The independent news outlet El Toque reports on some of the latest protests taking place in Cuba.
elTOQUE
One week after the earthquakes that struck Venezuela, at least 20 Cubans remain missing, although the actual number could be higher. Eight have been found dead. Most were in different parishes of La Guaira—Caraballeda, Catia La Mar, Macuto, and Naiguata—the state that has become a “disaster zone” on the shores of the Caribbean Sea.
Yamilka Lafita Cancio, an activist known for her humanitarian work in Havana and other parts of Cuba, reported that she was the victim of a burglary at her home in the early hours of June 21, 2026. Later, when she attempted to file a police report, she says she was assaulted, transferred between two Ministry of the Interior (Minint) stations, and threatened with charges of “contempt of authority,” according to statements she made to El Toque.
The US dollar traded at 680 Cuban pesos (CUP) on Cuba’s informal market this Wednesday, representing a jump of 10 pesos compared to the previous day (1.5%). The US currency has now risen for two consecutive days, and with this latest increase, the Cuban peso has accumulated a depreciation of 100 pesos against the dollar since closing May at 580 CUP—a deterioration of 17.2% in just the first seventeen days of June.
Canadian mining company Sherritt International announced this Thursday, May 7, 2026, the immediate suspension of its direct participation in the joint ventures operating in Cuba, amid the new sanctions offensive driven by the Trump Administration.
On May 1, 2026, US President Donald Trump signed a new executive order expanding sanctions against the Cuban regime. The decision is consistent with the national emergency declared by the US government on January 29 regarding the island, whose policies it considers “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to its national security and foreign policy.
It’s unknown if any of the 1,200+ political prisoners will be included.
President Donald Trump stated on Sunday, March 29, 2026, that he has 'no problem' with the Russian oil tanker unloading at the island.
What Experts Propose to Resolve the Hemisphere’s Oldest Dispute
With a diverse repertoire, a group of organizations, media outlets, political coalitions, and companies—mostly based in the United States—have, for several years, led actions in support of the Cuban regime. They are organized as a network, through alliances that often involve multiple key actors within this web and the coordination of strategies typical of an influence operation.
Large protests broke out in Morón, in the province of Ciego de Ávila, on the night of March 13, 2026, after weeks of prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages, widespread scarcity of basic goods across the island and the near-total paralysis of daily life in Cuba. Although communications remain limited, social media posts offer an initial glimpse of what happened.
Cuba’s appointed president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, confirmed at a meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party held on March 12, and again in an address to the nation on the morning of March 13th, that recently Cuban officials have been holding conversations with representatives of the United States government.
Ecuador declared the Cuban ambassador, Basilio Antonio Gutiérrez García, persona non grata and extended the measure to the rest of the island’s diplomatic mission accredited in its territory.
During a press conference on Saturday, January 3, 2026, President Donald Trump stated that the United States will run Venezuela until his administration can “ensure a peaceful transition” of power. He did not, however, provide tentative dates for this process.
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro “was reportedly detained and removed from Venezuelan territory,” according to a message published by US President Donald Trump on his social network platform. In that same post, Trump stated that US forces carried out attacks inside Venezuela, following reports of explosions in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira, as well as in Caracas.