June 9, 2025 — Al Jazeera

The Trump administration’s travel ban has kicked in and Cuba is one of the countries affected. Travel from the island will be further reduced and the US Embassy in Havana will stop issuing visas. It’s just the latest in a series of sanctions from Washington. Al Jazeera’s Ed Augustin reports from Havana, Cuba.

By: Nuria Barbosa León — June 8, 2025 — Radio Havana Cuba

At the Union Hall of the International Association of Machinists in Los Angeles, California, the commitment to continuing the fight against the criminal economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba was reaffirmed.

Cuban diplomats David Ramírez and Yasser Ibarra highlighted the suffering caused by this cruel interventionist policy, explaining how former President Donald Trump added 243 measures during his first term that were not reversed by Joe Biden. These measures have continued to increase in Biden’s second term.

They also explained that Cuba was placed on the spurious list of state sponsors of terrorism just days before Trump left the White House in 2021, in an attempt to intensify coercive measures. Biden later removed Cuba from the list shortly before leaving office, only for the current administration to reinstate it within its first few days — without providing any evidence to justify the designation.

The only reasonable explanation for such actions is to inflict further hardship on the Cuban people, who are currently experiencing a severe economic crisis marked by prolonged power outages, shortages of food and medicine, fuel scarcity and an almost non-existent public transport system — all consequences of the blockade.

‘We resumed diplomatic relations during the Obama administration, which saw several sanctions being lifted. Within a very short time, improvements in our country could be seen by the Cuban people and people around the world. For the first time in decades, our GDP grew by 3.6%, rather than the usual annual growth of 1%. You could visit Havana and see thriving businesses and bustling streets, as well as U.S. cruise ships arriving. It was a very dynamic city. ‘All of this is based on facts. I am not trying to boost propaganda or anything like that,’ explained David Ramírez, according to Mark Friedman, a member of the International Association of Machinists Local 1484 and an activist with the ‘Cuba in Los Angeles’ committee.

However, Yasser Ibarra emphasised that ‘amid this adversity, we have never been alone. You, our friends in solidarity, have organised campaigns, demonstrations and public actions to demand an end to the blockade. You have collected medicines, medical supplies and food, and delivered them to our people.’

He also expressed gratitude for these gestures, as well as for the times when those present had risked their lives by travelling to Cuba and defying prohibitions designed to prevent people-to-people exchanges. ‘Every act of solidarity — a donation, a letter, a march or a visit to Cuba — is an act of love that Cuba deeply values. It gives us strength to resist, inspires us to keep fighting, and reminds us that solidarity is the noblest language”, he affirmed.

During the event, participants shared experiences from the delegation that attended May Day celebrations in Cuba and expressed their desire to return for similar events.

The Los Angeles branch of the Hands Off Cuba Committee reaffirmed its commitment to continuing to demand the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, the lifting of all travel and trade restrictions imposed by U.S. blockade laws, and an end to the occupation of Guantánamo, where an illegal military base exists.

Kevin Kucera, a board member of the California Machinists Union, Mike Vera, a representative of the Inland Boatmen’s Union and the maritime division of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and Jensen Walsh, co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America in Orange County, endorsed this stance.

Additionally, Jenny Álvarez, a former Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science student, proposed forming another delegation to visit Cuban healthcare institutions, as has been done in the past.

Erika Feresten supported this idea, sharing her experiences of visiting Havana’s Calixto García Hospital. “On our website, we published our first initiative, titled ‘From the Heart to Cuba’. We have three initiatives: sending pacemakers to Cuba, ending the blockade and defending Cuban medical brigades, which are also under attack. Tonight, we are here to discuss the pacemaker campaign. It is imperative that we mobilise and face this challenge. I am pleased to announce that Health Care 4 Us donated $500. Their fundraising campaign raised an additional $750, bringing the total to $1,250,” she stated.

Other speakers proposed additional actions to challenge blockade laws and strengthen the bond between the two peoples, despite the negative policies promoted by the US government to exert control over Cuba.

June 7, 2025 — League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)

Washington, D.C. — The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) expresses grave concern and disappointment following today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision letting a lower court ruling to stand. The action permits the Trump administration to revoke humanitarian parole protections for approximately 500,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The individuals affected include some in the country for as long as 10 years who were legally admitted and now face imminent deportation, stripping them of their right to work and contribute to our society.

This decision endangers the futures of hundreds of thousands of families who came to the United States seeking safety, dignity, and a fair chance to contribute to our nation’s fabric. LULAC stands firmly in support of these men, women, and children and urges immediate congressional action to address our nation’s broken immigration system.

“The strength of America has always been its ability to welcome newcomers who bring courage, talent, and determination. Immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela fleeing persecution, poverty, and violence are not a burden on our nation but a beacon of what makes us great,” said Roman Palomares, LULAC National President and Chairman of the Board. “They come here with a dream to build a better life, and in doing so, they help build a better America. We must never forget that immigrants founded and forged this country.”

The Supreme Court’s brief but impactful order means the case will be first litigated at the lower court level. In the meantime, extensive damage with mass deportations is anticipated, instead of case-by-case review of immigration status revocations. Without explanation, the justices’ majority decision leaves over a million migrants—including others from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Central America—vulnerable to uncertain futures.

“Xenophobia is not a policy. It is a symptom of fear that ultimately harms our economy and diminishes our moral standing,” added Palomares. “These workers are filling labor gaps, contributing to our GDP, and strengthening industries that power our daily lives. Denying them the right to stay and work legally in the U.S. is not only unjust—it is economically self-defeating. We must replace politics with purpose and hatred with hope.”

LULAC calls on every American to contact their elected officials in Congress and demand comprehensive immigration reform that reflects our values and meets the moment. The future of our nation must include a humane and rational pathway for migrants who seek lawful, productive lives in this country.

June 6, 2025 — The Richmond Standard

The Richmond City Council passed a proclamation Tuesday urging the U.S. to remove Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism and to lift the long-standing trade embargo with the island nation.

The proclamation coincided with a visit from Cuban diplomats Yasser Ibarra and David Ramirez Alvarez, both secretaries at the Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. The two were honored by the City Council as part of Richmond’s ongoing sister-city relationship with Regla, Cuba.

Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, a member of the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA), introduced the resolution and cited decades of hardship imposed by the U.S. embargo, which cost Cuba over $164 billion since its inception, according to the city proclamation.

“Cuba is a social experiment in creating a society where everyone is cared for. Having these guarantees is also a form of freedom,” the mayor said. “The embargo creates obstacles. When in Havana last year, I saw a magnificent city in disrepair—a city that could rival many other cities if it only had the capital to make those repairs.”

Martinez pointed out that Israel also supports the sanctions on Cuba.

“Like the Zionists in Israel, our nation is punishing the people of Cuba for a wrong they did not commit,” the Richmond mayor said. “It’s time to end this embargo.”

Cuban First Secretary Ibarra said Richmond’s action Tuesday “represents that another path is possible.”

“You know, and all of you know that on the other side of the Caribbean Sea there is a country — there are people — that want to engage with the American people, that want to create bridges of love,” Ibarra said.

Tuesday’s ceremony also referenced gifted artwork from Regla to the City of Richmond, celebrating the cultural and artistic ties fostered through their sister-city partnership.

The U.S. embargo on Cuba began in 1960 after the Cuban Revolution, when the U.S. imposed trade restrictions in response to the Cuban government’s nationalization of American-owned properties without compensation, according to the National Security Archive. It was expanded into a full economic embargo in 1962 under President John F. Kennedy and has remained largely in place, restricting trade, travel, and financial transactions, despite periodic calls for its repeal. The embargo is codified in U.S. law and can only be fully lifted by congressional action.