The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has allowed a Cuban-American man who claims to own shares of Havana’s José Martí International Airport to sue American Airlines.
The lawsuit stems from Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, which allows U.S. claimants whose property was nationalized during the Cuban revolution to sue companies that do business involving those properties. The law was passed in 1996, but Title III was consistently suspended by U.S. presidents until Trump activated it in 2019.
Dozens of suits have been filed since. While experts agree that Title III was mainly designed to dissuade European companies from investing in Cuba in the 1990s, former President Obama’s detente with the island and the cascade of U.S. investments that followed made U.S. companies like American Airlines liable.
At the same time, Title III’s activation has soured third-country investors on Cuba, dealing another blow to a country already battered by a raft of U.S. sanctions.
The 11th Circuit’s decision overrules a Florida federal judge who had dismissed the lawsuit.
For more about Title III and the campaign that convinced Trump to activate it, read our article Billboards and Backchannels and watch our video.
Havana, Aug. 26 (Prensa Latina) The 16 new members of the Cuban Educational Brigade in Jamaica began the orientation process yesterday, prior to their incorporation into the 2025-2026 academic year, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated today.
The teachers will join public schools in various regions of Jamaica, joining the contingent present on the English-speaking island for 28 years.
According to the Foreign Ministry’s statement, the professionals met with the Cuban ambassador to Jamaica, Fermín Quiñones, and officials from that nation’s Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information.
The directors, the text adds, “recognized the work carried out by Cuban collaborators in schools at different educational levels throughout Jamaica, as well as their impact on students.”
For his part, in his speech, Quiñones “highlighted the imprint of the ideals of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz (historic leader of the Cuban Revolution) on the cooperation that Cuba offers to other peoples around the world*.
He highlighted the scholarship program and the construction of educational centers for Jamaican youth, as well as “the launch of the Bilateral Education Program in 1997 under Fidel’s undisputed leadership, as examples of brotherhood between the two nations.”
He reaffirmed the “commitment of the Cuban people and government to maintain and continue expanding cooperation, despite the complex situation facing Cuba.”
He also condemned the “cruel and criminal blockade (by the United States government) and the island’s continued inclusion on the illegal list of countries that supposedly sponsor terrorism, through which US imperialism seeks to destroy the work accomplished and the most genuine dreams of social justice of an entire people.”
United Nations, August 26 (Prensa Latina) Nothing and no one will prevent Cuba from continuing to be “wherever we are asked for help and a human life is in need,” said Ambassador Yuri Gala, reiterating his country’s commitment to solidarity cooperation.
In the face of the United States’ lies, we will continue to provide greater solidarity and cooperation, under the maxim of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, that being internationalists means settling our own debt to humanity, said Gala, Chargé d’Affaires ai of the Cuban Mission to the UN.
He recalled that since 1963, more than 605,000 Cuban health workers have provided services in 165 countries, and “we have contributed to the training of tens of thousands of doctors from various countries in the South.”
Speaking during the debate on agenda item 127 of the United Nations General Assembly, “Global Health and Foreign Policy,” Ambassador Gala reaffirmed Cuba’s position in defense of health as a human right and not a commodity.
For more than six decades, with great effort, the Cuban government has implemented a universal and free public health system based on prevention, equity, and solidarity, he said.
He noted that this has occurred despite the devastating impact of the economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United States, whose effects on the health sector are particularly visible and painful.
He denounced “the arbitrary inclusion of our country on the list of states supposedly sponsoring terrorism, and the smear campaigns promoted by the United States against our medical services.”
Such a designation, Gala emphasized, reinforces the criminal siege against Cuba and “affects the health and well-being of millions of people both in our country and in other latitudes.”
The Cuban representative noted that global health cannot be separated from geopolitical tensions, humanitarian emergencies, climate change, or the current unjust, exclusionary, and unequal economic order.
He stressed that international cooperation is essential to contribute to an effective response to global health emergencies and achieve true universal health coverage that benefits all people.
“Selfishness must be banished from international relations, and unilateral coercive measures that negatively impact the enjoyment of the right to health must be eliminated,” he emphasized.
Ambassador Gala stated that countries in the South should not have to choose between paying their crippling external debt or financing their national health systems.
“More mutual support is needed to achieve resilient, universal, humane, and sustainable health systems that are not governed by market logic,” he added.
Gala emphasized Cuba’s support for the World Health Organization and rejected the United States’ unjustified attacks against this important organization.
Havana, Aug 22 (Prensa Latina) The United Nations System in the Caribbean nation, in alliance with the Cuba Photographic Library, is calling for the photographic contest “Looking at the world with new eyes”, an opportunity that is appreciated today by lovers of such a beautiful manifestation.
Aimed at residents in the country between 15 and 35 years old, the contest seeks to reflect, from a camera or mobile device, how participants imagine a more just, healthy and sustainable future.
The deadline for registration and submission of images is October 1 and the selected works will be part of a special exhibition in November 2025, the largest photography event in Cuba.
According to the bases of the contest, launched in the context of the 80th anniversary of the United Nations (UN), those interested can submit up to 3 photos in JPG format, high resolution (20 cm wide, 300 dpi).
The organizers propose the following themes for your to led your imagination fly: Working together for sustainable development: Collaboration, partnerships and teamwork to achieve common goals.
Universal health coverage: Initiatives that promote physical, mental or sexual health, especially for people or groups at risk or in a vulnerable situation.
Caring for the planet: Actions against the impacts of climate change and in defense of nature.
Fifteen finalists will be chosen, including one winning photo. The jury will award special mentions.
“If you are a finalist, you authorize the UN and associated entities to use your non-profit image to promote their activities,” adds the call.
The award ceremony will be held on October 24, 2025.
Beijing, Aug 22 (Prensa Latina) China reaffirmed its rejection of the sanctions imposed by the United States on Cuba’s international medical cooperation and called for an immediate end to the economic blockade Washington maintains on the island.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning highlighted that over the last 60 years, around 600,000 health professionals have been sent to more than 60 countries, including Caribbean states.
Mao added that these medical brigades have provided care to more than 230 million people, performed more than 17 million surgeries, and saved the lives of more than 12 million patients.
The spokesperson emphasized that Cuban medical cooperation plays a crucial role in the health systems of countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa, and has therefore been warmly received by the governments and people of the beneficiary nations.
Regarding the US accusations, Mao affirmed that “the so-called ‘forced labor’ has become an excuse and a tool of hegemony to put pressure on other countries.”
She asserted that these actions represent an extension and deepening of the economic blockade that the United States has imposed on Cuba for more than six decades, which many leaders and social sectors in the region have rejected.
The statement comes in the context of the US State Department’s announcement of visa restrictions for African countries, Brazil, Cuba, Grenada, and former Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) officials and their families associated with Cuba’s medical services program.
The U.S. has imposed visa restrictions on government officials – and their families – from Africa, Brazil, Cuba and Grenada for their role in Cuba’s medical cooperation teams, which the U.S. deems “forced labor.”
Marco Rubio has been targeting Cuban health cooperation for years, stepping up the pressure since becoming secretary of state. In February, he announced the policy of imposing visa restrictions on foreign government officials who helped welcome Cuban health professionals serving in their countries. Last June, the State Department sanctioned Central American officials.
While the nationality of the African officials and the identity of the Grenadian and Cuban officials were not disclosed, the identity of the Brazilian officials is public, and it includes Minister of Health Alexandre Padilha as well as his wife and 10-year-old daughter.
Brazil’s inclusion is noteworthy, since there hasn’t been a Cuban mission there in seven years. The State Department stated that Brazilian officials along with former Pan American Health Organization officials have been sanctioned for their role in bringing over 10,000 doctors from Cuba to Brazil between 2013 and 2018. The Cuban mission ended after Jair Bolsonaro assumed the presidency.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has consistently defended Cuba’s South-South medical cooperation and praised Cuba’s healthcare system and its doctors.
Cuba has been sending medical personnel worldwide since the 1960s, particularly to countries in the Global South, where they provide healthcare for underserved communities. Cuban health professionals have also treated earthquake victims in Pakistan and Haiti, Ebola patients in Africa and COVID patients in Europe.
Through contracts with host governments, the missions have emerged as the main source of foreign currency for Cuba, and thus a target of Trump sanctions. The Cuban government says the money generated from the missions is used to help fund the nation’s universal public health system, which provides healthcare free of charge to its citizens.
If you want to hear from the doctors themselves, watch Episode 3 of our documentary series The War on Cuba.
Why are dozens of US students getting their medical degree in Cuba?
What are they learning that they wouldn’t be in the US? We asked these questions and more to four US medical students currently studying at the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) in Havana through IFCO/Pastors for Peace’s ELAM Scholarship Program.
Here’s what they had to say.
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By Perla Velasco | Journalist & Industry Analyst – Mexico Business News Thu, 08/21/2025
In 2025, Mexico reached a new high in its oil shipments to Cuba. Between May 29 and June 27, PEMEX delivered 39 shipments of crude and refined products to Havana, with a total value exceeding US$850 million. These deliveries included 10.2MMb and 132.5 million L of products such as jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline, representing the largest monthly volume of Mexican oil exports to Cuba to date. This volume nearly matches the total value of oil exports from Mexico to Cuba over the previous two years, which amounted to approximately US$1 billion.
The oil was exported through Fuel Stations for Well-Being, a subsidiary of PEMEX established to manage these operations. Most shipments departed from customs in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, with one shipment leaving from the port of Tampico, Tamaulipas, carrying 6.8 million L of diesel. Satellite tracking confirmed that shipments continued into July, underscoring Mexico’s sustained support for Cuba during this critical period.
This surge in exports comes amid Cuba’s escalating energy crisis, characterized by prolonged and widespread power outages. The Cuban government attributes these challenges to ongoing US sanctions, which have hindered its ability to secure energy resources. In response, Mexico has increased its support, with shipments continuing into 2025.
The decision to escalate oil exports to Cuba has been met with both support and criticism. Supporters argue that the shipments are a humanitarian gesture aimed at alleviating Cuba’s energy shortages. They highlight the longstanding diplomatic and economic ties between the two nations, emphasizing the importance of solidarity in times of crisis. Critics, however, contend that the increased exports could expose Mexico to potential sanctions from the United States, given the existing embargo on Cuba. They also question the financial implications for PEMEX, which is already grappling with significant debt and declining oil production.
Despite these concerns, the Mexican government has defended its actions, framing the oil exports as legitimate trade agreements rather than acts of charity. President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterated Mexico’s commitment to supporting Cuba, stating that the country produces between 1.6 to 1.8MMb/d, making the shipments a manageable endeavor. She emphasized that these exports are part of Mexico’s broader foreign policy objectives, which include advocating for the suspension of US sanctions against Cuba.
From an economic perspective, the oil exports to Cuba represent a modest but significant portion of PEMEX’s overall operations. In 1Q25, shipments to Cuba accounted for 3.3% of PEMEX’s crude oil exports and 1.9% of its refined product sales. While these figures are relatively small in the context of PEMEX’s global activities, they underscore the strategic importance of the Cuba-Mexico energy relationship.
Looking ahead, the trajectory of oil exports from Mexico to Cuba will likely depend on several factors, including the resolution of Cuba’s energy crisis, the geopolitical dynamics surrounding US sanctions, and the economic health of PEMEX. However, the record-breaking shipments in 2025 signal a deepening of the energy partnership between the two nations. This development not only highlights Mexico’s role as a key energy supplier in the region but also reflects its broader foreign policy stance, characterized by a commitment to regional solidarity and opposition to unilateral sanctions.
In Cuba, a lot of families get by renting rooms in their own homes to tourists. These B&Bs (or casas particulares, as they’re known in Cuba) sustain communities, create local jobs and offer travelers an authentic cultural experience.
The business was booming after Obama’s opening with Cuba in 2014.
But U.S. sanctions have decimated Cuba’s tourism industry, greatly reducing the number of visitors and cutting Cuban homeowners off from booking services like Airbnb and Expedia.
Hear from the Cuban entrepreneurs themselves about how their businesses have been impacted in our latest video.
Countless Cuban families once relied on tourism for their livelihoods. Not long after Obama’s opening with Cuba in 2014, Cuba was welcoming over 4 million visitors per year. That number has been cut in half. Cuban B&B’s (or casas particulares, as they’re known in Cuba) sustain communities, create local jobs, and offer travelers an authentic cultural experience. But the business has been decimated by U.S. sanctions. Trump’s sanctions banned cruise ships, restricted flights, and placed Cuba back on the U.S. ”State sponsors of terrorism” blacklist, changing everything. Airbnb stopped paying Cuban hosts without international accounts, and Expedia was forced to halt its operations. The result? Today, ordinary Cubans are paying the price. B&B’s in Cuba are now empty. Families are struggling to survive without their only source of income.
Madrid, Aug 21 (Prensa Latina) Various materials make up the third solidarity container this year for Cuba from Valencia, Spain, which will depart for the Cuban port of Mariel at the end of August, it was reported.
The shipment, worth 70,000 euros, is intended to support the soup kitchen and socio-health care of the Quisicuaba community project, reported to Prensa Latina by the media outlet Cubainformación.
The medical materials and work equipment were donated by the Valencian city council of Guadassuar (Ribera Alta), the Communist Party of the Valencian Country, volunteer associations such as Corazon Expres (Marina Baixa), and numerous individuals from municipalities such as Bétera, L’Alfàs del Pi, and Valencia.
Thanks to 26 financial contributions from various organizations such as the Rotary Club and Giving4Giving, along with the collaboration of the L’Alfàs del Pi city council and individuals, 3,500 euros were raised for the purchase of food and other materials.
The shipment and coordination of its shipment to the Caribbean island were sponsored by Euskadi Cuba, the Ernesto Guevara Association of Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid), and the Valencian Jose Marti Friendship Association with Cuba, all members of the MESC (State Movement of Solidarity with Cuba).
Dedicated to the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, the container includes, in addition to food, various medical supplies, intended to support the care provided to the Centro Habana community of the Quisicuaba project, especially to the elderly and those at risk of social exclusion.
