Cuba to Continue Allowing Tax-Free Imports of Certain Items

The Cuban Government is once again extending the tariff benefit for non-commercial traveler imports of foodstuffs, toiletries, medicines and electricity generation equipment. The regulations for such tariff exemptions were published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2 on January 29, 2025.

“I Will Not Be Silent”: Released 11J Prisoners Speak Out

According to Justicia 11J, approximately 35 female political prisoners remain behind bars. Many of them participated in the July 11, 2021, protests and other protests in subsequent years.

What Will Happen in Cuba with the MLC in 2025?

At the end of December 2024, several people wrote to elTOQUE expressing concerns about rumors regarding a possible elimination of the magnetic MLC for shopping in government stores priced in US dollars.

What’s Behind the Cooking Gas Shortage in Cuba?

Cooking with firewood or going hungry seems to be the dilemma for many Cuban families who endure more than 15 hours of power outages daily.

The Salary of a Cuban Baseball Player Buys a Carton of Eggs

Two events this past week pointed to the deteriorating (economically speaking) state of sports and athletes in Cuba. A situation that is not new, but that repeats itself year after year without a medium or short-term solution.

Biden Removes Cuba from List of State Sponsors of Terrorism

In a surprise move, the Biden administration removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. According to Martí Noticias, in exchange, the Cuban government promised to release political prisoners.

Osvel Barzagas: A Free Cuban in Mexico’s Zocalo

Amid the chaos of the Zocalo, Mexico City’s central plaza, Cuban Osvel Barzagas was free. He didn’t know if he was happy, but yes, he was free.

January 10, The Decisive Day for Venezuela Has Arrived

Venezuelan citizens took to the streets on Thursday January 9th to defend Edmundo Gonzalez’s electoral victory of July 28, 2024. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado called for nationwide demonstrations to support Gonzalez’s potential inauguration on January 10.

Supermarkets in USD in Cuba: The Prince and the Pauper

The opening of the new supermarket 3ra y 70, located under the Gran Muthu Habana Hotel, dominated the headlines of Cuba’s independent press in the first days of 2025. Social media reactions, citizen reports, and press coverage highlight the widespread indignation among Cubans over the store’s policy: purchases can only be made with cash in foreign currency or international and certain domestic cards.

What Lessons Does 2024 Leave the Private Sector in Cuba?

In December 2023, during his speech to the National Assembly, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz promised that in 2024, the “mechanisms for supervision and regulation of the governmental control system over the private sector” would improve. 

What We Keep Quiet at Christmas

There is something about Christmas that has always seemed magical to me: the little trees, the parties, the lights in the windows, and that feeling that time pauses a bit to remind us of what truly matters. 

Cuban Government Says It Wants to Dollarize to De-Dollarize

Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, presented an update on the government’s plan and projections for 2025 at the National Assembly of People’s Power on December 18, 2024. In his over two-hour intervention, he emphasized the increased use of dollarization as a strategy to generate foreign currency.

What Changes with the New Internet Rates in Cuba?

The Cuban government needs dollars. The Telecommunications Company of Cuba (Etecsa) can provide them. The equation seems straightforward: the people in Cuba and their emigrant relatives endure, face challenges, and pay.

Promises of the Cuban Government for 2025

During the onset of the current session of Cuba’s National Assembly, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero spoke about the results of the government’s management in 2024, a year when Cuba’s crisis worsened significantly, and the measures they plan to implement in 2025.

Contaminated Fish and Vegetables in Villa Clara, Cuba

The contamination of the Belico and Cubanicay rivers, which border the center of Villa Clara, has a long history. One of the first lessons families in the area teach their children is that the surrounding rivers “are not good for swimming.”