HAVANA, Cuba, May 13 (ACN) In a symbol of support and solidarity with the Cuban people, a donation of medical materials sent by Canadian friends to help in health care in the country was received on Monday.
Representatives of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) and the Medical Supplies Company (EMSUME by its Spanish acronym) participated in the reception ceremony.
Julia Durruthy Molina, deputy national coordinator of the CDR, said that this donation, consisting of surgical sutures and electrodes for electrocardiograms, is possible thanks to the efforts of the Network of Canadians in Solidarity with Cuba who overcame the barriers of the blockade to help the Caribbean island.
Durruthy Molina emphasized that this network, formed by different families, led by Bill Ryan, of the Cubacan Project, has achieved in other moments, imposing itself to imperialism, to send to the country bicycles, sports equipment, musical instruments, school materials, canes for the visually impaired, including Braille machines, and everything that carries this component.
On behalf of the population, the Cederista leader expressed her gratitude for this example of solidarity, which shows that the Caribbean nation is not alone.
Lenin Gonzalez Batista, director of EMSUME, pointed out that a total of 30,000 sutures and 10,000 electrodes were received and will be distributed according to the priorities established by the Ministry of Public Health.
Gonzalez Batista highlighted that these resources are of great importance because they come at a time when the measures that the U.S. government has established against the nation are being strongly felt.
Aranelis Barban Rodriguez, national ideological secretary of the CDR, commented to the Cuban News Agency that this event is part of the tasks promoted by the organization to facilitate collaboration between Cuba and the world.
This action took place in the framework of the activities carried out for the 65th anniversary of the CDR, which will be celebrated on September 28, she concluded.
Havana, May 13 (Prensa Latina) Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez today denounced the United States’ double standards in once again including the island on the list of countries that do not cooperate against terrorism, a designation he described as “fraudulent.”
Through the social network X, Rodríguez pointed out that the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio — “known for lying to justify his measures against the Cuban people” — ordered the re-inclusion of Cuba on the list of countries that do not cooperate with the United States’ anti-terrorist efforts.
The minister recalled that “in 2024, intelligence agencies in that country presented evidence to the contrary.”
Rodríguez also questioned the U.S. government’s failure to take action against those who organize, finance, and carry out terrorist attacks against Cuba with impunity from the United States.
The foreign minister reiterated that the Washington government’s double standards are “widely recognized” and described it as “the country of unilateral, arbitrary, and fraudulent lists.”
He also suggested that Washington could create “a list of lying and corrupt politicians paid by special interests.”
With Tuesday’s decision, the new U.S. administration of Donald Trump reverses the measure adopted by his predecessor, Joe Biden, who removed the island from the list on May 15, arguing that the circumstances for Cuba’s certification as a “totally non-cooperative country” had changed.
On April 18, Granma newspaper published an article about a clinical trial in patients with solid tumors involving a new drug: non-alpha IL-2 Mutein. The study is being conducted at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Clinical and Surgical Hospital in Havana. According to Dr. Vilma Fleites Calvo, an oncology specialist at the aforementioned institution, positive results have been obtained so far.
The Granma article clarifies that the ongoing research aims to “verify the safety and efficacy of an escalating dose” of the drug, obtained at the Center for Molecular Immunology (CIM). The patients participating in this study are in an advanced stage of their disease and have already undergone other treatments.
What is non-alpha IL-2 Mutein? How does this drug work? What impact might it have on cancer patients? How long is the road ahead? We will discuss these topics in this article.
History of a drug
Whenever we talk about a new drug, I like to highlight the decades of research required to achieve a scientific breakthrough, the fruit of the work of a team of extremely talented and dedicated people. This case is no exception.
The first reference to the product currently being studied at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital is the patent application filed in June 2011 with the World Intellectual Property Organization. It was conducted by the CIM and a group of researchers led by Dr. Kalet León Monzón.
Of course, the patent did not refer to the finished product, but to a group of polypeptides with immunomodulatory properties derived from interleukin 2 (IL-2), developed for use in the treatment of cancer and chronic infections. Polypeptides are molecules composed of amino acids, which are the substances that make up proteins. On the other hand, the fact that they have “immunomodulatory properties” means that they are capable of acting on the immune system, modifying its activity for the benefit of patients.
To fully understand what we are talking about, we must refer to IL-2. It is a protein produced by T lymphocytes, which are the body’s defensive cells and whose function is to increase the production and activity of this same cell group.
According to a specialized article, IL-2 was discovered in 1976 and named “T cell growth factor.” This molecule is composed of three chains, named alpha, beta, and gamma. These chains function as arms that connect with receptors on the membrane of immune cells, initiating a set of cellular response mechanisms on which their function depends.
IL-2 was approved in 1992 for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, an aggressive type of cancer that affects the kidneys, and then, in 1998, for metastatic melanoma, a skin cancer. However, its effects, although positive in some cases, did not meet the expectations of the scientific community.
According to an article published in the journal Anales de la Academia de Ciencias de Cuba, patients with renal and epithelial carcinomas only benefit in 15 to 30% of cases. This is because IL-2, in addition to enhancing the action of effector lymphocytes — which have strictly defensive functions — also activates regulatory lymphocytes, whose main function is to limit the activity of the former. In other words, it would be like simultaneously turning the immune system on and off in a cancer patient.
Additionally, the drug’s safety profile is poor, as the adverse effects are intense and, in many cases, require discontinuation of treatment. This was the motivation of the Cuban research team when developing this group of candidate substances: to achieve a drug that combines safety and effectiveness for the treatment of various oncological pathologies.
Non-alpha IL-2 mutein
A key element in the functioning of this molecule is the different degree of affinity of the alpha, beta and gamma chains with the different types of T lymphocytes. It is known that the alpha chains induce the activation and proliferation of regulatory lymphocytes, while the beta and gamma chains act preferentially on effector lymphocytes, that is, those that act directly against cancer cells and infectious agents.
What did the Cuban researchers do? Using bioinformatics techniques, they developed a series of candidates and then determined which one was best suited to becoming a drug.
Why is it called a “mutein”? Because during the production process, a mutation was induced in the DNA chain of the genes that encode the “wild protein,” that is, the IL-2 that we all have in our bodies. In this case, the DNA sequence was modified in four locations, resulting in a molecule that retained most of its structure but was sufficiently distinct from the original to acquire new properties. This was explained in an article published in June 2013 in The Journal of Immunology.
The mutations were concentrated in the alpha chain, resulting in a lower affinity of regulatory T cell (Treg) receptors for the mutein, compared to wild-type IL-2 (IL-2S), hence its name “non-alpha.” In contrast, in another experiment, the non-alpha IL-2 mutein showed similar behavior to IL-2S in activating effector T cells.
Later, the antimetastatic effect of the mutein was evaluated in experimental mice, and its effect was found to be superior to that of IL-2S. This result was repeated in other experimental models, reinforcing the conviction of the usefulness of this drug. Finally, the safety of the mutein was compared with IL-2S, and it was observed that it induced far fewer adverse effects in treated mice.
The hypothesis that this effect was due to the non-alpha mutein’s ability to alter the ratio of effector and regulatory lymphocytes was confirmed in a new study published in 2022 in the journal Frontiers in Immunology. In this case, equal doses of mutein and IL-2S were used, and it was found that mice treated with mutein had 23% more effector T cells than those treated with IL-2S. In contrast, Treg levels increased in mice that received IL-2S.
Other encouraging results of this study were the demonstration that the mutein is capable of reducing tumor growth, decreasing metastatic activity, and improving survival in mice with cancer.
A long road ahead
With all of the above, the doors were open for the next phase of research: testing the mutein in humans. And that’s where it is currently at.
From a rational standpoint, it seems logical to assume that this drug will offer good results in terms of its ability to reduce tumor and metastatic activity. Furthermore, it is expected to have a favorable safety profile, with few adverse reactions, which would allow its use in a large number of patients.
However, all of this remains to be proven. The non-alpha mutein still has a long way to go, during which it will have to confirm whether the expectations placed on it are met. We will have to wait for new results to be published. Although work on this product has been going on for more than fifteen years, it would not be unreasonable to assume that in no less than five years it could be submitted for approval by the Cuban regulatory agency and the other 16 countries where CIM holds its patent. That’s how science works.
Cuban doctors arrive in South Africa in 2020 to support efforts to curb COVID-19. Credit: Flickr/governmentza (CC BY-ND 2.0)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wants to end Cuba’s international medical brigades, which have provided essential healthcare to millions of people across the globe. On Feb. 25, Rubio restricted the visas of anyone involved in Cuba’s overseas medical missions. This includes doctors, their families, and foreign officials who work with Cuban doctors.
Rubio claims that the medical missions — which provide essential health care to millions of people across the Global South — are actually “forced labor” in disguise. On April 7, Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez went a step further, claiming that the United States should impose sanctions on foreign governments that have benefited from Cuba’s medical missions. These escalations in U.S. aggression towards Cuba represent a threat to international health, and have already been condemned by multiple foreign governments.
Cuba’s history of medical internationalism
Cuba’s medical missions are the crown jewel in their commitment to socialist internationalism. After the socialist revolution in 1959, the Cuban government immediately began making massive investments in education and scientific research. Since then, Cuba has had free universal healthcare, free medical schools, and medical and biotechnology research has been entirely government-funded. Today, they have the highest doctors per capita in the world. Even though crippling U.S. sanctions prohibit access to needed medicine and equipment, Cuba has a higher life expectancy and lower infant mortality rate than the U.S. And since the early years of socialist construction, Cuba has not limited the gains of the revolution to itself–it shares them with the world.
Just four years after the revolution, Cuba sent its first medical mission to Algeria. After Algeria won independence from French colonizers, it found itself in a healthcare crisis. A team of 54 Cuban healthcare workers volunteered to help fill the gap left by the departure of French doctors. In the decades since, Cuba has sent over 600,000 healthcare professionals to over 160 countries. This includes short-term emergency deployments after natural disasters, vaccination campaigns, and extended stays to help fill systemic healthcare gaps.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Cuba offered to send over 1,500 doctors and 36 tons of medicine to the U.S. Not only did the Bush administration allow nearly 1,400 Americans to die due to their inadequate disaster response, but they also refused Cuba’s offer of solidarity. In defiance of U.S. aggression and to the benefit of the world, Cuba then doubled down on its medical internationalism after Katrina. Castro renamed the medical missions “the Henry Reeves International Contingent of Doctors Specialized in Disasters and Serious Epidemics.” Henry Reeves was an American soldier who fought in Cuba’s first war for independence in 1876. Shortly after Katrina, Cuba sent 27 brigades to 19 countries.
The Henry Reeves brigades focus on underserved communities and building solidarity between peoples impacted by imperialism. After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the 2013 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, Cuban doctors were first responders. Starting in 2013, Cuba sent 8,500 doctors to Brazil to provide free healthcare to rural indigenous communities. Thanks in large part to this program, the child mortality rate dropped by up to 10% in some parts of rural Brazil. When right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro took power in 2018, he banished Cuban doctors, which threatened the health care of 28 million people.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of countries called on Cuba for support. By September 2020, Cuba sent over 4,000 doctors to 40 countries. In poor countries like Haiti, Jamaica, and Togo, Cuban aid helped form the backbone of national COVID response. While the U.S. hoarded vaccines and intellectual property, Cuba produced five vaccines and shared them with other underresourced and sanctioned countries. Domestically, Cuba had a significantly lower mortality rate and higher vaccination rate than the U.S..
Many countries who receive Cuban doctors pay both the doctors and the Cuban government. The crippling U.S. blockade prevents Cuba from accessing foreign banks or trading with any country that trades with the U.S., meaning that the Henry Reeves Brigades are one of the only ways Cuba can access much-needed foreign capital. Cuba also exchanges medical services for goods, for example, Venezuela exchanges subsidized oil. The income from Cuba’s medical brigades are reinvested into its healthcare system and other public services.
However, Cuba continues to send completely free brigades to countries in need, and also treats foreign patients in Cuban hospitals. In 2004, they launched a program called “Operación Milagro” (Operation Miracle) in partnership with socialist Venezuela that has provided millions of free eye surgeries to people with reversible blindness. They also welcome foreign medical students to study free of charge at their acclaimed medical schools, including students from the U.S..
Given Cuba’s widespread commitment to global health, it’s no surprise that dozens of countries — including many U.S. allies — have come to Cuba’s defense since February. The leaders of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica recently emphasized the importance of Cuban medical brigades to their countries and denied allegations of “forced labor” and “human trafficking.”
Every accusation is a confession
Rubio’s claim that Cuban doctors are victims of “forced labor” is entirely unfounded. The program is completely voluntary. The Cuban socialist education system emphasizes compassion and collective care, and after receiving free medical training, many Cubans are inspired to continue their country’s legacy of internationalism. Cuban doctors actually make more money abroad than they do in Cuba, which they can use to support themselves and their families. The fact that the Cuban government is also paid for the missions is an added bonus, because it ensures that Cuba can continue to strengthen its healthcare system and other services for the people.
In fact, many of Rubio’s claims about Cuba would better describe healthcare in the U.S. Rubio states that Cuban medical missions “deprive ordinary Cubans of the medical care they desperately need in their own country.” Actually, 100% of Cubans receive free healthcare because it is treated as a universal human right under the socialist system. In contrast, 45% of Americans struggle to access healthcare. This is because under U.S. capitalism, private insurance companies, hospital corporations, and Big Pharma are allowed to make trillions of dollars in profits selling healthcare as a commodity. In fact, two-thirds of people who declare bankruptcy in the U.S. cite medical bills as the primary cause.
Rubio himself is a staunch supporter of Trump’s moves to privatize Medicare, fire thousands of public health workers, and slash Medicaid by $880 billion, policies which will deprive tens of millions of Americans of healthcare in the name of reducing government spending. Yet Cuba spends about one tenth of what the U.S. does per person on healthcare and has better outcomes. They are able to save money and resources by focusing on preventative care. Neighborhood-based “polyclinics” offer primary care and diagnostic services, and doctors also make house visits. Doctors are intimately integrated into the communities where they work and prioritize fostering trust with their patients. Contrastingly, the American healthcare system is inefficient, impersonal, and neglects preventative care, leading to rampant mistrust of medical professionals.
End the blockade!
The only thing depriving Cubans of needed healthcare is the inhumane U.S. blockade. Because of the U.S.’s all-encompassing trade restrictions, Cuba cannot import medical supplies like syringes, pacemakers, and basic medications. Patents and export restrictions necessitate the development of their own pharmaceuticals. In addition to medicine, the blockade prevents Cubans from accessing basic needs like imported food, fuel, and building materials. The country is sent into frequent nationwide blackouts because they cannot repair the electricity grid. The U.S. has severely sanctioned Cuba since the socialist revolution, and Trump’s policies have been even more suffocating.
Ending the U.S. blockade on Cuba is a life-or-death matter, not just for Cubans, but for people who benefit from Cuban doctors worldwide. Working-class people in the U.S. must stand with the people of Cuba against imperialist aggression and the economic war at home.
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The Lawrence Herbert School Of Communication, Department of Economics and the Hofstra Cultural Center presents:
¡Basta ya! Why the U.S. Blockade Against Cuba Must End
In this roundtable discussion, we will hear back from the Hofstra students and faculty members who participated in the Hofstra Study Abroad Program to Havana in January 2025. We will explore the long history of the U.S. strategy of regime change in Cuba since the triumph of the revolution in 1959, and provide a systematic overview of the economic, political, and information stranglehold that both Republican and Democratic administrations have applied to Cuba, resulting in an ever-expanding crisis for the people on the island.
With the participation of several student members of the Hofstra in Cuba trip, alongside Hofstra University professors Mario A. Murillo, vice dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, and Dr. Conrad Herold, professor of Economics.
Organized by the Center for Civic Engagement, as part of Global Justice Day, in collaboration with the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program
Location: Guthart Cultural Center Theater, Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, First Floor, South Campus
This event is FREE and open to the public. Advance registration is required.
Since the dawn of the Cuban Revolution, the United States implemented measures to undermine the new Revolutionary Government at all costs.
The reduction of oil supplies, the refusal to refine Soviet crude oil, and the elimination of the sugar quota were just the beginning of what would become the longest genocide in history.
The Cuban government’s willingness to act independently and implement economic and social changes in favor of the majority was considered a true insult, a stumbling block in the path of the empire’s supremacist and hegemonic dreams.
It was then, in April 1960, that Lester D. Mallory, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, outlined, in a secret memorandum, the essence of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade that would be imposed unilaterally two years later.
A coldly conceived strategy aimed at plunging the Cuban people into misery, with the aim of making them see the transformative process as unviable and blame their misfortunes on the Revolutionary Government, rather than those truly responsible in Washington.
Through the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the US President was authorized to establish and maintain a total “embargo” on trade with Cuba, in addition to prohibiting any type of aid to the island’s government. On February 7, 1962, then-President John F. Kennedy, invoking Section 620a of that legal instrument, declared a total blockade against Cuba.
We Cubans know a lot about what happened since then; above all, how, from one administration to another, its monstrosity has been sustained, and, one might even say, how each has placed a distinctive stamp of cruelty on it, as amply demonstrated by the current occupant of the White House.
During Donald Trump’s first administration, the policy of hostility reached unprecedented levels. More than 240 actions were recorded to intensify the blockade, designed to generate ungovernability and overthrow the Revolution.
Nothing changed during Biden’s term, whose timid positive actions quickly collapsed after Trump’s return.
The intention is clear and well known: to switch off much more than our homes. Its ultimate goal is to switch off our dreams, our confidence in the Revolution, and, above all, our freedom.
Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSi Translation Staff
“Buena Vista Social Club,”the musical telling of the story behind the landmark Afro-Cuban jazz album of the same name, will embark on a North American tour next year. The tour will launch in Buffalo in September 2026, with planned stops in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and many other cities. Casting, exact dates and additional cities will be announced at a later date.
“It is an incredible honor to bring “Buena Vista Social Club” to Shea’s Performing Arts Center as the first stop on its tour,” said Albert Nocciolino, President & CEO of NAC Entertainment, in a statement. “We’re proud that Buffalo audiences will be the first to experience this brilliant, electrifying production where live music is the heart of the show, and with exceptional performances that honor the Buena Vista Social Club legacy.”
“Buena Vista Social Club”is currently nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including for Best Musical. It features a book by Marco Ramirez and choreography by Justin Peck and Patricia Delgado. Saheem Ali directs.
Step into the heart of Cuba, beyond the glitz of the Tropicana, to a place where blazing trumpets and sizzling guitars set the dance floor on fire. Here, the sound of Havana is born—and one woman’s remarkable journey begins. A tale of survival, second chances and the extraordinary power of music, “Buena Vista Social Club”brings the Grammy-winning album to thrilling life and tells the story of the legends who lived it.
At a hearing before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Robert Destro said U.S. “democracy promotion” programs aimed at toppling the Cuban government haven’t brought “much progress.”
May 10 (teleSUR) Robert F. Prevost Martínez, now Roman Pontiff, walked the streets of Havana, Ciego de Ávila, Las Tunas, Holguín and other Cuban provinces.
From the Parish of San José in Puerto Padre, Las Tunas, Cuba, residents were thrilled to discover the name of the man chosen by the 2025 Conclave to fulfill the immense task of Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church. For the people of Puerto Padre, the cardinal’s name was familiar and much loved.
Robert Francis Prevost Martínez was then Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine when he visited the Caribbean island for the second time in February 2011, spending the night at the home of Manuel Miguel Hallal, at 31 Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Street, in the Villazulina city of Puerto Padre.
“(…) I am a very simple person, just like the Pope, and it gave me a great feeling to know that he spent one night under the roof of my house sharing with me,” said this resident in an interview with teleSUR collaborator Yordanis Rodríguez Laurencio, who went to meet him after the expected announcement.
The resident remembers Prevost Martínez fondly and asserts that “God puts things in their place,” referring to his pontificate. “Before going to sleep, I offered him coffee, and he said I should give him a little. We stayed up talking at the two front desks. He asked me how long I had been a lay member of the Church, and I told him since I was baptized,” he remarked emotionally.
he resident remembers Prevost Martínez fondly and asserts that “God puts things in their place,” referring to his pontificate. “Before going to sleep, I offered him coffee, and he said I should give him a little. We stayed up talking at the two front desks. He asked me how long I had been a lay member of the Church, and I told him since I was baptized,” he remarked emotionally.
For his part, Monsignor Emilio Aranguren, Bishop of the city of Holguín, recalls having the opportunity to share with the current Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, after meeting him on a visit to Rome in 2005. They became friends and he informed him of the “need for priests we had in the Diocese” of Holguín.
“He’s a very simple, very natural person ,” he states calmly. The Monsignor recounts that upon hearing the news, he was surprised, bowed his head, and prayed for him, writing him a message in which he first called him “Holy Father” and then “dear brother .” He thanked him for his “yes” to the Church, a “yes” that would allow him to visit Cuban soil again, now as Pontiff.
Aranguren recounted that they recently met twice, first at a meeting of the Latin American Episcopal Council in Puerto Rico in 2024, and then in Rome in September of last year, where Prevost was already present following an invitation from Pope Francis. The Holguín native attended this last meeting accompanied by the Bishop of Pinar del Río (a province in western Cuba) and met him at the Dicastery, where, of course, “they talked about Cuba.”
For his part, the priest from Puerto Padre, Emilio Rafael Fernández, believes that for the universal Church, “the fact that the Holy Father continues to have that Latin American imprint is a blessing ,” and he asserts that they consider Leo XIV to be the ideal person, and that he is the one the Holy Spirit has given them.
With the Pope’s footprints in Puerto Padre, these Cubans are more deeply connected to their faith and are grateful that the Church is now led by a simple and humble brother.
Moscow, May 9 (Prensa Latina) Shortly before concluding his official visit to the Russian Federation today, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel held a cordial meeting in Moscow with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
The Cuban leader said that together with Xi, they reviewed the excellent state of ties between the two parties and governments and agreed on ways to strengthen them, on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
After the meeting, Díaz-Canel concluded his official visit to the Eurasian nation, where he held emotional meetings and promising talks. At Vnukovo Airport in the Russian capital, he was bid farewell by the Slavic country’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov.
The final day of the visit to Russia began with his participation in the impressive military parade and ceremony held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War.
In this regard, the president said on the social network X that it was an honor to share the platform with heroes of the Great Patriotic War, with the brave people of Russia, with its president, Vladimir Putin, and other world leaders.
During his stay in the Russian capital, Díaz-Canel held a round of negotiations with Putin, where they reviewed the progress of current bilateral agreements and medium- and long-term plans for political, economic, and commercial cooperation.
He also met with the deputy head of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, who highlighted the development of ties between the two countries, which he considered a solid foundation of friendship, solidarity, and mutual respect.
The head of state also laid a wreath at the monument to the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, in Sokol Park in the Russian capital.
At another meeting, Gennady Zyuganov, Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, awarded him the commemorative medal for the 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory.
Díaz-Canel, along with the President of the Federation Council (Senate), Valentina Matvienko, inaugurated an exhibition dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Cuba.
He also met with members of the Caribbean nation’s state mission in Moscow, visited the Moskvich automobile factory, and, along with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, paid tribute to the Liberator Simón Bolívar in the square named after the hero in Moscow’s Gagarin region.
That same day he met with the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill, at the Danilov Monastery.
The Cuban head of state’s visit to Russia began in St. Petersburg, where he paid tribute to the city’s defenders during the Nazi blockade and also visited scientific, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence development centers.
