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☆ Cuba Charges 30 Over Massive Chicken Heist
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba has charged 30 people for stealing 133 tonnes of chicken and selling them on the street in a rare major heist at a time of food shortages in the communist-run nation. The chicken had been earmarked for Cuba`s "rationbook" system introduced after the late Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution to provide subsidized staples for all. Rigoberto Mustelier, director of government food distributor COPMAR, said the quantity stolen was the equivalent of a month`s ration of chicken for a medium-sized province at current distribution rates. The amount of chicken available via the rationbook has fallen sharply in recent years as economic crisis has brought scarcities of food, fuel and medicines. Authorities did not say when the chicken theft took place, but noted it likely occurred between midnight and 2 a.m., when they detected fluctuations in the temperature of the cold storage facility.

Persons: Fidel Castro's, Rigoberto Mustelier, Dave Sherwood, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: TV, Authorities Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, Havana, Cuban

☆ Cuban President Sacks Economy Minister as Controversy Grows Over Price Hikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel sacked economy minister Alejandro Gil on Friday, state media reported, as controversy continued to grow over the delay of recently announced measures to hike the price of fuel and transportation fares in the communist-run country. The Council of State, under Diaz-Canel`s direction, has appointed Central Bank president Joaquín Alonso, 60, to replace Gil. The upheaval comes just two days after the government put off an unpopular five-fold hike in gasoline prices planned for Feb. 1, saying a cyberattack from outside Cuba had thwarted implementation. Former economy minister Gil had advocated for the unpopular plan to raise prices for many government subsidized services, and has long been criticized for his management of the country`s near-bankrupt economy. Gil's planned price hikes, initially announced in December and early January, rocked Cuba, where residents have long depended on a vast program of state subsidized food, fuel and medicine.

Persons: Miguel Díaz, Canel, Alejandro Gil, Diaz, Joaquín Alonso, Gil, Elba Rosa Perez, Eduardo Martinez, Alberto Lopez, Manuel Santiago Sobrino, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: of State, Central Bank, Technology, Food Industry Ministry Locations: HAVANA, Cuban, Cuba, Santa Clara

☆ EU human rights envoy in Cuba to discuss aftermath of 2021 protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

European Union's Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, speaks during a meeting with Cuban authorities in Havana, Cuba, November 24, 2023. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, on a visit to Cuba earlier this year, announced Gilmore`s visit but told reporters the EU would not "impose" demands on the island`s government. Rights groups say around 1,000 Cubans were jailed for their political beliefs following the demonstrations and several subsequent protests. "No one is convicted for their political opinions," Cuba`s foreign ministry said prior to Gilmore`s visit on social media. "We call on the Cuban government to respect the human rights of everyone, including the rights of political prisoners and those unjustly detained."

Persons: Eamon Gilmore, Alexandre Meneghini, Gilmore, Josep Borrell, Fidel Castro's, Luis Barrios Díaz, la Torre, Barrios Diaz `, Dave Sherwood, Alien Fernandez Organizations: Human Rights, Cuban, REUTERS, Rights, EU, European Union, U.S, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, Rights HAVANA, United States, EU, Cuban

[1/4] Karolina Vasquez Ramirez plays with her dogs Bingo and Dasha in her home before departing to the airport, in Havana, Cuba, October 25, 2023. It has been very cumbersome," said Osorio, who helped Cuban migrant Karolina Vazquez reunite with her dogs Bingo and Sasha in the United States. "Many of the migrants still cannot come (back to Cuba) and so they rely on third parties to send them their pet." The U.S., the top destination for migrants, has placed Cuba on a list of countries with a high risk of dog rabies, adding additional hoops to the process. Cuba does not have a U.S.-approved laboratory, Vidal told Reuters, which means rabies blood tests must be sent abroad for analysis.

Persons: Karolina Vasquez Ramirez, Dasha, Carlos Carrillo, Nathalie Osorio, Osorio, Karolina Vazquez, Sasha, Maria Gloria Vidal, Vidal, Alien Fernandez, Anett Rios, Dave Sherwood, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Cuba's National Center for Animal Sanitation, Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, Rights HAVANA, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, chihuahua, Cuban, United States, U.S

☆ Cuba blames US sanctions for fomenting irregular migration amid exodus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The United States - the top destination for Cuban migrants -in 2022 renewed talks with Cuba and has since increased legal pathways to migration for Cubans, including visa access in Havana, family reunification and humanitarian parole programs aimed at stemming illegal migration. But the problem won't go away, said Cuban vice foreign minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, until the United States eases sanctions on the island, which Cuba blames for devastating its already-ailing state-run economy. "For the United States, the priority of destabilizing Cuba continues to take precedence over its interest in protecting its borders in terms of migration," de Cossio told reporters following the talks. The U.S. says the sanctions are necessary to promote human rights and fundamental liberties in Cuba and that it makes exceptions for humanitarian purposes. Reporting by Nelson Acosta; editing by Dave Sherwood and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yireht, Yanara, Adrees Latif, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, de Cossio, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Cuban, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Cuba, Rio, United States, Mexico, Eagle Pass , Texas, U.S, Rights HAVANA, Havana, Cuban, Caribbean

☆ Help Wanted: Cuba's government turns to growing diaspora for investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

This migration wave includes many young people and "is having the greatest impact in history in terms of demographics, because of its composition," said Ernesto Soberon, director of Consular Affairs for the Cuban Foreign Ministry. Cuban expats have already invested in bed-and-breakfasts, eateries and other activities on the island, but Cuba would like to see more capital flow, he said. The conference is expected to attract Cubans living off island but with favorable views of their home country, including businesspeople, economists, and members of foreign resident associations. Around 2.5 million Cubans and their descendents now live off the island, Soberon said. "That will ultimately raise their standard of living so that they want to spend their lives here in Cuba and not abroad," he said.

Persons: Marco Bello, Ernesto Soberon, Soberon, Fidel Castro, Castro, Joe Biden, Dave Sherwood, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Consular Affairs, Cuban Foreign Ministry, U.S, Cuban, Thomson Locations: Cuban, Cuba, Miami , Florida, U.S, Rights HAVANA, Caribbean, Havana

☆ Cuban clock maker keeps on ticking despite economic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Cuban watchmaker Ernesto Barrios saw an opportunity to make up for lost time two years ago after authorities lifted a ban on private companies that had been in place since shortly after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. "We don't have to import any of our materials," he said. "Years ago there was a great diversity of Russian watches in Cuba and today that watch market is empty," he said. His "Made in Cuba" watches, he said, are on display in various hotels in Havana, as well as in some stores in the Cuban capital. Reporting by Nelson Acosta, editing by Dave Sherwood and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ernesto Barrios, Fidel Castro's, Luz, Barrios, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuban, Cuba, wristwatches, Havana, Soviet Union

☆ As crisis deepens, Cubans scramble to migrate by any means
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The crowded terminal, a launch point for Cubans making their way by air to Nicaragua then overland to the United States, is one barometer of the frenzy to migrate from the communist-run island nation. For many, like Echavarria and his wife, it has also become a last resort as Cuba's economic crisis deepens with no end in sight. 'I GOT LUCKY'Artist Ernesto Perez, 51, told Reuters he had waited since 2015 for his turn to enter the United states legally under a family reunification program. Cuba blames the long-running U.S. trade embargo and Trump-era sanctions for fueling the economic crisis and the exodus of more than 400,000 Cubans leaving for the United States in the last two years. For many Cubans, however, Nicaragua remains the only viable option for getting off the island, said Yoany Bilbao, a 28-year old auto mechanic.

Persons: Alexandre Meneghini, Echavarria, Olga, Joe Biden, Alain Ferguson, Ferguson, Ernesto Perez, Perez, Brian Nichols, Yoany, Dave Sherwood, Ted Hesson, Ismael Lopez, Alien Fernandez, Mario Fuentes, Nelson Acosta, Mica Rosenberg, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, U.S, Central America, West, CBP, United, Trump, Senior U.S . Department of State, Thomson Locations: Panama, Havana, Cuba, Rights HAVANA, Havana's, Nicaragua, United States, Central, U.S, Florida, Mexico, Washington, San Jose

☆ Cuba seeks foreign investment, thumbing nose at US sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Cuba hosted a business fair with over 800 companies from more than 60 countries on Monday as it lobbied for new investments, thumbing its nose at U.S. sanctions that have long spooked foreign companies from engaging with the communist-run island. "Today we work ...to minimize the negative impact of the economic, financial and commercial blockade," said Cuba foreign trade minister Ricardo Cabrisas at the forum's opening event. Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel told attendees "massive" participation at the fair this year was proof of business confidence in Cuba. The trade fair includes promotional stands from countries ranging from Spain to Russia, Iran and China. Foreign companies also complain that local regulations, bureaucracy and problems with the peso currency and payments also bog down business in Cuba.

Persons: Ricardo Cabrisas, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Diaz, Jay Brickman, Biden, Hugo Cancio, Cancio, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Miami, U.S, DeCancio, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, U.S, Cuban, Spain, Russia, Iran, China

☆ Building collapse in Havana kills at least one, others trapped
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, Oct 4 (Reuters) - A building partially collapsed in the Cuban capital Havana on Tuesday night, killing at least one person and leaving at least two others trapped beneath the rubble, the municipal government said. The collapse in the Old Havana tourist district gutted the insides of the decrepit building that was home to 13 families and 54 people. It wrenched terraces off its facade and trapped many people beneath piles of rubble and rebar. One person had been killed and two others were hospitalized in critical condition, the municipal government said in a statement. The building collapse is the latest in a series of disasters that have beset crisis-racked Cuba, including a gas explosion that destroyed Havana´s Saratoga Hotel in 2022 and a massive tank farm fire in Matanzas, an hour east of the capital, several months later.

Persons: Rene Mesa Villafaña, Dave Sherwood, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Havana, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuban, Old Havana, Cuba, Havana, Matanzas, U.S

☆ Special Report: How Cubans were recruited to fight for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

In La Federal, for example, all nine recruits identified by Reuters signed up to fight in the war. "We are deeply concerned by reports alleging young Cubans have been deceived and recruited to fight for Russia," the spokesperson said. In La Federal, word of the army work began to spread in June, according to the residents interviewed. The first line of the message states: "This is a contract with the Russian military by which you receive citizenship." He stressed that the people who signed up in La Federal knew they would be going to fight.

Persons: Dannys Castillo, Yamidely Cervantes, Enrique Gonzalez, Cervantes, husband Gonzalez, Gonzalez, Oleg Nikolenko, Vladimir Putin, Dayana, Cristian Hernandez, Viondi, Alina Gonzalez, Danilo, Roberto Sabori, Yasmani, MAMI, Mami, Luis Herlys Osorio, Nilda, Osorio, Havana didn't, Dave Sherwood, Alexandre Meneghini, Mario Fuentes, Carlos Carrillo, Matt Spetalnick, Tom Balmforth, Filipp Lebedev, Felix Light, Pravin Organizations: Reuters, La Federal, Federal, Russia, Kremlin, Cuban, U.S . State Department, Facebook, Dayana, Soviet, Pravin Char, Thomson Locations: Alamar, Havana, Cuba, La, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Russian, Tula, Crimea, Ukrainian, United States, Villa Maria, Cuban, U.S, America, Europe, Gonzalez, Varadero, Ryazan, Soviet, Angola, Africa, Washington

☆ US prepares measures to help Cuban small businesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Matt Spetalnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The Biden administration is preparing to unveil new regulatory measures to allow more U.S. financial support for small private businesses in Cuba, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday. The new measures could be rolled out while Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel is visiting New York for the United Nations General Assembly beginning on Tuesday. The official insisted that any U.S. steps to aid the Cuban people would be carried out "restricting to the furthest extent possible any benefit to the Cuban military." The Cuban embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The new measures could help facilitate a flow of U.S. loans.

Persons: Biden, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Diaz, Donald Trump, Trump, Barack Obama, Matt Spetalnick, Dave Sherwood, Sandra Maler Organizations: Cuban, United Nations General, State Department, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Cuba, Communist, New York, Cuban, Washington, Havana, U.S

☆ Cuba issues conflicting statements on use of its citizens in Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The apparently conflicting statements follow Cuban state-run and foreign media reports suggesting that young Cuban men have enlisted in the Kremlin´s military in recent months as mercenaries and victims in alleged human trafficking schemes. Cuba´s top diplomat in Moscow, Julio Antonio Garmendia Pena, told Russia´s state-run RIA news agency hours earlier on Thursday that those arrested in Cuba, all Cuban citizens, had been engaged in illegal activities and had broken the law. Cuba did not respond to Reuters inquiry regarding the apparently contradictory statements. Cuba's foreign ministry said last week the human trafficking network that authorities were now working to "neutralise and dismantle" had operated from Russia "to incorporate Cuban citizens living there, and even some from Cuba, into the military forces participating in war operations in Ukraine". Cuba has denied any involvement in the war in Ukraine.

Persons: Juan Medina, Bruno Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Cuba ´, Julio Antonio Garmendia Pena, Vladimir Putin, Maxim Rodionov, Dave Sherwood, Gareth Jones, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Cuban Foreign, Cuban, Russia, Cubans, Thomson Locations: Cuban, Cuba, Madrid, Spain, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Havana

REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHAVANA, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Cuba has uncovered a human trafficking ring that coerced its citizens to fight for Russia in the war in Ukraine, its foreign ministry said, adding that Cuban authorities were working to "neutralize and dismantle" the network. It was not immediately clear if the Cuban foreign ministry statement was associated with the Ryazan report. The defense ministers of Cuba and Russia earlier this year discussed the development of joint "technical military" projects at a meeting in Moscow. "Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine," the foreign ministry said late on Monday. Cuba said it had already begun prosecuting cases in which its citizens had been coerced into fighting in Ukraine.

Persons: Juan Medina, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Dave Sherwood, Marc Frank, Felix Light, Michael Perry, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Russia, Monday, Cuban, Thomson Locations: Cuban, Cuba, Madrid, Spain, Rights HAVANA, Ukraine, Caribbean, Moscow, Russia, Ryazan, Havana, Tbilisi

STEINHATCHEE, Florida, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Florida's Gulf Coast braced on Wednesday for fierce winds, torrential rain and surging seawater from Idalia, forecast to become "an extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane, as it swirled toward a direct hit on the state's Big Bend region. Most of Florida's 21 million residents, and many in the adjacent states of Georgia and South Carolina, were under hurricane warnings and other storm-related advisories. Any storm reaching Category 3 or higher is considered a major hurricane. 1 killer in all of these storms is water," Deanne Criswell, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's administrator, said on CNN. Idalia-related disruptions extended to Florida's Atlantic coast at Cape Canaveral, where the Tuesday launch of a rocket carrying a U.S. Space Force intelligence satellite was delayed indefinitely.

Persons: Kevin Guthrie, Rene Hoffman, Idalia, Steve Pizzano, Adrees Latif, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Irma, Michael, Ian, DeSantis, Milton Bontrager, Maria Alejandra Cardona, Marco Bello, Joey Roulette, Rich McKay, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Brad Brooks, Brendan O'Brien, Nandita Bose, Steve Gorman, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters Graphics Reuters, National Hurricane Center, NHC, REUTERS, Federal Emergency Management, CNN, White, Florida, Republican, U.S . Space Force, Tampa International Airport, National Guard, Thomson Locations: STEINHATCHEE, Florida, Idalia, Bend, Gulf of Mexico, Georgia, South Carolina, Steinhatchee , Florida, Miami, Cedar Key , Florida, Gulf Coast, North, Sarasota, Apalachicola Bay ., Clearwater Beach , Florida, U.S, Gulf, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Tampa, St, Petersburg, Cape Canaveral, Cuba, Tampa , Florida, Atlanta, Havana, Guanimar, Longmont , Colorado, Chicago, Washington

Aug 29 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Idalia closed in on Florida's Gulf Coast on Tuesday after skirting past Cuba, headed for a U.S. landfall as a powerful Category 3 storm, prompting authorities to order evacuations of vulnerable shoreline areas. [1/3]People walk on a flooded street as Storm Idalia makes landfall in Cuba, Guanimar, Cuba, August 28, 2023. MOVING TO HIGHER GROUNDEvacuations of barrier islands and other low-lying areas of Florida's Gulf Coast began on Monday. Far to the east of Idalia, Hurricane Franklin, the first major hurricane of the season, meandered in the Atlantic, and was forecast to turn to the northeast over the next two days. The Category 4 storm threatened to bring heavy swells to Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast throughout the week.

Persons: Idalia, Buckle, Ron DeSantis, Irma, Michael, Ian, Guan, Storm Idalia, Alexandre Meneghini, We've, Yadira Alvarez, Shannon Hartsfield, Hartsfield, DeSantis, Hurricane Franklin, Rich McKay, Dave Sherwood, Brendan O'Brien, Steve Gorman, Swati Verma, Lincoln Organizations: U.S, Hurricane Center, NHC, Storm, REUTERS, Authorities, Coast, Hartsfield, Tampa International, National Guard, meandered, U.S ., Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Florida's, Coast, Cuba, Miami, Bend, Florida, Gulf, Mexico, Sarasota, Tampa, Apalachicola Bay, Caribbean, Havana, Guanimar, Pinar del Rio, Florida's Gulf Coast, Georgia, North, South Carolina, Idalia, Hurricane, Bermuda, U.S . East Coast, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

Idalia was expected to intensify rapidly before slamming ashore on Wednesday morning, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC). SURGES UP TO 12 FEET HIGHMost of Florida's 21 million residents, along with many in Georgia and South Carolina, were under hurricane, tropical storm and storm surge warnings and advisories. "I don't panic, I prepare," said Bontrager, 40, who runs six sport and charter fishing boats in Venice along the Gulf Coast near Tampa. From Tuesday through Thursday, Florida's Gulf Coast along with southeastern Georgia and eastern portions of North and South Carolina could face torrential rains of 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm, the hurricane center warned. In some spots, the surge of water could rise 8 to 12 feet (2.5-3.7 m), the hurricane center said.

Persons: Idalia, Ron DeSantis, Irma, Michael, Ian, Milton Bontrager's, Hurricane Idalia, Marco Bello, Anthony Holloway, DeSantis, Guan, Madelin Suarez Morejon, Rich McKay, Dave Sherwood, Brendan O'Brien, Steve Gorman, Swati Verma, David Ljunggren, Joseph Ax, Lincoln, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Hurricane Center, NHC, REUTERS, Federal Emergency Management, CNN, Tampa International, National Guard, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Florida, Florida's Gulf Coast, Miami, Bend, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Tampa, St, Petersburg, Gulf of Mexico, Cuba, Georgia, South Carolina, Sarasota, Venice, Gulf, North, Cedar Key , Florida, Apalachicola Bay ., CUBA, Caribbean, Havana, Pinar del Rio, Atlanta, Guanimar, Chicago, Los Angeles, Bengaluru, Ottawa, West Stockbridge , Massachusetts

"We understand there is a crisis, and the need for banking, but this is our money," Hernandez said. Her business had already adopted electronic banking but she often needs quick access to cash to pay for emergencies on job sites, she added. Rodriguez said he and many other entrepreneurs began using electronic banking long before the new measures were announced to comply with tax laws that have evolved with the growing private sector. But for many smaller businesses and mom-and-pop stores in Cuba, the formalities of doing business, like paying taxes, remain novel concepts, he said. Cuban officials have said the new banking measures are necessary for transparency, to assure transactions are recorded and taxes are paid.

Persons: Alberto Quinones, Yulieta Hernandez, Hernandez, Fidel Castro, Leonardo Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Ronald Venero, Nelson Acosta, Anett Rios, Carlos Carrillo, Dave Sherwood, Marc Frank, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, Cuban, Havana, Santiago de Cuba

☆ Extreme weather in Latin America unlocks vicious cycle that further fuels climate dangers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, July 5 (Reuters) - Extreme weather is wreaking havoc across Latin America, racking up billions worth of damage and unleashing a vicious cycle that leads to higher demand for fossil fuels and more climate change, the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday. Temperatures have warmed an average 0.2 degree Celsius per decade over the past 30 years – the highest rate on record, according to the State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2022 report. As temperatures rise, extreme weather events become more common, with often unexpected consequences that stoke climate change, the report said. “Many of the extreme events were influenced by the long-running La Nina but also bore the hallmark of human-induced climate change," said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. "We are facing increasingly strong impacts from climate change, but the decisions adopted in climate negotiations for the implementation of the Paris Agreement do not advance at the same rate," she said.

Persons: Petteri Taalas, Daniel Becerril, Elba Rosa Perez, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Marguerita Choy Organizations: World Meteorological Organization, stoke, Nina, REUTERS, El Nino, for Research, Meteorological Institute, Environment, Development, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, America, Latin America, Caribbean, South America, Monterrey, Mexico, El, Havana, China, Cuba, Paris

☆ Cuba, Iran presidents meet in Havana, vow to confront 'Yankee imperialism'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HAVANA, June 15 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met with Cuban counterpart Miguel Diaz-Canel on Thursday, his last stop on a three-nation Latin American tour aimed at shoring up support among Latin American allies saddled, like Iran, by U.S. sanctions. Raisi told reporters at a trade forum in Havana early on Thursday that Cuba and Iran would seek opportunities to work together in electricity generation, biotechnology, and mining, among other areas. "The conditions and circumstances in which Cuba and Iran find themselves today have many things in common," Raisi said in a conversation with Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel. Prior to arriving in Cuba, the Iranian president also met with Nicaragua´s Daniel Ortega in the Central American country. Raisi called his visit with Iran´s key Latin American allies a "turning point" in relations.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Raisi, Nicaragua ´, Daniel Ortega, Diaz, John Kirby, Kirby, We’re, Hurricane Ian, Fidel Castro ´, Donald Trump, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Cuban, U.S, Central American, Yankee, White House, Communist, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Iran, Havana, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, America, Iranian, Russia, China, Hurricane

BEJUCAL, Cuba, June 14 (Reuters) - Just outside the sleepy Cuban village of Bejucal, a winding track, rutted with potholes and losing ground to the jungle, ends at a barbed wire fence. The question of Chinese spying from Cuba was renewed last week following a Wall Street Journal report. China, Washington’s top geopolitical rival, on Monday denied it was using Cuba as a spy base. [1/5] A truck passes by a sign at the entrance of Bejucal, Cuba, June 12, 2023. Onelvis Despaigne, 36, a farm worker who lives just outside the base, told Reuters on Monday he had not heard the recent foreign media reports on Chinese spying.

Persons: Biden, Bejucal, Arnaldo Perez, Dave Sherwood, Perez, motioning, Marco Rubio, Havana “, Fulton Armstrong, ”, Armstrong, Vladimir Putin, Onelvis Despaigne, Matt Spetalnick, Adam Jourdan, Don Durfee, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Federal Communications Commission, Communist Party, FCC, Security, Commission, ARCOS, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, Justice Department ., Guantanamo, Base, White House National Security Council, REUTERS, Cuban Missile, Soviet Union, U.S, Cuban, CIA, Thomson Locations: BEJUCAL, Cuba, Cuban, Bejucal, China, Beijing, States, Key West , Florida, U.S, United States, Justice Department . China, Havana, Soviet, Moscow, Marco Rubio of Florida, Caribbean, Taiwan Strait, South China, Russia, Ukraine, Lourdes, Washington

☆ Human rights body finds Cuban gov't responsible in 2012 deaths of dissidents
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, June 13 (Reuters) - The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has found the Cuban government responsible in the deaths of democracy activists Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero in a 2012 car accident, saying it had concluded that state agents were involved in the incident. The commission's report, released on Monday, also said the government had violated the two men's rights to life, honour and freedom of expression. It said the commission had "identified sufficient serious evidence to conclude that State agents had been involved in the deaths of Payá and Cepero". Friends, family and fellow dissidents, as well as international human rights groups, have long accused the Cuban government of causing the crash, a charge it denies. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), a group the Cuban government brands an imperialist instrument of the United States.

Persons: Oswaldo Paya, Harold Cepero, Angel Carromero, —, Cepero, Dave Sherwood, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Inter, American, Human Rights, Cuban, Organization of American States, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, Cuban, Paya, United States

☆ U.S. gives Havana embassy a facelift after years of neglect
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

HAVANA, June 10 (Reuters) - When the U.S. embassy in Havana reopened last May to Cubans seeking visas after a nearly five-year hiatus, the once proud 1950s vintage building was in shambles. The State Department imported high-grade stainless steel for its fencing, and granite from a quarry in Vermont for the building's new facade. A view of the U.S. Embassy beside the Anti-Imperialist stage in Havana, Cuba, May 24, 2023. CASTRO THREATENED TO SEIZE BUILDINGUnder former leader Fidel Castro, the jabs and antagonism often went both ways between Cuba and the embassy. U.S. intelligence investigations have since determined it "very unlikely" a foreign adversary was responsible for the illness, and a more robust staff and agenda have returned to Havana, Ziff said.

Persons: Hurricane Irma, Benjamin Ziff, Ziff, Alexandre Meneghini, Alexander Garcia, CASTRO, Fidel Castro, Castro, George W, Bush, Harrison & Abramovitz, Jane Loeffler, Barack Obama, Dave Sherwood, Mario Fuentes, Anett Rios, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, State Department, Reuters, Cuban, The State Department, Ziff, Embassy, REUTERS, Harrison &, United Nations, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, U.S, Havana, Hurricane, of Mexico, Cuba, China, United States, Cuban, Vermont, Florida, New York, Washington, America

☆ China has been spying from Cuba for some time, U.S. official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - China has been spying from Cuba for some time and upgraded its intelligence collection facilities there in 2019, a Biden administration official said on Saturday, following a report about a new spying effort underway on the island. The official said the issue predated Joe Biden's presidency, as had Beijing's efforts to strengthen its intelligence collection infrastructure worldwide. "The PRC (People's Republic of China) conducted an upgrade of its intelligence collection facilities in Cuba in 2019. That includes a trip to China that U.S. officials say Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning for June 18. The official said U.S. diplomats had engaged governments that were considering hosting Chinese bases and had exchanged information with them.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden's, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, Antony Blinken, Washington's, Donald Trump, Andrea Shalal, Phil Stewart, Dave Sherwood, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Biden, People's, Cuban, Foreign, Thomson Locations: China, Cuba, Florida, U.S, People's Republic of China, Washington, Cuban, America, Beijing, United States, Coast, Havana

He said the United States has had "real concerns" about China’s relationship with Cuba and was closely monitoring it. Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, a U.S. Defense Department spokesperson, said: "We are not aware of China and Cuba developing a new type of spy station." If such a facility is built, the Chinese will use Cuba "as a beachhead for collection against the United States," said Daniel Hoffman, a former senior CIA undercover officer. Cuba, an old Cold War foe of the United States, has long been a hotbed of espionage and spy games. It backed down and removed the missiles, but it is widely regarded as the moment when the United States and the Soviet Union came closest to a nuclear confrontation.

Persons: Fort Bragg, John Kirby, General Patrick Ryder, Jose Cabanas, Washington, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Washington's, House's Kirby, Bob Menendez, ”, Daniel Hoffman, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Matt Spetalnick, Jonathan Landay, Doina Chiacu, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Patricia Zengerle, Dave Sherwood, Michael Martina, Kanishka Singh, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Nick Zieminski, Alistair Bell, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Wall Street, White House, Pentagon, U.S, U.S . Central Command, Tampa . Fort Liberty, Fort, White House National Security Council, Reuters, U.S . Defense Department, Embassy, Senate Foreign Relations, CIA, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, Cuban, Moscow, Soviet Union, Thomson Locations: China, Cuba, Florida, Beijing, U.S, Tampa . Fort, North Carolina, United States, Washington, Cuban, America's, Coast, South, Taiwan, South China, Havana, Soviet, Lourdes, Russian

Search resuls for: "Dave Sherwood"

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