International

Cuba blames the United States for the instability in the delivery of subsidized food

The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, blamed on Thursday the “regrowth” of the economic embargo of the United States for the “difficult situation” in the delivery of the subsidized products through the ration card.

The president dedicated the second broadcast of the program ‘Desde la Presidencia’ – broadcast on YouTube – to the “difficulties” in acquiring from abroad the products that are distributed in the so-called supply book, in force for more than 60 years on the island.

According to Díaz-Canel, the island government spends about 230 million dollars a month to guarantee the products – rice, coffee, sugar, beans, among others – and distribute them in the more than 12,000 wineries (local state shops located in the neighborhoods).

“It is a titanic task that the country does,” said Díaz-Canel, accompanied by the head of Internal Trade, Betsy Díaz, and the first deputy minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga.

Díaz-Canel acknowledged that people’s opinion about the primer is “very critical and very negative,” especially due to the delays in deliveries and the decrease in quantities.

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In the last 20 years, the rations that have decreased the most have been coffee and sugar, both domestically produced, according to a study recently carried out by EFE.

In this regard, Díaz stated that “the last two years have been very complex for distribution” due to “the lack of financing to pay the freight with the loads and the lack of fuel to distribute the products once they are in Cuban port.”

In this regard, the first Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade commented that “the inclusion of Cuba in the list of states that sponsors terrorism – prepared by the U.S. Department of State – has been a strong blow to the country’s finances.”

Cuba has been plunged into a severe crisis for four years, which translates into a shortage of basic products, frequent blackouts and strong inflation, in conjunction with the pandemic, the tightening of US sanctions and errors in national economic policy.

The Caribbean country spends $2 billion annually on the import of food.

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Recently, Cuba formally requested milk powder from the UN World Food Program for the first time to continue subsidizing this product to children under seven years of age, according to EFE.

The Cuban authorities have assumed in recent weeks problems to produce the subsidized bread from the basic basket due to lack of imported flour.

The shortage of food was one of the triggers of the massive anti-government protests of July 11, 2021, the largest in decades, and the most recent of March 17 of this year in several cities of the country

International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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International

Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.