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
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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