International
Terrorism, prisoners and the Vatican: autopsy of the agreement between the US and Cuba that was born dead
The agreement, mediated by the Vatican, between the United States and Cuba lasted just six days by which Washington took the island off the terrorist list in exchange for a massive release of prisoners in the country.
In the avalanche of executive orders signed by Republican Donald Trump in his early hours in the Oval Office was the one who immediately returned to Cuba to the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, a measure with serious financial consequences.
The decision had been anticipated by the new Secretary of State, the Cuban-American Marco Rubio, in favor of the hard line with the Cuban government.
In his confirmation appearance before the Senate, Rubio said that he had “zero doubts” that Cuba was a country promoting terrorism and said that the decisions of the Biden Administration did not link those of the new Republican cabinet at all.
For his part, the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, called the revocation of one of the last decisions of Democrat Joe Biden just six days later as “mockery”.
In his opinion, it is an “act of arrogance” by Trump who despises “the truth” and only seeks to strengthen “the cruel economic war against Cuba for domination.”
What the Cuban government has not yet pronounced on is whether it will comply with its part of the deal, since it agreed with the Vatican. Officially, Havana has never linked the list and the release: only Washington has agreed.
So far and according to the human rights NGOs on the island that count prisoners for political reasons -Justicia 11J, the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) and Prisoners Defenders-, about 150 prisoners had been released from prison until Monday thanks to this trilateral understanding.
However, there is also an undetermined number of common inmates who have benefited from this measure.
The Cuban government had announced the release of 553 people “sanctioned for various crimes,” but has not made public a list of names and has not updated in recent days on the total number of graces. Last Thursday he talked about 127.
Among those released registered by NGOs, young men without a previous activist history who participated in the anti-government protests of July 11, 2021 – the largest in decades – and who have officially been on probation (without the extinction of sentence) predominate.
Among the beneficiaries there are also historical opponents, such as Félix Navarro and José Daniel Ferrer, and activists such as Pedro Albert Sánchez, Luis Robles and the lady of Blanco Tania Echeverría.
However, many prisoners considered political are still in prison, including some with international recognition such as the artists and activists Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel Osorbo, qualified as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International.
Most are unknown to the international audience. Prisoners Defenders registered a total of 1,161 prisoners for political reasons in Cuba at the end of 2024. Justice 11J figures the sentenced 11J demonstrators at 549.
The future of these imprisoned people is now uncertain, as well as that of Cuba as a whole with the arrival of Trump.
The island was already immersed in a serious economic and energy crisis, with shortages of food, medicine and fuel, prolonged daily blackouts and inflation that has tripled prices since 2021.
The country’s difficulties in stabilizing its economy, securing basic products and growing again – its gross domestic product (GDP) is below 2019 levels – could be further aggravated by a US Administration openly against it.
In fact, the current situation in the country is due to the consequences of COVID-19 and several failed economic and monetary policies implemented by Havana, but also to the tightening of US sanctions during Trump’s first term (2017-2021).
International
Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to halt federal funding for two public media outlets, PBS television and NPR radio, accusing them of being biased.
NPR and PBS are partially funded by American taxpayers but rely heavily on private donations.
Trump has long maintained a hostile relationship with most media outlets, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”
An exception is the conservative Fox News channel, some of whose hosts have played important roles in the administration of the Republican magnate.
“National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump said.
“Therefore, I direct the CPB board and all executive departments and agencies to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” he added.
The Republican leader argued that “neither of these entities provides a fair, accurate, or impartial portrayal of current events to the taxpayer citizens.”
At the end of March, Donald Trump called on Congress to end public funding for these two “horrible and completely biased networks.”
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
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