayed with me,” she confesses.

Hernández clarifies that she is not the only ELAM graduate who went to Cali to help the victims, and as proof, she sends me a photo where she is accompanied by two other doctors. She also emphasizes that there are several others in other regions of the country.

Since yesterday, news has been circulating that the Los Mambí-10 de Agosto Humanitarian Brigade, comprised of professionals trained on the island, has departed for Chocó, one of the poorest departments, while others are providing their services in Buenaventura and Pereira. The doctor is in Cali with a group of specialists who, she tells me, wanted to join in order to “amplify hope” and “provide the best possible support.”

Even though there are many things to tell, the memory of the island keeps creeping in.

“Wherever we arrive, they immediately know that we are Colombians who graduated in Cuba and—I know this happens to many people in many places—then they say: the Cuban doctors have arrived. That also reminds us of what Fidel [Castro] told us: that we were Cubans born abroad,” he acknowledges, his voice breaking.

Diana had no qualms about sharing with me personal decisions and experiences that also stemmed from the altruism she learned on the island.

She tells me how, once she graduated, she refused to do her social service in a town near the capital, which cost her a sanction, and instead went to the Colombian Massif, a large mountain system in the Andes where the Magdalena River originates.

He explains that everyone who studied in Cuba created an unbreakable network.

“Being part of ELAM connects us at heart (…) we all know that if we need something for ourselves or for the patients, we are there, and I think that is very valuable,” she says.

I asked him his opinion on a possible break in relations between his country and the island, and his response was emphatic.

“Behind the relations between states are families, communities, and decades of cooperation and solidarity. I am a testament to that solidarity. The doctors who are here—and not only doctors, because Cuba has trained many Colombians in different fields—that is something Colombia should not forget,” he emphasized.

Finally, he summarized in one sentence what he believes the largest island in the Caribbean represents for the world.

“Cuba is a heritage of the people,” asserted Colombian doctor Diana Hernández with conviction.

ode/ifs

Posted in Healthcare, The Blockade? | Leave a comment

Russia delivered humanitarian aid to Cuba

Moscow, August 17 (Prensa Latina) During a visit to Havana, a delegation from the Russian Civic Chamber donated humanitarian aid to Cuba to support the country’s population, the Russkiy Mir.ru channel reported today.

According to the report, which cited the Russian Civic Chamber as its source, the delegation from the Slavic nation donated food, sweets, portable flashlights, USB drives, and first aid kits to the Cuban population suffering from an energy crisis due to Washington’s actions.

The donation ceremony took place during a meeting with the board of directors of the Cuban Institute of Friendship between Peoples (ICAP), within the framework of the commemorative events for the centenary of Fidel Castro.

Nikita Anisimov, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber and the Rossotrudnichestvo Public Council, emphasized that Russia stands in solidarity with Cuba and will continue to support it in all international forums in which its NGOs participate.

The first vice president of the Cuban Institute of Friendship between Peoples, Noemí Rabasa, expressed her gratitude to Russia for its help at a time when Cubans lack basic products such as medicine, fuel and food.

During the trip, Russian representatives participated in the Solidarity Forum organized by the Cuban Institute of Friendship Among Peoples. As part of the cultural program, Russian violinist Pyotr Lundstrem, a guest of the Havana International Book Fair, gave a concert for the Cuban public.

idm/gfa

Posted in Exchanges, The Blockade? | Leave a comment

A song of solidarity and love for Cuba from Moreno, Argentina

Moreno, Argentina, Aug 16 (Prensa Latina) The Leopoldo Marechal Municipal Theater was dressed up with renowned artists from this Buenos Aires municipality who enriched the concert “Urgent Song of Moreno for Cuba”, which honored Fidel Castro on the centenary of his birth.

The event, led by the mayor of this region of the Province of Buenos Aires, Mariel Fernández, and the Chargé d’Affaires of Cuba, Leonardo Baster, is part of the “We are with Cuba” campaign launched by the Argentine Solidarity Movement to raise funds to acquire solar energy equipment and send it to the island.

Organized by the Moreno Association of Argentine-Cuban Friendship (Amaac), it was also conceived to pay tribute to the historical champion of the Cuban revolution on the Centenary of his Birth.

The leader of Amaac, Enrique Elías, a visual artist and art professor, stated that this act of support was in reciprocity for the solidarity that Cuba has given to the world and to Argentina where tens of thousands of people regained their sight thanks to Operation Miracle and were taught to read and write with the Yo sí puedo program.

Enrique Elías, a visual artist and art teacher, leader of the Moreno Association of Argentine-Cuban Friendship, stated that this act of support was in reciprocity for the solidarity that Cuba has given to the world and to Argentina, where tens of thousands of people regained their sight thanks to Operation Miracle and were taught to read and write with the “Yes, I Can” program.

“Fighting for Cuba is fighting for humanity, for solidarity values, for a better world, and for Fidel’s vision of sending doctors to any corner of the world to heal and save lives instead of dropping bombs,” Elías pointed out when introducing the cultural event, which had the support of the municipal government.

Addressing the audience, Mayor Fernández recalled her experience as a young activist supporting the “Yes I Can” movement in her town and how many residents of Moreno regained their sight thanks to “Operation Miracle” in Cuba and at the hospital in Córdoba.

“That is why the Argentine and Cuban peoples are always linked in some way,” he stated.

“When Silvio Rodríguez came to Moreno, when I met with Ambassador Pedro Pablo Prada, with the Cuban literacy teacher who came to train us, when we were just simple neighborhood activists and were able to promote that beautiful program, we always felt that we were sister nations,” the young mayor asserted.

“We are in the same fight, in the same struggles. Here in Argentina, we will not give up either when they want to hand over portions of our territory to other states,” Fernández emphasized, alluding to the resistance of the Cuban people against the ironclad multidimensional blockade of which they are victims.

After thanking the people and the Morón municipality for their expressions of friendship, Leonardo Baster pointed out that “perhaps we don’t realize it, but we all lived through Fidel’s Century and therefore his legacy is a banner that we cannot let fall.”

“In extremely complicated times for Cuba, where the pressure and suffocation imposed by the United States Administration has reached unimaginable limits, the Cuban people continue to resist without losing their joy, optimism and certainty of victory,” emphasized the current head of Mission.

Singer-songwriter Pablo Merletti opened the concert with his own songs and those of Silvio Rodríguez, followed by Gallo Obrero and Los Fundadores with their rock-infused musical parodies about current Argentine politics.

Aromitos Musicales contributed tunes from Argentina’s rich folklore, including melodious zambas, the rhythmic beat of the traditional chamamé, and the lively chacarera. They invited Gallo Obrero and his Founders to perform a duet of “Hasta siempre Comandante” by Carlos Puebla.

Cintia Medina, accompanied by her children on stage, read Moreno’s Declaration of Solidarity with Cuba, in which they condemn “the criminal blockade exercised by the United States government with total impunity and shamelessness.”

“The Cuban revolution is an example of dignity and sovereignty for the peoples of the world, an emblem that we will not forget or abandon,” the solidarity document states.

The gala for Cuba in Moreno was closed by the popular rock band El Rastrillo, where all the performers joined together for one last song.

ode/mh

Posted in Cultural, The Blockade? | Leave a comment

Russia will support Cuba despite external pressure, deputy foreign minister assured

Moscow, August 13 (Prensa Latina) Russia will continue to strengthen its partnership with Cuba and support it despite attempts to obstruct bilateral cooperation through intimidation and political blackmail, the Slavic country’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergey Ryabkov, declared today.

“Despite all the difficulties created by our detractors, despite attempts to slow down our cooperation through intimidation and political blackmail, we have not given up and we will not give up. We plan to continue progressively strengthening the comprehensive bilateral strategic partnership,” Riabkov said at the end of the commemorative event marking the centenary of the birth of the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro.

“Russia has always been and will always be on Cuba’s side, and we are ready to lend a hand to our Cuban brothers,” the high-ranking diplomat said, speaking to the press at the statue erected in Moscow’s Sokol region in memory of the illustrious revolutionary.

Regarding the US sanctions against the island, the high-ranking diplomat stated that they are “a sign of weakness” that will not break the will of the Cuban people. Moscow, he emphasized, rejects this policy and expresses its unwavering solidarity with Cuba.

Riabkov also praised “the firmness and courage of the Cuban authorities in defending sovereignty and conducting an independent foreign policy.”

In his opinion, Russia and Cuba have shown together “once again that no sanction is capable of preventing the natural dialogue between peoples and cultures, nor the attraction between people who are spiritually alike.”

mem/gfa

Posted in The Blockade? | Leave a comment

Support for Cuba in the US during the Veterans for Peace convention

Washington, August 12 (Prensa Latina) Veterans for Peace, a national organization with 150 chapters in the United States, expressed its support for Cuba during its national convention, held in Kansas City, Missouri.

According to a press release, the meeting included several panels, one of which focused on Latin America. Gerry Condon, former president of Veterans for Peace and current board member, participated in this panel and spoke about the numerous solidarity delegations organized to visit Nicaragua. Daniel Kovalik, author of *The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela*, analyzed the history of U.S. sanctions, regime change attempts, and coups d’état orchestrated by the U.S. government against the late Bolivarian leader Hugo Chávez, as well as the recent kidnapping of its constitutional president, Nicolás Maduro, on January 3.

For his part, Mark Friedman, an activist with the Hands Off Cuba committee, referred to the increased hostility of the Donald Trump administration toward Cuba and the threats of military aggression against the island.

Friedman called for active solidarity, including Global Health Partners’ campaign to provide medicines for the besieged Caribbean nation, and also condemned Washington’s attempts to criminalize those involved in the noble work of solidarity.

In a statement, Veterans For Peace condemned the recent report by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which he accuses Cuba of interfering in the internal affairs of the United States.

The United States has waged an economic war against Cuba for more than six decades with a blockade that prevents normal relations with the North American nation and other countries of the world, hinders the development of the island and denies its economic development, as well as access to medicines and other essential products, the text stressed.

The statement also rejected “the Trump administration’s sudden return to ‘anti-communism’ as a means to undermine the credibility of its political opponents (…) If this is an attempt to intimidate those who are organizing for a just and peaceful world, it will not work,” it concluded.

Veterans For Peace reiterated at the event its “solidarity with Cuba and with all those who fight for human rights and democracy in the United States.”

One of the highlights of the convention was the participation of a large Vietnamese delegation, headed by Dr. Nguyen Hong Son, president of the Vietnam Association for Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims, the press release added.

Dr. Son later explained in an interview that Cuba and Vietnam share a long history of solidarity. “We are very proud of that history. Cuba has always stood by Vietnam in its time of need. We are ready to support Cuba,” he added, noting that his country votes every year at the UN against the US embargo on the Caribbean nation.

The meeting, which also expressed support for the struggle of the Palestinian people and against Trump’s aggressive immigration policies, was attended by around 200 people, mainly combat veterans and nursing staff from the Vietnam War.

The activist group continues to fight for adequate funding for Veterans Administration hospitals and medical coverage to treat the effects of Agent Orange on thousands of American soldiers.

At the same time, they are campaigning for the United States government to fund medical treatment for the two million Vietnamese who still suffer the consequences of that highly toxic chemical herbicide and defoliant—associated with serious effects on human health and the environment—used by the Pentagon during the Vietnam War.

mem/dfm

Posted in The Blockade? | Leave a comment

Documentary premiere features the hearts of Cubans and Vietnamese

Hanoi, August 11 (Prensa Latina) More than one of the attendees at a theater of the Military Radio and Television Center in Hanoi held back tears today during the premiere of an episode dedicated to the revolutionaries Fidel Castro and Ho Chi Minh.

By Roberto Hernández

Chapter six of the documentary series Two Hearts, One Heartbeat, entitled Fidel Castro-Ho Chi Minh: A Revolutionary Vision, moved Cubans and Vietnamese, summarized the feelings of many present at the exhibition, the ambassador of the Island here, Rogelio Polanco.

In just over an hour, the filmmakers attempted to answer – and succeeded – what made possible the deep affinity between two great men and two peoples separated by half the world?

Through dialogue with eyewitnesses to some of these events, with intellectuals and with political leaders from both countries, the life story, the leadership of the struggle and the social transformations led by the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, and the Vietnamese president, Ho Chi Minh, were reconstructed.

“The answer is clear: both leaders shared the same revolutionary vision,” said First Colonel Nguyen Van Hoan, deputy director of the Military Radio and Television Center, minutes before the screening of the newly edited film, which will be broadcast tomorrow on Vietnamese television.

Presenting this chapter on the occasion of the centenary of Fidel Castro’s birth is not only a tribute but also a concrete action to spread his thinking and that of Ho Chi Minh in each country, so that the legacy of both continues to be projected, especially among the younger generations, he added.

We wish to convey that the greatest legacy of both leaders lies not only in their revolutionary achievements, but also in a way of thinking whose relevance transcends time, Van Hoan said to the Cuban ambassador, Colonel General Le Quang Minh, deputy head of the General Department of Politics of the People’s Army of Vietnam, and other participants.

For his part, the Antillean diplomat stated that the audiovisual work was created by the intellect, inspiration and convictions of a distinguished group of Vietnamese filmmakers, who took on “telling the glorious epic that unites Cuba and Vietnam not only with authentic artistic and historical rigor, but as a passionate mandate of the heart.”

Just hours before commemorating the centenary of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, this tribute deeply moves us because it takes place in Vietnam, the heroic nation that the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution so admired and whose struggle for national liberation, reunification, and nation-building he embraced with particular revolutionary passion. The documentary series Two Hearts, One Heartbeat demonstrates that history can be told with adherence to the truth, a high level of professionalism, and profound sensitivity, Polanco emphasized.

His emancipatory ideas and his colossal human work of universal transcendence, he pointed out, will continue to live on as long as there are human beings who fight for justice anywhere in the world and rebel against oppression as in the dignified history of the peoples of Cuba and Vietnam.

mem/ro

Posted in Cultural, Exchanges | Leave a comment