Pope meets Cuban President as small protest held away from Vatican
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis held talks on Tuesday with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who is making a rare trip to the West, as police kept a small demonstration demanding respect for human rights on the communist-run island away from the Vatican. A Vatican statement did not give any details on what was discussed during 40 […]
Cuba Catholic Church says “door open” to future talks on prisoner amnesty
Havana, CubaReuters Cuba’s Catholic Church on Thursday said the “door was open” to future talks over the release of prisoners on the island following a meeting the previous day with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and top advisors. Communist-run Cuba has faced sharp criticism from rights groups, the United States and the European Union following the […]
Cuban President Diaz-Canel expected to win second term despite crises
Havana, Cuba Reuters Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel is widely expected to be chosen this week by assembly lawmakers to lead the country for another five years, despite a rocky first term marked by the coronavirus pandemic and a near-unprecedented economic crisis. Diaz-Canel, 62, heads the Communist Party, to which all 470-members of the legislature elected […]
Cuba calls national election a “home run”, opposition groups cry foul
Havana, CubaReuters Cuba said on Monday that voters had elected all 470 candidates for the National Assembly on the ballot over the weekend, calling the results a “home run”, while opposition groups critiqued the elections as a farce. Election officials said Monday that the initial turnout was 75.9 per cent, topping participation in municipal elections […]
Cubans head to the polls, all eyes on voter turnout
Havana, CubaReuters Cubans headed to the polls on Sunday to vote for the 470 lawmakers who will represent them in the country´s National Assembly in a closely watched election seen as a referendum on the communist-run government at a time of deep economic crisis. Voting centers in the capital Havana opened at 7am ET and […]
Vatican envoy says prisoner amnesty in Cuba “on table”
Havana, Cuba Reuters Papal envoy, Cardinal Benjamin Stella, said in Havana on Wednesday a potential amnesty for prisoners jailed in Cuba following anti-government protests in July, 2021, was “on the table” but that the response did not depend on the Roman Catholic Church. Stella, who arrived for an extended visit to the communist-run Caribbean island […]
Havana protests flare for second night as government scrambles to turn on lights
Havana, CubaReuters Crews restored power to more neighborhoods across Havana on Saturday after a second day of protests over ongoing blackouts in Cuba’s capital, including some of the largest demonstrations since widespread anti-government rallies in July, 2021. At least one of the protests Friday night in the western seaside borough of Playa swelled in size […]
Cuban Americans rally in Miami while protest plans fizzle in Havana
Miami, US/Havana, CubaReuters Cuban Americans in Miami held rallies and led prayers to support dissidents on the Communist-run Caribbean island whose planned protests on Sunday largely fizzled under pressure from authorities and government supporters. Dissidents in Cuba have for months been preparing a “Civic March for Change” in support of civil and human rights following […]
Boston cardinal meets Cuban leader on visit to Havana
Havana, CubaAP The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, met with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Thursday and visited a Cuban COVID-19 vaccine laboratory at a time of tense relations between the US and Cuba. Cuban state media published images of the meeting, but gave no details on what had been discussed, […]
New Cuban decree tightens controls on social media, sparking outrage
Havana, CubaReuters Cuba introduced tighter controls on the use of social media this week, including a ban on publications that might damage “the country’s prestige,” angering many citizens and international rights activists. Decree 35, published in the official gazette on Tuesday, comes a month after the most widespread anti-government protests in the Communist-run country in decades, which […]