Cubans are acutely aware that U.S. elections have impact abroad. That’s why we asked people on the island about Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race – an upset win that’s captured the world’s attention.
Also:
- Activists fight U.S. visa denials for Cuban athletes
- UN pledges $74 million for Cuba recovery after Melissa
- Chikungunya epidemic spreads
- Cuba begins national HPV vaccinations for girls
- How Trump’s “gunboat diplomacy” against Venezuela impacts Cuba
What Do Cubans Make of Zohran Mamdani?
Everyone’s talking about Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s new democratic socialist mayor – including people 1,300 miles away in Havana. We spoke with Cubans about how they view Mamdani’s win, and the mix of hope and doubt that comes with every major U.S. election.
Watch our video.
Activists Fight U.S. Visa Denials for Cuban Athletes
Since Trump took office in January, his administration has effectively blocked dozen of Cuban athletes from competing in the U.S. The upshot is that Cubans' participation in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is under threat.
Hands Off Cuba, a Los Angeles-based solidarity group, launched a campaign to put a stop to this discrimination. Activists are demanding the International Olympic Committee, whose charter promises fair play, intervene.
“It's ridiculous that any sports team would be denied their visa for something that the whole world is going to enjoy... You would not only deprive the United States, but the whole entire world of the presence of the Cuban people at the Olympics,” said Hakim Jihad, Coordinator of Hands Off Cuba’s Jacksonville chapter.
Watch what Hands off Cuba told us about the fight to ensure Cuba’s athletes get to compete on equal terms.
Trump’s partial travel ban on Cuban nationals technically includes an exemption for athletes, but decisions about who does and who doesn't get U.S. visas are made by embassies under Marco Rubio's State Department. Since early this year, a de facto travel ban has been imposed on Cuban sports, and dozens of athletes are suffering the consequences.
We spoke with players on Cuba’s national men’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams about the competitions they’ve missed due to the visa denials and the broader consequences of being blocked from competing in the U.S.
Read our article to learn more about Rubio’s war on athletes.
In Other News
UN pledges $74 million for Cuba recovery after Hurricane Melissa. The United Nations announced its plan to support the Cuban government's recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa. The international body has pledged $74 million to aid recovery efforts focused on water, sanitation, shelter, education and health. $11 million have already been released. OCHA, the UN relief coordination office, said Tuesday that the scale of damage after Melissa is much higher than initially estimated: 90,000 homes and more than 600 health facilities have been affected by the storm, and more than 54,000 people in Cuba are still displaced.
Chikungunya epidemic spreads. Tens of thousands of Cubans are confirmed to currently have the Chikungunya virus, according to health authorities, though the actual numbers could be much higher. The Cuban government has also confirmed thousands of dengue cases. Several deaths related to the viruses have been reported on social media, though the Cuban government has not confirmed any fatalities. Both the National Baseball Series and Cuba’s National Ballet Company cancelled activities this week due to the viruses.
Cuba begins national HPV vaccinations for girls. Nine-year-old girls throughout Cuba have started receiving HPV vaccinations to prevent cervical cancer. More than 140 countries include HPV vaccinations in their national immunization programs. Most vaccines administered in Cuba are locally produced. The HPV vaccine being used in Cuba is Chinese. Cuba’s national vaccination program begins at birth and is completely free and universal. The pilot HPV vaccination campaign targets more than 68,000 girls in Cuba, with the aim of aligning with the Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization's global goal of vaccinating 90 percent of girls by 2030.
How Trump’s “gunboat diplomacy” against Venezuela impacts Cuba. The United States currently has more troops in the Caribbean than at any point since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Trump has put a $50 million bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's head and says he's authorized the CIA to carry out covert actions in the country. Longtime Cuba experts William LeoGrande and Peter Kornbluh write in The Nation: “If the United States manages to capture or kill Maduro, the administration could be emboldened to escalate regime change efforts against Cuba.” Read their article.
Last Call to Join our December Trip
This is the last chance to join our December 6-13 trip to Cuba — an unforgettable, 8-day experience with our journalists and filmmakers.
Each trip offers a unique, behind-the-scenes look at Cuba’s story and resilience, led by the Belly of the Beast team.
Watch this video to hear from Liz Oliva Fernández about what makes our trips unlike any other.
Your participation helps sustain our independent journalism while giving you a unique, behind-the-scenes experience of Havana.
LEARN MORE
Follow us on WhatsApp and Telegram!
📡 For real-time updates: [WhatsApp] | [Telegram]
¿Hablas Español? Sign Up For Our Spanish Newsletter!
If you or someone you know prefers to read in Spanish, now you can receive our reporting, documentaries and exclusive insights directly in your inbox.
Suscríbete a Belly of the Beast en Español aquí.
Help us grow our Spanish-speaking community by forwarding this to friends, family and colleagues!
📢 We’re on Bluesky!
Follow us on Bluesky for updates, behind-the-scenes content and powerful stories from Cuba that you won’t find anywhere else. 👉 Follow us now!
Support Independent Journalism
Since launching in 2020, Belly of the Beast has become the go-to source for news and documentaries about Cuba.
We receive no money from any government or corporation and rely on the support of individuals to keep telling Cuba’s untold stories.
Here's how you can help:
Donate: Fuel our work and help us continue to provide independent, hard-hitting journalism.
Share: Know someone who would love our documentaries, video reports or articles? Forward this email or invite them to subscribe.
Suscríbete a Belly of the Beast en Español
|
