Cuba

This year's celebration for 1st May is highly symbolic: government has called for a march this under the slogan "The Homeland Defends Itself" with the main event at the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Tribune in an openly anti-American tone

FITCuba 2026 International Tourism Fair will be held on 7-9 May in a format that combines virtual professional management and in-person exchanges at Josone Park in Varadero; this year's edition is highly anticipated from Cuban and international operators

Cuba's National Botanical Garden, affiliated with the University of Havana and considered the world's largest, will close "until further notice" due to lack of minimum amount of 10.000 diesel liter/month necessary for operation, said an official statement

The first shipment of international aid arrived in Cuba from Europe, with five tons of medical supplies and international Convoy to Cuba is on the way with more of essential items; meanwhile the energy crisis resulted in the second nationwide blackout

Empty gas stations and packed bus stops are reported in Santiago de Cuba as the transportation crisis worsens; horse-drawn carriages and bicycle taxis are keeping transportation afloat in Baracoa, but many must manage on foot

Cuba is at the center of international attention: pressure from the US to halt support to the island is worsening its economic crisis; Air Canada evacuated tourists and stopped inbound flights for lack of fuel, Chile will provide humanitarian monetary aid

Forecasts are being made for a poor 2026 sugar harvest, described by authorities as "a complex scenario, which requires evaluating supplies"; Cuban economy hasn't yet recovered from a disastrous 2025 harvest, one of the lowest in history

Work in 2025 was characterized by precariousness, informality and loss of purchasing power according to ASIC, the Cuban Association of Construction Companies, in a labor framework that lacks both basic international standards and signs of improvement

Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, grandson of Cuban general Raul Castro, has become a frequent visitor to Panama, using private planes for his travels; it has been confirmed that he has visited the country many times in recent years, at least ten in 2025

Havana authorities have measured in cubic meters the volume of garbage in the streets, with people hoping they would collect it, as data was used for a study to "plan better" that would involve support from the private sector

Former North Korean ambassador to Cuba revealed that the embassy was a base of a smuggling ring; cigars would allegedly bought for $50 a box, put in the diplomatic pouch, and sold abroad for much higher prices