Cuba outlines extensive economic and social reforms that expand autonomy for state enterprises, open greater space for private and foreign investment, and decentralize planning in favor of market mechanisms. Measures include salary adjustments, tax restructuring, financial sector liberalization, and foreign investment incentives across energy, agriculture, trade, tourism, and transportation. Municipal governments gain increased authority over development and budgeting, and new mechanisms for digital governance and data infrastructure are planned. Social protection reforms target vulnerable populations through digitalized assistance, differentiated pricing, and targeted subsidies, while the subsidy system shifts from universal product subsidies to person‑focused support. Implementation will be gradual, requiring legal and institutional changes and monitoring to mitigate negative impacts.

A grassroots youth-led initiative in Cuba, framed against the backdrop of severe economic deterioration and institutional failure, organizes community support networks to provide food, hygiene supplies and medications to vulnerable groups. Amid escalating shortages, energy crises and widespread social strain, the project documents and distributes aid through neighborhood diagnostics, positioning solidarity as both a survival mechanism and a form of political renewal. The narrative links contemporary youth activism to past generations, underscoring how young Cubans have had to invent alternative systems of support in the face of persistent state shortcomings.

A return to the unfinished second season of the podcast El Descanso reflects on its origins as a space honoring caregivers in Cuba and the challenges that halted its production, including intensified state harassment and the death of its creator, Yadira Álvarez. The team revisits three recorded episodes as a way to honor her memory and acknowledge the continuing relevance of the stories amid ongoing social strain, migration-related family separation, and institutional failures.

Survey data from 2025 shows widespread food insecurity in Cuba, marked by reduced access to food, rising prices, and shrinking household purchasing power. Many families now allocate most or all of their income to basic food, and power outages hinder cooking and food preservation. Consumption of key food groups has declined, with meats, milk, eggs, and rice among the hardest to obtain. Most respondents believe government actions have worsened the crisis and cite poor state administration as the main cause of shortages, while concern grows that new measures could further restrict access to food.

Student protests in Cuba intensified after the dismissal of professor Abel Tablada and widespread frustrations with the semipresential university model amid nationwide power outages. Students organized sit-ins and mobilized through the Acción Reforma Universitaria channel, demanding transparency, reform of the FEU, an end to political pressures, and reconsideration of Etecsa’s 2025 connectivity measures. The demonstrations revived broader debates on academic autonomy and the political role of universities, continuing a historical tradition of student activism in Cuba. The movement highlighted tensions between students and state institutions and underscored growing demands for democratic participation and institutional accountability.

Paco, a 78-year-old Cuban who recently suffered a stroke, reflects on his life and the emigration of his last son to the United States, leaving him behind. Despite his physical challenges, he is determined to demonstrate his ability to cope alone. The article contextualizes his story within the broader trend of Cuban emigration, noting that over 224,000 Cubans arrived in the United States during the fiscal year 2022, surpassing the combined numbers from the Mariel boatlift in 1980 and the 1994 rafter crisis.

Milk production in Cuba has been declining for a decade, making it increasingly difficult to obtain, even through illegal markets. Children up to seven years old and the elderly with medical diets, who are entitled to state-subsidized milk, are not receiving it regularly due to the scarcity. Access to milk in stores that accept freely convertible currency (MLC) requires a local bank card funded by foreign currency deposits or through the illegal market, but even these stores have been out of milk for months. The government blames the low production on Cuban cows and the limited resources available to their owners. The worst fluid milk production in the last 30 years was in 2005, and the downward trend began in 2012, reaching 455.3 thousand tons in 2020, which equates to 39.5 liters per inhabitant for the entire year, less than half a glass per day. This article is part of 'Los insaciables,' a transnational special by Cronos Lab's Situated Journalism Laboratory.

The Mexican state's war on drugs has resulted in over 350,000 deaths and nearly 100,000 disappearances. Contrary to the narrative of targeting major drug lords, prisons are filled with poor women involved in low-level, high-risk drug activities. The article highlights the story of Betty Maldonado, who was coerced into drug trafficking to pay off her husband's debt and was eventually imprisoned. The war on drugs has disproportionately increased the female prison population, with women often involved in drug-related activities due to poverty, marginalization, and discrimination. The article discusses the impact of policies like the 2009 Narcomenudeo Law and the Merida Initiative, the latter being a U.S.-funded anti-narcotics program. It also covers the challenges faced by women in prison, the failure of the amnesty law to effectively release women imprisoned for drug offenses, and the ongoing debate over cannabis regulation in Mexico. The text argues for a regulation that centers on the victims of the drug war and calls for a shift away from punitive policies towards a justice system that acknowledges the role of gender, class, and race in drug-related crimes.

Residents of El Hueco, a growing community on the outskirts of Santa Clara, Cuba, develop improvised ways to obtain and prepare food amid shortages. Ricardo cultivates crops, fishes, makes casabe and other traditional foods, and relies on local exchanges and purchases, while neighbors similarly adapt through home production and cooking. Heavy rain, poor roads, deteriorating homes and hungry livestock add to the community’s difficulties, yet daily life remains marked by resilience and continuity as the hurricane season approaches.

Life in the community of El Hueco near Santa Clara continues largely unchanged as residents improvise ways to secure food amid scarcity. Ricardo cultivates small plots, prepares casabe, and helps neighbors while contending with weather threats and limited resources. Neighbors share tasks such as preparing sweets and managing crops, reflecting ongoing hardship and reliance on self-sufficiency in a rural Cuban setting.