Today is Children's Day in Cuba. Only after 1959, with the Cuban Revolution and the personal guidance of Fidel Castro Ruz, did Cuban children receive, and continue to receive, all the attention possible.

The reality about "freedom" in USA...

Cuba approved a package of 176 economic and social reforms back in June 2026 — reportedly the biggest shake-up in over 60 years, touching everything from private business rules to foreign investment in banking, energy, and tourism.

On paper it sounds significant: MIPYMES allowed to hire more than 100 workers, Cubans abroad allowed to own private businesses on the island, foreign capital opening up in sectors that were closed before.

But I'm curious what people who are actually from Cuba or have family there think:

• Do you expect any of this to translate into real, everyday improvements for regular Cubans, or is it more about optics for outside investors?
• Is there a track record of reforms like this actually getting implemented with proper regulations, or do they tend to stay "approved on paper" for years?
• If you were an investor (local or diaspora) looking at this, would you actually feel confident putting money in right now, or is it too early / too uncertain?

Not trying to push an agenda either way — genuinely trying to understand if this is something worth paying attention to, or just another round of announcements that fizzle out. Would love to hear from people with actual context on the ground.

Last thursday, another power outage occurred in Cuba, the second in less two weeks. It was resolved by early Sunday morning, but as expected, it affected the entire population for several hours.

Cuba's National Electric System (SEN) is facing, as is well known, the impact of the US economic war, intensified by US sanctions against those who sell goods subject to the blockade against Cuba.

In the system's restoration, priority was given to hospitals, water services, and public communication systems.

Although Cuba already has more than 1,000 MW of installed solar systems, the first battery storage system (BESS) was only recently commissioned to maximize the use of that energy.

The system's restoration coincided with the return to service of thermal power plants that had been undergoing repairs. Cuba's electrical power system relies on 19 thermoelectric plants that consume domestically produced oil, which guarantees between 30-40% of generation. However, this oil is very heavy and damage the equipment. Cuba is using his own oil since the 90s.

The combined cycle gas turbines used in the oil fields (almost all located on the northern coast, between Matanzas and Havana) also contribute to solve the problem.

Meanwhile, the US economic war prevents the use of over 1,000 MW of diesel and fuel oil generators, which must be imported.

Cuban scientists have recently conducted tests and the first phase of scaling up Cuban oil refining.

US blockade of Cuba is 'mass murder’

https://youtube.com/shorts/-24V7yJpuj4

The outage affected the entire country; after nearly 28 hours, since 12.00 m of july 6th, of strenuous effort, most of the nation had power restored—albeit subject to a deficit caused by units undergoing maintenance or repairs and a critical shortage of fuel to power the generator sets that serve as a backup system in such situations. Solar farms and a recently commissioned 50-megawatt battery storage system played a key role in maintaining electricity service to vital centers in the affected provinces and, in the case of the battery system, in ensuring grid stability.

During the latest UN debate, U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz argued that Cuba's economic collapse is the result of its political and economic system, not U.S. sanctions.

Yet since January, the Trump administration has expanded pressure on Cuba's energy sector with new sanctions, restrictions targeting fuel imports, and measures discouraging third countries from supplying oil to the island.

This article examines the contradiction between Washington's public narrative and its recent policy actions, asking a simple question: if sanctions don't matter, why continue strengthening them?

I'd be interested in hearing different perspectives. Are Cuba's current hardships mainly the result of domestic policy, U.S. sanctions, or a combination of both?

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTSyxwCL1/