HAVANA (AP) — Cuba is currently experiencing a radical tightening of U.S. sanctions, strangling its economy to pressure for a change in its political system, and U.S. President Donald Trump has directly threatened the island.
Andrea RodrÍguez
January 28, 2026
HAVANA (AP) — As tensions rise between the United States and Cuba and the island braces for more economic difficulties, priests and priestesses of the Afro-Cuban religion known as Santería held several ceremonies on Sunday, offering gifts to deities and asking for peace.
Several leading figures in the Santería community prayed for the “spiritual healing” of the Cuban people and an end to the violence and conflicts that, according to their predictions in late December, would characterize this year.
They chanted in ancient Yoruba, brought to the island by enslaved Africans and passed down orally. African and Spanish traditions syncretized, giving rise to Cuba’s strong Afro-Cuban identity.
“We…believe that through sacrifices and prayers we can alleviate the impact of harmful issues,” said Lázaro Cuesta, a renowned priest who organized the ceremony in the courtyard of an old house.
On Jan. 2, Cuban Santería priests known as babalawos predicted the possibility of war and violence that would affect Cuba and the world using traditional divining methods.
A day later, on Jan. 3, the United States struck Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, and arrested then-President Nicolás Maduro. Thirty-two Cuban soldiers from Maduro’s personal security detail died in the operation.
Venezuela is one of Cuba’s main political, ideological and commercial allies, and the attack shocked the island’s population.
Cuba is currently experiencing a radical tightening of U.S. sanctions, strangling its economy to pressure for a change in its political system, and U.S. President Donald Trump has directly threatened the island.
“As religious people, we always try to distance ourselves from anything negative that comes into our lives,” said Yusmina Hernández, a 49-year-old homemaker, as she participated in the ceremony.
At the foot of a leafy mango tree swaying in the breeze, a hen, a rooster and a dove were sacrificed. Around them, several dozen babalawos raised their voices in prayer, repeatedly asking Eggun, the deity of the ancestors, for permission to invoke his power and presence.
Then, the priests and parishioners moved to a large room in the house for the second part of the ceremony.
Dressed in white, wearing necklaces and headdresses, they made their offering to Azowano, one of the forms Saint Lazarus takes in their religion. They knelt before a large basket and bowls filled with beans, corn, and even two eggs, a generous offer since they are expensive in Cuba.
Afterward, several hundred people formed a single file, circled the basket and were finally “cleansed” after being swept with two live chickens while the attendees chanted in Yoruba.
“This is being done for the good of society, so that there is no conflict or violence, so that there is harmony and health,” said Eraimy León, a 43-year-old babalawo.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Cubans queue for fuel as Trump issues energy ultimatum
By AFP
January 30, 2026
Drivers wait in line to refuel at a gas station in Havana - Copyright AFP Sergei GAPON
Jordane BERTRAND
Cubans queued around the block for fuel Friday, as the island’s Communist government decried US efforts to “suffocate” the already‑stricken economy with a virtual oil blockade.
Hours after US President Donald Trump approved punitive tariffs against countries supplying oil to Cuba, lines formed at stations in the Cuban capital.
“This will directly hit ordinary Cubans sooner or later — that’s clearly the intention,” said Jorge Rodriguez, a 60‑year‑old IT worker, as he waited in line.
“They need to sit and negotiate with Trump,” he told AFP.
Trump’s executive order was denounced by the authorities in Havana as an attempt to throttle an economy already suffering blackouts of up to 20 hours a day.
The decree effectively forces Cuba’s partners to choose whether they want to trade with the world’s largest economy, or with an impoverished island of 11 million people.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the order was an attempt by Trump a “fascist, criminal and genocidal” US cabal to “suffocate” Cuba.
Cubans already face acute shortages of food, fuel, and medicine — the country’s most serious economic crisis since the 1991 collapse of its principal benefactor, the Soviet Union.
Until recently, the Cuban economy spluttered by on cheap supplies of Venezuelan oil.
But they have completely dried up since US special forces swooped into Caracas and deposed that country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, on January 3.
In 2025, Cuba generated only half of the electricity it needed, according to official statistics analyzed by AFP.
– Escalation –
Trump, his Cuban-American Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and their allies have made no secret about their desire to bring regime change in Havana.
Trump has urged Havana to “make a deal soon” or face unspecified consequences. “NO MORE OIL OR MONEY FOR CUBA: ZERO!” he stated, claiming that Cuba is “ready to fall.”
Several top US officials have close ties to Florida politics, where toppling the regime is an article of faith — they include Rubio, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“It’s now or never,” said US lawmaker Maria Elvira Salazar, calling for the White House to make a final push to topple Diaz-Canel and the Communist party which has ruled Cuba for seven decades.
Trump’s trade ultimatum also named Cuba as an “extraordinary threat” to US national security, raising the specter of potential military action.
The order alleges that Cuba “aligns itself with — and provides support for — numerous hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors adverse to the United States,” including Russia, China, and Iran, as well as the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
Since late 2025, the United States has maintained an armada of naval assets in the Caribbean, including warships, fighter jets, and thousands of military personnel.
– ‘Humanitarian crisis’ –
Trump’s latest gambit is a particular problem for Mexico, which is both one of the few countries still sending oil to Cuba and highly dependent on US trade.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned Friday that sanctions “could trigger a far-reaching humanitarian crisis directly affecting hospitals, food supplies, and other basic services for the Cuban people.”
But Sheinbaum said she had instructed her foreign minister to make contact with the US State Department to seek clarity on Trump’s decree.
While reiterating her “everlasting solidarity” with the Cuban people, the president added, “We don’t want to put our country at risk in terms of tariffs.”
Trade experts say that deliveries of oil from Mexico to Cuba have already slowed in recent months and Sheinbaum has not refuted reports that state oil firm PEMEX plans to halt shipments.
Cuba’s traditional allies have offered rhetorical support, but announced no concrete plans for help.
“China stands firmly against moves that deprive the Cuban people of their rights to subsistence and development and inhumane practices,” said foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.
Diaz-Canel has said there were no talks with Washington and vowed the Caribbean island’s residents were “ready to defend the homeland to the last drop of blood.”
By AFP
January 30, 2026
Drivers wait in line to refuel at a gas station in Havana - Copyright AFP Sergei GAPON
Jordane BERTRAND
Cubans queued around the block for fuel Friday, as the island’s Communist government decried US efforts to “suffocate” the already‑stricken economy with a virtual oil blockade.
Hours after US President Donald Trump approved punitive tariffs against countries supplying oil to Cuba, lines formed at stations in the Cuban capital.
“This will directly hit ordinary Cubans sooner or later — that’s clearly the intention,” said Jorge Rodriguez, a 60‑year‑old IT worker, as he waited in line.
“They need to sit and negotiate with Trump,” he told AFP.
Trump’s executive order was denounced by the authorities in Havana as an attempt to throttle an economy already suffering blackouts of up to 20 hours a day.
The decree effectively forces Cuba’s partners to choose whether they want to trade with the world’s largest economy, or with an impoverished island of 11 million people.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the order was an attempt by Trump a “fascist, criminal and genocidal” US cabal to “suffocate” Cuba.
Cubans already face acute shortages of food, fuel, and medicine — the country’s most serious economic crisis since the 1991 collapse of its principal benefactor, the Soviet Union.
Until recently, the Cuban economy spluttered by on cheap supplies of Venezuelan oil.
But they have completely dried up since US special forces swooped into Caracas and deposed that country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, on January 3.
In 2025, Cuba generated only half of the electricity it needed, according to official statistics analyzed by AFP.
– Escalation –
Trump, his Cuban-American Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and their allies have made no secret about their desire to bring regime change in Havana.
Trump has urged Havana to “make a deal soon” or face unspecified consequences. “NO MORE OIL OR MONEY FOR CUBA: ZERO!” he stated, claiming that Cuba is “ready to fall.”
Several top US officials have close ties to Florida politics, where toppling the regime is an article of faith — they include Rubio, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“It’s now or never,” said US lawmaker Maria Elvira Salazar, calling for the White House to make a final push to topple Diaz-Canel and the Communist party which has ruled Cuba for seven decades.
Trump’s trade ultimatum also named Cuba as an “extraordinary threat” to US national security, raising the specter of potential military action.
The order alleges that Cuba “aligns itself with — and provides support for — numerous hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors adverse to the United States,” including Russia, China, and Iran, as well as the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
Since late 2025, the United States has maintained an armada of naval assets in the Caribbean, including warships, fighter jets, and thousands of military personnel.
– ‘Humanitarian crisis’ –
Trump’s latest gambit is a particular problem for Mexico, which is both one of the few countries still sending oil to Cuba and highly dependent on US trade.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned Friday that sanctions “could trigger a far-reaching humanitarian crisis directly affecting hospitals, food supplies, and other basic services for the Cuban people.”
But Sheinbaum said she had instructed her foreign minister to make contact with the US State Department to seek clarity on Trump’s decree.
While reiterating her “everlasting solidarity” with the Cuban people, the president added, “We don’t want to put our country at risk in terms of tariffs.”
Trade experts say that deliveries of oil from Mexico to Cuba have already slowed in recent months and Sheinbaum has not refuted reports that state oil firm PEMEX plans to halt shipments.
Cuba’s traditional allies have offered rhetorical support, but announced no concrete plans for help.
“China stands firmly against moves that deprive the Cuban people of their rights to subsistence and development and inhumane practices,” said foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.
Diaz-Canel has said there were no talks with Washington and vowed the Caribbean island’s residents were “ready to defend the homeland to the last drop of blood.”
No comments:
Post a Comment