Cuba has secured a seat on the General Committee of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), marking a significant role for the country in shaping global health policies.
The 17-member General Committee is responsible for overseeing the procedural operations of the Assembly, including agenda setting and facilitating discussions on key issues affecting international health.
The announcement comes as the 78th World Health Assembly opened on Monday at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. As part of the Assembly’s opening events, the Cuban delegation met with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to discuss ongoing and future collaborations.
Cuba’s Minister of Public Health, Dr. José Ángel Portal, is leading the delegation and has already engaged in several bilateral meetings. On the first day of the Assembly, Dr. Portal signed a Memorandum of Understanding on healthcare cooperation with Oman’s Minister of Health, Dr. Hilal bin Ali bin Hilal Al Sabti.
His itinerary also included visits to the GAVI Vaccine Alliance headquarters, where discussions focused on vaccine-related initiatives, and a meeting with executives from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
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This year’s Assembly will run through May 27 and is expected to adopt more than 40 resolutions. High on the agenda is the anticipated Treaty on Future Pandemics, along with global health priorities such as the eradication of cervical cancer, lung and kidney health, rare diseases, diagnostic imaging, skin disorders, traditional medicine, lead exposure, and sustainable health financing.
Tegucigalpa, May 23 (Prensa Latina) The Minister of Science and Technology of Honduras, Luther Castillo, today praised the work carried out by Cuban medical brigades in more than 100 countries, including some with high levels of development.
By Eduardo Rodríguez-Baz
During a pleasant conversation with Prensa Latina in Tegucigalpa, Castillo shared his assessments of 62 years of Cuban medical cooperation worldwide, which began in 1963 with the arrival in Algeria of a contingent of health professionals from the largest of the Antilles.
Over six decades, some 600,000 health workers from this small Caribbean island carried out missions in 165 nations, with achievements such as the fight against Ebola in Africa, blindness in Latin America, cholera in Haiti, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Warmth, comprehensive patient care, and the ability to feel the pain of others and serve the most vulnerable with all the love and openness in the world are traits that distinguish Cuban doctors, the young minister emphasized.
A graduate of Havana’s Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), the Secretary of State said that the passage through this Central American nation of numerous Cuban brigades has been “the deepest relief for bearing the pain of the poorest, the most vilified in this country.”
He recalled that the first of these groups of “white coats” landed in Honduras in 1998, immediately after the devastating Hurricane Mitch, which left a trail of destruction and thousands of lives lost in its wake.
“One of the unique features of this aid is that the Cubans came here and traveled to the most difficult-to-reach areas; they didn’t go to the big cities, but to those places where they could take on the pain of our mothers and grandmothers and treat them without shame,” he emphasized.
After training as a doctor at the prestigious ELAM, Castillo is recognized as the first Honduran, and also a member of the Garifuna ethnic group, to graduate from Harvard University with a postgraduate degree in Public Policy and Management and a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
On behalf of the Honduran people, we are grateful for this Cuban collaboration, which has touched our people with divine hands, those most in need, to provide them with comprehensive care, he said.
Regarding how this cooperation is currently implemented, he explained that there are more than 100 doctors from Honduras, distributed in public hospitals and providing care in certain specialties that we don’t have.
“Today, we have a flagship geriatrics program, run by the National Institute of Retirement and Pensions for Employees and Officials of the Executive Branch and the National Institute for Teachers’ Welfare.
Cuban geriatricians caring for our elderly population who are already retired, he added.
He also praised the impeccable work of the well-known Operation Miracle, which was previously in Honduras, dismantled after the 2009 coup d’état against then constitutional president Manuel Zelaya (2006-2009) and returned to the country with the victory of President Xiomara Castro.
This team of Cuban ophthalmologists performs free surgeries in three clinics located in Siguatepeque (Comayagua), Colinas (Santa Bárbara), and Tegucigalpa, where they treat conditions such as cataracts, pterygium, chalazion, and other eye conditions.
“Surgeries that cost thousands of lempiras (the Honduran currency) and that people can’t afford because they’re so expensive,” he said.
He emphasized that “Hondurans are aware of the significance and value of this specialized medical care; they know its cost.”
When questioned about the U.S. government’s fierce crusade against Cuba’s international medical contributions, the Honduran Minister of Science and Technology opined that the U.S. administration is deeply aware of the significance of the work of the island’s doctors.
“That’s why (Washington’s) concern is building narratives to try to denigrate this work, to tarnish the very humane and profound mission that Cuba carries out in the world,” he said.
This isn’t a new campaign; it’s been going on for a long time. All they do is occasionally change the narrative and the conceptualizations, he warned.
“But nothing they implement can delegitimize the divine work of Cuban doctors internationally, touching and healing wounds and souls, always putting themselves in the patient’s shoes,” he asserted.
In his opinion, no concept, no matter how degrading, can undermine the altruism of the Caribbean country’s healthcare workers, as well as their scientific and technical quality and the impeccable humanism they profess, he emphasized.
All those who have been touched by those wonderful hands, from all walks of life, bear witness to the immense work created by the Cuban Revolution, and bear witness to what it means to be treated by Cuban doctors, he emphasized.
Latin America and the Caribbean, he said, are deeply grateful to these brigades that help so much to improve the lives of our people.
When asked by Prensa Latina about his professional training at the Latin American School of Medicine, the minister considered the Caribbean nation his second home.
“More than 31,000 doctors from a hundred countries—that’s the reach of ELAM graduates, who have become ambassadors who can speak the truth about the Cuban Revolution and recount the greatness of that project, not from what they read in books, but from what they experienced firsthand,” he added.
“Standing alongside a people in need, but who knew how to share with us the best they have, not what they have left over, is a difficult concept to understand in this neoliberal context, but that is true solidarity,” Castillo noted.
For the Honduran doctor, that is the essence of the Cuban medical teachings we learned at ELAM.
“As the heroic guerrilla fighter said, being able to always feel, deep down, any injustice committed against anyone, anywhere in the world, is the most beautiful quality of a revolutionary doctor,” the minister concluded, paraphrasing the Argentine Ernesto Che Guevara.
Madrid, May 18 (Prensa Latina) The VII National Meeting of Cubans Residing in Spain concluded today in Galicia, with a call for unity, support and solidarity, and condemnation of the U.S. blockade.
The event took place in Vilaboa de Pontevedra, as part of the tribute to Cuban National Hero José Martí, commemorating the 130th anniversary of his death in combat on May 19.
The meeting allowed the Federation of Associations of Cubans Residing in Spain (Facre) to review the activities carried out over the past three years with Spain, which included the shipment of a container and more than 14 tons of donations to health centers, social projects, and institutions.
The groups demanded an end to the U.S. economic, commercial, and financial blockade, which has lasted more than six decades, and strongly denounced the unjust inclusion of Cuba on the list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism.
The Cuban Consul General for Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria, Ingrid Izquierdo, gave the opening remarks at the two-day meeting, which also included a speech by the Tourism Counselor at the Cuban Embassy in Spain, Niurka Pérez Denis, who spoke about the impact on the sector and the work with travel agencies.
For his part, the Minister of Economic, Trade, and Cooperation, René Capote, addressed matters related to his area of responsibility, including donations and ties to charitable organizations.
The Cuban ambassador to Spain, Marcelino Medina, delivered the closing remarks at the event, which was marked by enthusiasm and a commitment to combating U.S. measures against the island, aimed at economically stifling the country, causing significant hardship and difficulties.
The final declaration of the 7th Meeting of Cubans Residing in Spain reiterated its condemnation of Washington’s economic siege and the additional measures rapidly implemented by the Donald Trump administration.
At the same time, the text rejected the defamation campaigns against the humanitarian work carried out by Cuban medical cooperation in various countries, “which is recognized worldwide for its altruism and internationalism.”
In another development, they denounced the tendency of the far right in the European Parliament, influenced by the US, “to hinder Cuba’s relations with the European Union and the existing agreements between the two parties.”
“We reaffirm our commitment to defending Cuba’s sovereignty and independence, signifying that our people, of which we are a part, have the right to choose their own destiny and follow the paths of the Revolution and socialism,” the declaration stated.
Initiatives to contribute to the promotion of identity, culture, ethical and historical values, tourism image, and the Cuban destination, as well as defending the country from slander, are among the topics on the horizon of these associations.
Furthermore, the fight against hate speech, distortions of Cuban reality, and defamation campaigns promoted by its enemies are included in the proposed immediate actions.
Berlin, May 18 (Prensa Latina) The Association for the Right to Peace in Germany (Ialana) organized a workshop titled Litigation Strategies Against Sanctions, to demonstrate the possibilities of legal action based on the example of Cuba.
The objective of the event was to connect different stakeholders and agree on opportunities and practical action options for strategic management in response to the effects of US measures in Germany and Europe, Ialana explained.
Possible approaches for legal action include human rights violations through the blockade against Cubans living in Europe, companies with ties and cooperation with the island, and solidarity organizations, the association reported.
The event was attended by the Embassy Counselor and Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba in Germany, Miguel Torres Tesoro; representatives of solidarity organizations such as Cuba Sí and Netzwerk Cuba; representatives of the German Section for a World without Nuclear Threat (Ippnw); and legal experts from Ialana.
Before the workshop began, a video was shown by renowned jurist Norman Paech, who presided over the Brussels Court’s ruling on the lockdown in 2023. Unfortunately, Paech was unable to attend for personal reasons.
Heiner Fechner, co-president of the organization, opened the event and announced the workshop’s objective, as well as the background to the association’s work on sanctions.
As he emphasized, the goal is to raise public awareness about the issue of sanctions against the Global South and discuss possible legal action.
Publicist and activist Joachim Guillard provided a broad political context for the blockade in the context of the changing world order, and also addressed sanctions in general.
Representatives of solidarity organizations reported on two cases in which banks refused to carry out transactions. These cases, according to the organization, could provide a suitable basis for future proceedings.
Miguel Torres Tesoro of the Cuban diplomatic mission in Berlin then explained the historical and legal framework of the blockade.
The deputy ambassador outlined Cuba’s diplomatic perspective on the situation and addressed the United States’ political objective of overthrowing the Cuban Revolution.
Finally, Ialana Executive Member Otto Jäckel presented on strategic litigation before German courts and discussed experiences, opportunities, and risks.
Specifically, it addresses the procedural possibilities and experiences in strategic litigation against German companies, the European Commission, and other potential defendants in the EU.
The workshop should be just the beginning of a larger project. Next year, the association plans a multi-day conference on unilateral sanctions against countries in the Global South, also inviting representatives from the affected states.
Ialana is an independent international organization of jurists committed to nonviolent conflict resolution and nuclear disarmament. The German branch was founded in 1989 in Bonn.
Cuban and Palestinian students gathered on May 15 to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Nakba – Israel’s ethnic cleansing and occupation of Palestinian cities and villages in 1948 – and condemn Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. Watch our video about the event HERE.
Cuba has long supported the Palestinian struggle. Since Israel’s invasion of Gaza in October 2023, thousands of Cubans have hit the streets in state-organized marches in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
More than 150 Palestinian young people currently study medicine in Cuba, many of them from Gaza. Cuba has offered scholarships to Palestinian students to study for free on the island for decades.
WATCHFrom Gaza to Cuba, our documentary about Murid Abukhater, a Palestinian student from Gaza studying at Cuba’s Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) who dreams of returning home to work as a doctor to help save lives.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, May 21 (ACN) A new collaboration agreement between the National Center for Sex Education (Cenesex) and the University of Oriente (UO) promotes scientific and cultural improvement of the environment with the aim of promoting respect for diversity and gender equality.
Aimed at strengthening professional and post-graduate training, expanding the extension work and directing technology and innovation activities towards social development, the agreement also confirms the position of the academy against manifestations of gender violence.
Mariela Castro, head of Cenesex, welcomed the opportunity to come to thS eastern province of Santiago de Cuba and establish formal ties with the alma mater, founded under revolutionary principles of equity and a promoter of an avid research activity.
According to Fidel La O, representative of the legal area at the university, the signing formalizes a strategic alliance between institutions committed to social transformation, as it reflects the will to work together in the generation of scientific knowledge and a culture of respect for diversity.
He underscored the opportunity to build a model of intersectoral work and constant feedback with public policies, while pointing out the high impact of future projects resulting from the current agreement.
The UO, with its tradition of service to the communities, and Cenesex, a local and international reference in terms of equity, join their capacities in order to build a world where integral health and respect for sexual rights are essential pillars, he said.
With the agreement, the institutions are taking steps to guarantee access to education and specialized information, family planning spaces and other sexual and reproductive health care services, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Starting from July 1, 2025, it was announced that Cuba would introduce a new electronic visa (e-visa) system as a mandatory entry requirement for all travelers entering the country. This policy change would replace the previously used paper tourist card, which had long been a staple of Cuban travel regulations. The Cuban Ministry of Tourism had made this announcement in April of the preceding year, and the Government of Canada had subsequently updated its travel advisories to inform prospective travelers of this significant change.
This new electronic visa system would apply broadly, affecting most visitors, including Canadian citizens, who have traditionally been a significant segment of Cuba’s tourism market. The shift to an e-visa represented a modernization effort by Cuban authorities aimed at streamlining entry processes and better managing visitor flows, while also enhancing border security and data collection.
It was emphasized that Canadian travelers flying with major national carriers such as Air Canada, Air Transat, WestJet, or Sunwing might not need to take additional steps regarding the e-visa. According to Canadian government sources, these airlines were expected to include the cost and processing of e-visas in their airfare packages, effectively handling the visa application on behalf of their passengers. This arrangement was seen as a customer-friendly solution that could help maintain or even boost tourism from Canada, by reducing bureaucratic hurdles.
On the other hand, those travelers booking with other airlines, or those who might be transiting through third countries such as Mexico or the United States, were advised to take personal responsibility for obtaining their e-visas. The process was explained to be accessible online through the official Cuban visa portal at evisacuba.com or through direct contact with Cuban consulates in Canada, such as the consulate located on Décarie Boulevard in Montreal.
Applicants would need to pay a fee of 24 Canadian dollars for the visa. Payment options were flexible, allowing for Interac transfers, money orders, cheques, or direct payment at consulate offices. Once an application was approved, travelers were to receive an email containing a unique code along with a link to complete a mandatory travel declaration form called the D’Viajeros. This form was required to be submitted at least 48 hours before the traveler’s scheduled departure, serving as a pre-entry health and travel declaration.
The electronic visa granted single-entry permission, allowing visitors to stay in Cuba for up to 90 days. There was also an option to renew the visa once, permitting an extension for an additional 90 days and a maximum total stay of 180 days. This structure provided some flexibility for longer-term visitors, including those on extended holidays or business trips.
Authorities strongly advised travelers to ensure their passports remained valid for at least six months beyond their intended arrival date in Cuba. Additionally, travelers were reminded to secure valid medical insurance and to have a confirmed return ticket, essential requirements for entering Cuba under the new regime.
This transition to an e-visa system marked a major operational shift for airlines, travel agencies, and tourism stakeholders both within Canada and internationally. Airlines that did not previously include visa services in their ticketing packages might have needed to reassess their offerings and customer service approaches. Meanwhile, Cuban tourism infrastructure was expected to benefit from improved entry tracking and enhanced security measures.
Travel agencies and tour operators would have had to update their booking procedures and inform clients of the new requirements, ensuring compliance and a smooth travel experience. For smaller airlines or charter services without integrated visa handling, this policy could introduce added complexity and possibly deter some travelers unfamiliar with the digital visa process.
However, by simplifying and standardizing the visa application via an online platform, Cuba aimed to facilitate faster and more reliable entry processing, which could encourage higher traveler confidence and potentially increase visitor numbers over time.
For global travelers, particularly Canadians who constitute a large proportion of visitors to Cuba, the introduction of an e-visa would require increased awareness and preparation. While some might find the process straightforward, especially when using major airlines offering integrated visa services, others would need to be proactive in securing the visa independently.
Travelers flying through countries like Mexico or the U.S., which serve as frequent transit points to Cuba, would have to factor in additional administrative steps, potentially adjusting their travel planning timelines to ensure visa approvals well before departure.
The new system also emphasized the need for proper documentation, including passport validity and medical insurance, reinforcing Cuba’s efforts to align with international travel standards and public health considerations.
Overall, the policy could positively affect travel safety and border management but might also introduce minor inconveniences or learning curves for some travelers. Tourism stakeholders, including governments and travel service providers, would likely play crucial roles in educating and assisting tourists to adapt smoothly.
The astonishing figure may mean that President Donald Trump’s use of the naval base in Cuba costs almost 1,000 times more than housing people in U.S. immigration facilities
Housing migrants at Guantanamo Bay costs as much as $100,000 per inmate, per day, a U.S. senator has claimed, describing the set-up as “outrageous.”
The astonishing figure may mean that President Donald Trump’s use of the naval base inCuba costs almost 1,000 times more than housing people in U.S. immigration facilities – which is $165.
The claims were made by Senator Gary Peters of Michigan during a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday, in which he and other members grilled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Peters, the top Democrat on the committee, decried the use of the facility as a prime example of wasteful government spending, highlighting that the Trump administration’s irrational shuttling of prisoners back and forth had also been at U.S. taxpayer expense.
Senator Gary Peters of Michigan claimed on Tuesday that housing migrants at Guantanamo Bay costs as much as $100,000 per inmate, per day – describing the set-up as ‘outrageous’ (via REUTERS)
“We’re spending $100,000 a day to keep someone at Guantanamo,” Peters complained. “We keep them there awhile, then we fly them back to the United States, or we could keep them here for $165 a day. I think that’s kind of outrageous.”
Lima, May 20 (Prensa Latina) Former Peruvian Minister of Women’s Affairs Anahí Durand today deemed unacceptable the inclusion of Cuba on an arbitrary list of countries that, according to Washington, do not fully support its fight against terrorism.
In statements to Prensa Latina, the secretary general of the Adelante Pueblo Unido (APU) party described the aforementioned anti-Cuban measure as further evidence of what she called the “imperialist onslaught that Latin America is experiencing.”
“This new declaration by the State Department to include Cuba on a list of countries that do not fully cooperate with its counterterrorism efforts is yet another example of the imperialist onslaught we are experiencing in Latin America,” he said.
Durand added that the Trump administration intends to put much more pressure on worthy peoples like those of Cuba and Venezuela, and that in this case, it intends to isolate Cuba.
To this end, he added, Washington aims to act as a global arbiter, deciding “who cooperates and who doesn’t, as if someone had entrusted it with that task.”
The Peruvian leader added that the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which recently met in China under the presidency of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, could take a more active role in addressing interventions like the one affecting Cuba.
He warned against the possibility that the United States is becoming more commonplace in applying measures like the one reported above and sanctions that affect the lives of populations, as in the case of Cuba.
“I think we should always speak up in these types of situations,” he said.
YAMIL LAGE Jaimanitas’s buildings, homes, bridges and bus stops have all become displays for Jose Fuster’s artistic vision
Jordane BERTRAND AFP May 20, 2025 – KPVI
In 1994, Cuban artist Jose Fuster started plastering his home with colorful mosaic palms, animals and Picasso-esque figures. An oddity became a trend: today the entire town of Jaimanitas is a celebration of his ceramic art.
A thousand tourists a week, from as far afield as Europe, Russia and Mexico, visit the sleepy fishing spot transformed by Fuster into a theme park town with a fairy castle vibe — jokingly called “Fusterlandia” in a nod to its most famous resident.
West of the capital Havana, Jaimanitas’s buildings, homes, walls and bus stops have all become displays for the 79-year-old’s artistic vision.
YAMIL LAGE Fuster is a creator of so-called ‘naive’ art, which entails an almost child-like use of basic shapes and bright colorsYAMIL LAGE Fuster is a creator of so-called ‘naive’ art, which entails an almost child-like use of basic shapes and bright colors
