The first commercial flight from the United States to Venezuela since 2019 took off from Miami International Airport on Thursday morning, a win for the Trump administration as the president reshapes Washington&#8217;s relationship with Caracas.
The American Airlines plane destined for Caracas was given a water salute by fire engines on the tarmac before it took off from Miami at around 10:00 a.m. ET. Flight AA3599 was operated by Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines. The plane was one of the airline&#8217;s America 250 commemorative aircraft.
&#8220;For nearly 7 years there have been no direct commercial flights between the U.S. and Venezuela,&#8221; the State Department said. &#8220;Under President Trump we&#8217;re changing that today. Flights between Miami and Caracas restored.&#8221;
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For nearly 7 years there have been no direct commercial flights between the U.S. and Venezuela.
Under President Trump we&#8217;re changing that today. Flights between Miami and Caracas restored. <a href="https://t.co/3fsLVwWHQQ">pic.twitter.com/3fsLVwWHQQ</a>
— Department of State (@StateDept) <a href="https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/2049870663138083123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Flight AA3599 is expected to arrive in Caracas just after 1:20 p.m. local time. The plane will return to Florida later Thursday afternoon, the Associated Press <a href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/flights-resume-from-miami-to-caracas-venezuela-for-the-first-time-in-7-years/3803307/">reported</a>. Miami resident Lennart Ochoa said he was excited for the reopening of commercial air travel between the two countries.
“I’m very excited to go and see the family and I’m looking forward to see the country,” Ochoa said, according to the AP.
Thursday&#8217;s flight from the United States to Venezuela comes less than five months after U.S. forces captured dictator Nicolás Maduro and brought him to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. In March, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article314795646.html">praised</a> acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez and said his administration&#8217;s relationship with Venezuela had greatly improved after the operation to capture Maduro.
The Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/15/politics/dhs-suspends-venezuela-flights">suspended</a> air travel between the United States and Venezuela in 2019 during Trump&#8217;s first term &#8220;based on the ongoing political instability and increased tensions in Venezuela.&#8221; Just a few months earlier, the Trump administration sanctioned Venezuela&#8217;s state-run oil company, citing Maduro&#8217;s corruption.
“As a result of the Maduro regime’s inability to govern and perpetuation of lawlessness, it is no longer possible to certify that Venezuela is meeting baseline standards of security,&#8221; a U.S. official told CNN at the time.
The flight to Caracas on Thursday is just the first of many commercial flights to come between the two countries. In the coming months, American Airlines will also offer <a href="https://www.aa.com/en-us/flights-to-venezuela">flights</a> to Caracas from Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, and Washington, D.C.

American Airlines

Trump Officially Opens Flights To His Favorite South American Country

Air Travel

Donald Trump

Global Politics

Trump Administration

Venezuela

World

The illegal immigrant accused of killing 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman in Chicago last month had previously been flagged by the Biden administration as &#8220;likely&#8221; to run before federal authorities released him into the country, according to newly released documents from the House Judiciary Committee.
Venezuelan national Jose Medina, 25, unlawfully crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in May 2023 during a period when the Biden administration was releasing thousands of illegal crossers each day under its catch-and-release policies. Before setting the illegal immigrant free, Border Patrol agents noted that Medina was &#8220;likely to abscond,&#8221; citing that he had &#8220;close family ties or roots in this country,&#8221; the documents show.
The agents also noted that Medina didn&#8217;t make any asylum claims, writing that he did not &#8220;fear harm or persecution&#8221; if returned to Venezuela.
&#8220;Democrats knew this man was dangerous and had no legitimate asylum claim. But they still released him,&#8221; House Judiciary Committee Republicans wrote in an X post.
Nearly three years later, Medina allegedly shot and killed Gorman, a freshman attending Loyola University, as she was walking with friends to see the Northern Lights.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democrats knew this man was dangerous and had no legitimate asylum claim.
But they still released him. <a href="https://t.co/LQxcBcXKhG">pic.twitter.com/LQxcBcXKhG</a>
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/2044067066827694161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Before the killing, Medina had been charged in a June 2023 shoplifting incident at a Chicago Macy’s, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/21/loyola-chicago-shooting-suspect/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Chicago Tribune. A warrant was issued for Medina&#8217;s arrest after he failed to appear for his hearing in that case.
In an earlier statement, Gorman&#8217;s family said Medina should never have been out on the streets.
“We are gravely disappointed by the policies and failures that allowed this individual to remain in a position to commit this crime,” they said. “When systems fail — whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act — the consequences are not abstract. They are real. And in our case, they are permanent.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer request with local authorities, though it is not expected to be honored under Illinois sanctuary policies.
“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life. She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who RELEASED this illegal alien TWICE before he went on to commit this heinous murder,” Acting Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis said in an earlier statement.
“We are calling on Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods,” Bis added.
Medina faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder in the first degree, three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and one count of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.

Untitled design – 2026-04-14T114708.118

Biden-Era Illegal Dubbed ‘Likely’ To Flee Now Accused In College Student Murder

Immigration

A U.S. federal judge refused to dismiss the case against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on Thursday after Maduro raised concerns about how he would pay for his powerhouse legal team.
Maduro appeared in court in Manhattan for the first time since his arraignment in early January. Outside of the federal courthouse, demonstrators waved Venezuelan flags and celebrated the arrest of the dictator. Meanwhile, in Caracas, the Venezuelan government organized demonstrations where people took to the streets to protest President Donald Trump&#8217;s capture of Maduro.
During Thursday&#8217;s court hearing, Maduro&#8217;s defense argued that the case brought against him by the U.S. government should be tossed since the Trump administration is not allowing the Venezuelan government to cover his and his wife&#8217;s legal fees. Maduro is being represented by Barry J. Pollack, one of the leading trial lawyers in the country, who previously represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Because of existing U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, Maduro&#8217;s attorneys would need special permission from the U.S. government to receive money from Venezuela for Maduro&#8217;s legal fees, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/live/nicolas-maduro-venezuela-court-03-26-2026#0000019d-2959-d29d-affd-efff551c0000">reported</a>. The Trump administration has so far refused to grant that permission. Lawyers representing the Maduros claim that the Trump administration is violating the Maduros&#8217; right to counsel, and Maduro said that he could not afford to hire his counsel with his own money.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein declined to dismiss the case and said the defense team&#8217;s argument was &#8220;based on hypotheticals,&#8221; CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/26/world/live-news/nicolas-maduro-new-york-court">reported</a>. Hellerstein, however, said he would revisit the funding issue at a later date and rule on whether the Trump administration must allow the Maduros to access funds from the Venezuelan government. The judge did not set a specific date for when he would rule on the issue.
In one exchange with Judge Hellerstein, a federal prosecutor argued that the law does not allow for a judge to order the U.S. government to allow funds from a foreign government to be used for legal defense. Prosecutor Kyle Wirshba said that if Hellerstein were to order the Trump administration to grant permission for the Maduros&#8217; lawyers to accept a check from the Venezuelan government, the judge would be stepping into U.S. national security and foreign policy issues.
“If the purpose of the sanctions is because the defendants are plundering the wealth of Venezuela, it would undermine the sanctions to allow them access the same funds now to pay for their defense,” Wirshba added.
Maduro is charged with narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and using military-grade weaponry in furtherance of drug trafficking, among other charges. The Venezuelan dictator is accused of using the power of the Venezuelan government to carry out these crimes for decades. Maduro faces life in prison in the United States.
President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday that the U.S. government would likely bring additional charges against Maduro.

Nicolas Maduro Transported To Court Hearing

Maduro’s Bid To Dismiss Federal Charges Met With Brutal Reality Check

Judge Shoots Down Maduro's Request To Dismiss Narcoterrorism Case

Court

Manhattan

Nicolas Maduro

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will have another task added to his plate, but this one wasn&#8217;t ordered by President Donald Trump.
Rubio is expected to take the witness stand on Tuesday in the federal trial of a former Republican congressman who is accused of secretly lobbying on behalf of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The trial of David Rivera began on Monday in Miami with prosecutors alleging that Rivera &#8220;offered access&#8221; to U.S. politicians without registering as a foreign lobbyist and was paid $20 million by a Venezuelan state-owned company to attempt to improve U.S.-Venezuela relations, Reuters reported. Rivera and his co-defendant, Esther Nuhfer, met with U.S. lawmakers, including Rubio, as they allegedly attempted to persuade politicians to hold off on economic sanctions on Venezuela.
&#8220;They sold their loyalty. They offered access, the defendants did, to United States politicians that they&#8217;ve spent decades establishing relationships with,&#8221; prosecutor Roger Cruz said during opening statements on Monday.
&#8220;The evidence will show that for $50 million these two defendants made a pact to secretly lobby for Nicolás Maduro, the communist director, and his second in command Delcy Rodríguez,&#8221; Cruz added, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rubio-rivera-miami-trial-venezuela-5993890ac0d3deece86f6ed900959a64">Associated Press</a>.
Rivera allegedly convinced then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez, who is now Venezuela&#8217;s acting leader, to award him a three-month $50 million contract in exchange for his lobbying. Rivera signed the contract in 2017, according to federal prosecutors. The allegations against Rivera stem from after he was in Congress, where he served just one term from 2011 to 2013. Rivera shared a home with Rubio in the early 2000s when they were both serving in the Florida legislature.
When Rubio takes the stand on Tuesday, he will become the first sitting Cabinet member to testify at a criminal trial since Labor Secretary Raymond Donovan testified during a mafia-related trial in 1983. The timing of the criminal trial is intriguing, given that Rubio is currently playing a major role in President Donald Trump&#8217;s Venezuela strategy following the capture of Maduro and the efforts to revitalize and oversee Venezuela&#8217;s oil industry.
Rubio&#8217;s testimony will likely focus on his 2017 meetings with Rivera when Rubio was serving in the U.S. Senate. During the first of those meetings, Rivera revealed details about working with Venezuelan media tycoon Raúl Gorrín, who supposedly held vast influence inside the Venezuelan regime and was working to convince Maduro to hold fair elections, according to an indictment unsealed in 2022. Gorrín has also been charged in the United States with bribing Venezuelan officials.
Rivera and Gorrín also communicated in a private group chat with others and used code names for Maduro, whom they called &#8220;bus driver,&#8221; and Rodríguez, whom they referred to as &#8220;the lady in red.&#8221; According to the indictment, Rivera texted Rubio two days after the meeting, writing, &#8220;Remember, U.S. should facilitate, not just support, a negotiated solution. No vengeance, reconciliation.&#8221;
Rivera, alongside Gorrín and others, met with Rubio a second time and allegedly said in a private group chat with Gorrín that Maduro would have to pay him for setting up the meeting with the U.S. senator. Rivera and Gorrín also asked Texas Republican Congressman Pete Sessions to set up a meeting between Rodríguez and Exxon Mobil.
The defense argues that Rivera and Nuhfer were not required to register as foreign lobbyists under U.S. law because they were focused on commercial issues, such as convincing Exxon to move back to Venezuela, not on political lobbying, the Associated Press reported. Rivera&#8217;s defense also claims that because he was hired for consulting by the American subsidiary of Venezuela&#8217;s state-owned oil company, he was not required to register as a foreign lobbyist.
Rivera’s defense attorney Ed Shohat told the jury on Monday, &#8220;Not one single policy of the U.S. was impacted by this case.&#8221;
The defense team wanted Maduro, who is awaiting his own trial in the United States, to testify, but the former dictator said he would exercise his Fifth Amendment right if called to testify. The defense team also sought to subpoena White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who was working as a lobbyist for Gorrín&#8217;s network at the time, to testify in the trial, but that effort was shot down.

David Rivera/Marco Rubio

Rubio To Take The Stand In Bombshell Corruption Trial

Rubio To Testify In Trial Of Former Congressman Accused Of Secretly Lobbying For Venezuela

Marco Rubio

trial

President Donald Trump on Monday slammed the Biden administration&#8217;s “open door” policies for the release of an illegal immigrant suspected of murdering 18-year-old college student Sheridan Gorman.
Trump’s comments came after 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, was charged in the killing of Gorman, a student at Loyola University Chicago. Authorities say Medina approached Gorman on Thursday while she was watching the Northern Lights near a lakefront pier and opened fire, striking her as she tried to flee.
“It&#8217;s devastating. These people were let in by Biden. We&#8217;re getting them out. We&#8217;re getting them out fast. That&#8217;s why ICE is so important. They are doing such a good job,” Trump told Daily Wire reporter Mary Margaret Olohan, part of the presidential press pool, on Monday morning. “This animal, I saw the whole thing last night. They gave me a briefing.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaryMargOlohan</a>: Another young woman was killed by an illegal immigrant that was let in under Biden. Do you have a message for her family? <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;It&#8217;s devastating. These people were let in by Biden. We&#8217;re getting them out&#8230;That&#8217;s why ICE is so important&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/74YM2RxX3h">pic.twitter.com/74YM2RxX3h</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/2036097183275975161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Medina was released into the United States in May 2023 and had previously faced shoplifting charges, according to authorities. He was released by local officials following that incident.
“This person came in through the open-door policy of Joe Biden. We&#8217;re taking them out by the tens of thousands. We’re doing a great job. It’s a shame. They’ve hurt our country,” Trump said. 
<div id="attachment_1064331" style="width: 660px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1064331" class=" wp-image-1064331" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-23-at-11.19.18-AM.png" alt="" width="650" height="747" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-23-at-11.19.18-AM.png 774w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-23-at-11.19.18-AM-261x300.png 261w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-23-at-11.19.18-AM-501x576.png 501w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-23-at-11.19.18-AM-768x883.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" />Credit: DHS.</div>
Leftist Chicago Alderman Maria Hadden described the incident as Gorman being &#8220;at the wrong place at the wrong time.&#8221;
Gorman’s family pushed back, saying she was in a safe area.  
“She was walking with a group of friends near her dorm, in an area that was understood to be safe. There was nothing reckless about her actions,” the family said. “What happened to Sheridan cannot be reduced to the idea of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“This is the loss of a daughter. The loss of a sister. The loss of a future filled with milestones that will now never come. Our family is forever changed,” they said.  
The family added that the suspect should never have been free to roam the streets.
&#8220;We are gravely disappointed by the policies and failures that allowed this individual to remain in a position to commit this crime,&#8221; they said. &#8220;When systems fail — whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act — the consequences are not abstract. They are real. And in our case, they are permanent.&#8221;
Medina was <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/sheridan-gorman-loyola-killing-venezuelan-court">expected</a> to appear in court on Monday to face charges for first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, three felony counts of aggravated assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm. However, the Cook County State&#8217;s Attorney&#8217;s Office said Medina is currently hospitalized and unable to attend the detention hearing, NBC5 <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/suspect-in-killing-of-loyola-university-chicago-student-hospitalized-states-attorney-says/3912241/">reported</a>. 
The Department of Homeland Security has urged Chicago officials not to release Medina. 
“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life,” said Acting Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis. “We are calling on Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods.”

Loyola_Illegal_killing

Trump Doesn’t Hold Back When Daily Wire Asks About Loyola Murder Suspect And Biden-Era Link

Department of Homeland Security

Illegal Immigration

Joe Biden

Cuba is preparing for the possibility of military conflict with the United States, a top Cuban official warned Sunday, as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.
“Our military is always prepared, and in fact it is preparing these days for the possibility of military aggression,” Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío said in an interview on &#8220;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/cuban-deputy-fm-reacts-to-trump-s-threats-to-take-over-cuba-full-interview-259825733583?utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm">Meet the Press</a>.&#8221; “We would be naïve” not to consider the possibility, he added, while insisting that Havana “truly hope[s] that it doesn’t occur” and sees “no justification whatsoever” for conflict.
The warning comes after a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-he-can-take-cuba-i-could-do-anything-i-want-with-it">series of statements</a> from President Donald Trump as his administration ramps up pressure on the island’s communist government. He said he would have the “honor” of “taking Cuba in some form … Free it. Take it. I think I could do anything I want with it.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio has <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/5787874-cuba-political-change-rubio/">also signaled</a> that Cuba’s leadership is in a precarious position, warning that those in power “don’t know how to fix” the country’s mounting crises.
Fernández de Cossío dismissed those remarks, insisting that regime change is “absolutely” not up for discussion. “The Cuban political system is not up for negotiation,” he said. “Cuba is a sovereign country … and would not accept becoming a dependent state of any other power.”
The standoff comes as Cuba faces a severe and worsening economic crisis, driven in large part by an energy shortage that has crippled the island. The Trump administration has moved to choke off fuel supplies by threatening penalties on countries that export oil to Cuba, a policy Cuban officials describe as a “very severe” blockade.
“What’s happening today is that the U.S. is threatening … any country that might export fuel to Cuba,” Fernández de Cossío said, arguing the pressure campaign “cannot be sustained forever.”
However, Cuba has already experienced repeated <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-government-riot-breaks-out-in-cuba-over-blackouts?author=Reuters&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Anti-Government+Riot+Breaks+Out+In+Cuba+Over+Blackouts">nationwide blackouts</a> in recent weeks, including multiple grid collapses that left much of the island without electricity. With limited fuel, transportation, hospitals, and food distribution systems have all come under strain.
Tensions have also intensified following a U.S. military operation earlier this year that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, a key ally of the Cuban regime.
The loss of Venezuelan oil shipments, long a lifeline for Cuba’s economy, has compounded the island’s crisis and further strained relations with Washington.
Despite the rhetoric, both sides have acknowledged ongoing communication. Fernández de Cossío confirmed that Cuban and U.S. officials remain in dialogue on certain bilateral issues, though he stressed that core political questions such as leadership and single-party governance are off the table.
“No sovereign country negotiates its internal political system,” he said. Cuban officials have rejected calls for political reform, with Fernández de Cossío criticizing the U.S. system in return, noting that America itself operates under a two-party structure.
While Cuban officials emphasized readiness, they also sought to downplay the likelihood of imminent conflict. “Our country has historically been ready to mobilize … for military aggression,” Fernández de Cossío said. “We truly always see it as something far from us. We don’t believe it is something that is probable.” Still, he reiterated that failing to prepare would be a mistake given current global tensions.
The warnings come as Cuba faces one of the most precarious moments in decades: economic collapse, widespread blackouts, and growing public frustration. At the same time, the regime continues to reject any discussion of structural political change, even as pressure mounts from both abroad and within the island. For now, Havana is signaling two things at once: it wants to avoid war, but is preparing for it anyway.

Cuba. Havana. Theatre Detail

Cuba Prepares For Possible U.S. Military Action As Tensions Surge

Cuba

Cuba said it had begun efforts early on Sunday to restore power after its grid collapsed for the second time in a week amid a U.S. oil blockade that has dealt a major blow to the island&#8217;s already ailing energy infrastructure.
The grid collapsed Saturday evening at 6:32 p.m. (2232 GMT) after a major power plant in Nuevitas, in eastern Cuba&#8217;s Camaguey province, failed and went offline, grid operator UNE said, causing a cascade effect that knocked out power to the nation&#8217;s approximately 10 million people.
Cuba&#8217;s energy and mines ministry said early on Sunday it had established microsystems &#8211; smaller, closed circuits &#8211; in all of the island&#8217;s provinces to restore power for vital services like hospitals, water supply and food distribution.
The country&#8217;s two gas-fired power plants, operated by Energas, were running in Varadero and Boca de Jaruco, and electricity had reached the nearby Santa Cruz oil-fired plant, the energy ministry said on social media.
Shortly after sunrise on Sunday, the streets of the capital Havana were crowded with early risers sitting on doorsteps, lamenting the situation with neighbors and swatting mosquitoes in cool weather under clear skies.
&#8220;Life doesn&#8217;t change. We&#8217;re stuck in the same rut,&#8221; said Havana resident Leoni Alberto, who said he was forced to cook with firewood at least twice a week due to the outages. &#8220;It&#8217;s absolute madness. There&#8217;s no other way around it.&#8221;
Cellular service and internet was almost entirely unavailable in most areas, leaving many without communication of any kind.
Cuban prime minister Manuel Marrero said the recovery effort was taking place under &#8220;very complex circumstances.&#8221;
Cuba&#8217;s electrical grid has been teetering on the edge of collapse and unreliable for months, leaving the island&#8217;s residents in the dark for hours a day, and sometimes longer, even in better times.
But Saturday&#8217;s blackout incident marks the third major power outage this month, as a majority of the system went down on March 4 when a key thermoelectric generating plant failed. The power grid also went completely offline on Monday for unexplained reasons.
Cuba has experienced a series of total outages in recent years, but two nationwide blackouts in the space of a week is exceptional.
U.S. President Donald Trump began taking measures to block oil from reaching the Caribbean island after Washington deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3. Venezuela had previously provided oil to its close ally on favorable terms.
Since then, Trump has cut off Venezuelan exports to Cuba and threatened other countries with punitive tariffs if they sell oil to the island.
Cuba has long blamed the U.S. trade embargo for economic failures including its obsolete power grid, while Washington has attributed the shortfalls to Cuba&#8217;s Soviet-style command economy.
(Reporting by Dave Sherwood in Havana; additional reporting by Anett Rios and Alien Fernandez, Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Cuba Begins Recovery Efforts After Second Grid Collapse In A Week

Energy

Hundreds of left-wing activists from the United States, Europe, and Latin America descended on Havana this weekend, meeting with communist officials, staying in upscale hotels, and traveling in air-conditioned buses as ordinary Cubans grapple with widespread blackouts and severe shortages of basic necessities.
The “Nuestra América Convoy,” also called the “Our America Convoy to Cuba,” brought roughly 650 delegates from 33 countries and more than 100 organizations to the island, transporting about 20 tons of humanitarian aid, according to organizers.
Delegates arrived by air from countries including Italy, France, Spain, and the United States, with additional participants traveling by sea in a flotilla from Mexico. Some activists arrived earlier in the week, delivering supplies to hospitals in advance of the main delegation.
Some delegates were reportedly housed in high-end accommodations, including five-star hotels, while others were seen traveling in air-conditioned buses and attending official meetings with Miguel Díaz-Canel at government facilities.
Large portions of the island have experienced prolonged blackouts, with outages in some areas stretching beyond 20 hours a day. The country’s fragile infrastructure has been pushed to the brink, leaving millions struggling to access food, water, and medical care.
The Cuban government and activists have blamed U.S. energy restrictions, particularly moves by Donald Trump to target oil shipments, for exacerbating the island’s economic collapse. Organizers framed the convoy as a direct challenge to what they describe as “collective punishment.”
“We cannot allow this,” said David Adler of Progressive International, one of the groups behind the effort. “We cannot normalize it.” Cuban officials echoed that message, with Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío insisting that the country’s political system is “not up for negotiation” in any talks with Washington. At the same time, critics argue the regime’s decades of centralized control and economic mismanagement have played a central role in the island’s long-running hardship.
The optics of foreign activists enjoying stable electricity and modern amenities while locals endure daily deprivation have drawn sharp backlash, particularly from Cuban exiles. “This is a gigantic mockery of the entire Cuban people,” said Mayra Dominguez, a Cuban living in exile in the United States, to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/21/world-news/tone-deaf-activists-flock-into-havana-staying-in-5-star-hotels-while-island-in-crisis-mockery-of-cuban-people/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThis%20is%20a%20gigantic%20mockery,It%20is%20outrageous%2C%E2%80%9D%20she%20added.">New York Post</a>. “The left visits Cuba as if it were a party at a zoo and they go to admire the misery from a luxury hotel.”
Cuban artist Salomé García Bacallao, now based in Miami, similarly criticized the government for welcoming foreign delegations while many Cubans remain barred from returning home.
The convoy includes a mix of activists, political figures, and organizations from across the global Left. Among them is leftist streamer Hasan Piker, who <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVtURa3FFoa/">broadcast</a> from Havana to his large social media following while promising to produce additional “content” from the trip.
Other participants include international political figures such as Jeremy Corbyn and representatives from leftist parties across Latin America and Europe.
Some of the groups involved, such as The People’s Forum and Code Pink, have previously drawn scrutiny from U.S. officials over alleged <a href="https://naturalresources.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415189">ties to foreign influence networks</a>.
The effort has also been linked to Mariela Castro, daughter of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, underscoring the close coordination between activists and the Cuban government. Organizers say the convoy delivered solar panels, food, and medical supplies, including cancer treatments, to help alleviate the island’s crisis.
Cuba has also received aid shipments from countries including Mexico, Brazil, and China in recent weeks, as concerns grow over a potential humanitarian emergency. Still, questions remain about how the convoy’s aid will be distributed, and whether it will reach ordinary Cubans or be funneled through government-controlled channels.
Such efforts often double as political theater, bolstering the regime’s narrative while doing little to address systemic issues. The images coming out of Havana this weekend highlight a jarring divide: foreign activists documenting their “solidarity” tour with reliable electricity, comfortable transport, and direct access to top officials. Meanwhile, millions of Cubans live through daily blackouts, food shortages, and a collapsing economy.
For many watching, especially those forced to leave the island, the contrast is not just striking, it&#8217;s infuriating.

TOPSHOT-CUBA-MAY DAY-DEMO

Left-Wing Activists Descend On Crisis-Stricken Cuba, Enjoy Luxury Hotels, Ride AC Buses

Ben Saul, the U.N. Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, accused the Trump administration of “naked aggression” and “renewed imperialism,” while lauding Somalia’s record on human rights.
“Countering terrorism has excused naked aggression and renewed imperialism against Iran and Venezuela, raining death and making us all less safe,” he told the U.N. Human Rights Council. “Despite these abuses, many responsible states remain committed to human rights while countering terrorism. My report on visiting Somalia last year shows how a country facing an existential terrorist threat is strengthening, not sacrificing, human rights.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
U.N. SAYS SOMALIA LEADS ON HUMAN RIGHTS: Ben Saul, the U.N. Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, says the U.S. is “raining death”—but Somalia is a model “responsible state” that “is committed to strengthening human rights.”
FYI: China donated $150,000 to Ben Saul. <a href="https://t.co/74ILPalq2P">pic.twitter.com/74ILPalq2P</a>
&mdash; UN Watch (@UNWatch) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNWatch/status/2033918733693997279?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
Last week, Saul <a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/item/un-expert-rejects-us-justification-for-iran-war-warns-of-risk-for-further-destabilisation/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX1ZBMzQ0MzEyMDMyMDI2UlAx?utm_source=chatgpt.com">asserted</a> the United States had no lawful right to attack Iran because its only justification would be to intercept &#8220;an order to the state’s military to fire a weapon in the very near future,&#8221; meaning that a nation would have to wait until the nuclear bomb was ready to be sent before acting.
“There must be an armed attack occurring, or an armed attack must be imminent,” he stated. “Imminent means ‘about to occur,’ there’s some elasticity in that concept, of course, but it does not extend to bombing a country when they don’t even have the weapon yet that you say you fear, let alone having made any decision to use them against any other country. Imminent means you’ve intercepted an order to the state’s military to fire a weapon in the very near future.”
Saul&#8217;s office <a href="https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4079072/files/A_HRC_58_70_Add.1-EN.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com">received</a> $150,000 from China in 2025.
As for Somalia’s record, even left-wing Amnesty International <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/east-africa-the-horn-and-great-lakes/somalia/report-somalia/">acknowledged</a> in 2024:
<blockquote>
Civilians continued to bear the brunt of the ongoing armed conflict between the Somali government, supported by its international allies, and the armed group Al-Shabaab. While large numbers of civilian casualties were reported, there was no accountability for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
The UN Assistance Mission in Somalia reported 854 civilian casualties (295 killed and 559 injured) between January and September. Al-Shabaab was responsible for 65% (560) of all recorded casualties, while the others were attributed to state security forces, clan militias, and international and regional forces. Internally displaced people continued to face significant human rights violations and abuses. More than 552,000 were internally displaced due to floods, drought, conflict and food insecurity. According to the UN, nearly 200,000 people – most of whom were already internally displaced – were forcibly evicted nationwide between January and December. Women and children, who faced risks of gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and evictions, constituted more than 80% of the displaced population.
</blockquote>
The Coalition of Somalia Human Rights defenders <a href="https://cshrds.org/somalia-annual-human-rights-report-2025">reported</a> in 2025: “This report documents grave human rights violations committed in Somalia during 2025, including abusive use of the death penalty, torture, extra-judicial killings, conflict-related sexual violence, violations against women and children, enforced evictions, and mass displacement. In 2025, Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in Somalia operated in an increasingly hostile and high-risk environment marked by systematic intimidation, violence, and repression.”
Human Rights Watch <a href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/somalia?utm_source=chatgpt.com">noted</a> last year, “In May, the Somali government called on the United Nations Security Council to terminate the UN political mission in Somalia (UNSOM), later walking back on the timeframe. &#8230; The government did not review the country’s outdated penal code or establish a national human rights commission.”

SWITZERLAND-UN-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT

UN Official Accuses Trump Of ‘Naked Aggression,’ Heaps Praise On Failed State Instead

UN ‘Human Rights’ Official Slanders U.S. As ‘Imperialist,’ Praises Somalia, Takes Cash From China

China

Iran

Somalia

United Nations

Anti-government protesters attacked a Communist Party office in northern Cuba early on Saturday, a state-run newspaper reported, in a rare outburst of public dissent triggered by worsening blackouts that have been exacerbated by a U.S. oil blockade.
A rally against power cuts and food shortages appeared to begin peacefully in the city of Moron late on Friday then turned violent in the early hours of Saturday morning, Invasor newspaper said.
Videos on social media showed a large fire and people throwing rocks through the windows of a building as voices shouted &#8220;liberty&#8221; in the background.
Reuters was unable to confirm the authenticity of videos that posters said showed the unrest in Moron, a city on Cuba&#8217;s northern coast about 250 miles (400 km) east of the capital Havana near the tourist resort of Cayo Coco.
US BLOCKADE TURNS THE SCREW
The ​United States has tightened the screws on Cuba this year since capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro &#8211; Cuba&#8217;s most important foreign benefactor &#8211; in January.
U.S. President Trump cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and threatened to slap tariffs on any country that sells oil to Cuba, piling pressure on the economy already struggling with shortages of food, fuel, electricity and medicine.
Trump has in recent weeks made a series of statements, saying Cuba was on the verge of collapse or eager to make a deal with the United States. Cuba&#8217;s government said on Friday it had begun talks with Washington to try to defuse the crisis.
Public protests, particularly violent ones, are exceedingly rare in Cuba. Cuba&#8217;s 2019 constitution grants citizens the right to demonstrate, but a law more specifically defining that right is stalled in the legislature, leaving those who take to the street in legal limbo.
&#8220;What initially began peacefully, and after an exchange with local authorities, turned into acts of vandalism against the headquarters of the Municipal Party Committee,&#8221; the Invasor newspaper said.
&#8220;A smaller group of people stoned the entrance of the building and started a fire in the street with furniture from the reception area,&#8221; it added.
Vandals targeted several other state-run establishments in the area, including a pharmacy and a government market, the report said.
In one unverified video on social media, a gunshot is heard, and the camera pans to a person lying on the ground. State media outlet Vanguardia de Cuba dismissed online reports that the person lying on the ground had been shot by police.
&#8220;The image circulating shows the scene of the protest, but it&#8217;s important for the public to know the truth: no one was injured by gunfire,&#8221; Vanguardia de Cuba said on X.
&#8220;Media manipulation seeks to sow fear and confusion among our people. Let&#8217;s not fall for provocations,&#8221; it added.
Police detained five people and one drunken participant fell over and was being treated for injuries in a local hospital.
Over the past week, several small groups of residents across Havana have banged pots in protest against extended blackouts.
Students on Monday staged a sit-in on the steps of the University of Havana after the government suspended in-person classes, blaming the U.S. oil blockade. Fuel shortages have vastly reduced public transportation, making it difficult, if not impossible, for teachers and students to get together for classes.
Moron was also the site of significant protests during anti-government riots on July 11, 2021, the largest since Fidel Castro&#8217;s 1959 revolution.
(Reporting by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Anti-Government Riot Breaks Out In Cuba Over Blackouts

Communism

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would be “involved” in selecting the next leader of Iran following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a U.S.-Israeli strike. 
In an interview with Axios, Trump said Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader and widely seen as a likely successor, would be &#8220;unacceptable.&#8221;  
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei&#8217;s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/iran-leader-trump-khamenei">told</a> Axios on Thursday. &#8220;Khamenei&#8217;s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.&#8221;
Trump said that if Iran selects a hardliner like Mojtaba Khamenei, the United States could be back at war with Iran &#8220;in five years.&#8221;
On Friday, Trump demanded &#8220;unconditional surrender&#8221; from the Iranian regime, saying that the United States and its allies would work to rebuild Iran economically after the selection of an &#8220;acceptable&#8221; and &#8220;great&#8221; leader.
&#8220;There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! After that, and the selection of a GREAT &amp; ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. “MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!),&#8221; Trump said.
Trump&#8217;s post comes after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that &#8220;some countries have begun mediation efforts&#8221; over the conflict. &#8220;Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict,&#8221; he said on Friday.
Asked by the New York Times about Trump’s comments about being involved in the process to find a new leader, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/us/politics/trump-iran-leader.html">said</a> the president wants U.S. input to help avoid repeated conflict.  
“The president stated: ‘We want to be involved in the process of choosing the person who is going to lead Iran into the future, so we don’t have to go back every five years and do this again and again,” she said. “Somebody that’s going to be great for the people, great for the country.’”
In a separate <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/wants-iran-leadership-structure-gone-preference-good-leader-rcna262039">interview</a> with NBC, Trump said he has a few names in mind for possible leaders and insisted the U.S. military was being careful to ensure those individuals were not killed during the strikes. 
&#8220;We want to go in and clean out everything,&#8221; Trump said. “We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job.” 
Trump acknowledged he had joked about Iranian officials asking him who should be their next leader, a remark he said was “only being a little sarcastic.”
Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, have repeatedly said the United States military operation is not intended as a nation-building or &#8220;regime change war&#8221; and is focused on taking out Iranian military capabilities rather than governing the country.
Trump also referenced American involvement in Venezuela&#8217;s leadership transition, saying he played a role in supporting Delcy Rodriguez after U.S. forces captured dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Former President Donald Trump Holds Rally In Florence, Arizona

Trump Vows U.S. Role In Iran’s Next Leader — Then Drops A MAGA-Style Line

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Executive

Politics

President Donald Trump praised interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez on Wednesday, saying oil from the South American country &#8220;is beginning to flow&#8221; just two months after U.S. forces captured dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Trump praised Rodríguez, who was tapped by Venezuela&#8217;s ruling party following Maduro&#8217;s capture, as the country increased its oil exports last month. Under American supervision, Venezuela doubled its oil exports in February to a five-month high of 788,000 barrels per day, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-02/venezuela-s-crude-exports-double-in-february-under-us-oversight">reported</a>.
&#8220;Delcy Rodríguez, who is the President of Venezuela, is doing a great job, and working with U.S. Representatives very well. The Oil is beginning to flow, and the professionalism and dedication between both Countries is a very nice thing to see!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116172714486213504">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
Trump made the comment while Interior Secretary Doug Burgum met with the Venezuelan leader in Caracas on Wednesday. Representatives from around two dozen mining and mineral companies also joined Burgum and Rodríguez for the meeting, which focused on paving a way for &#8220;capital investment to flow&#8221; into Venezuela, Burgum <a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-burgum-rodriguez-trump-minerals-dc9193f2832ad8ceafbfa551f078bfdd">said</a>.
The Interior secretary also leads Trump&#8217;s National Energy Dominance Council, which is tasked with cutting red tape and securing American energy independence. Burgum said on Wednesday that his goal to rejuvenate the American energy sector falls in line with the administration&#8217;s plan for Venezuela.
&#8220;When we are working together in can only mean two things, which is prosperity for the people of Venezuela and for the citizens of the United States, and it also brings peace and stability for the world,&#8221; Burgum said.
The American companies at the meeting &#8220;represent billions of dollars in investment and thousands of dollars in high-paying jobs,&#8221; Burgum added.
After the meeting, Rodríguez signaled that she would push to change Venezuela&#8217;s mining law to allow for more U.S. investment in the industry, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-burgum-rodriguez-trump-minerals-dc9193f2832ad8ceafbfa551f078bfdd">reported</a>. Venezuela&#8217;s commitment to cooperate with the United States shows a remarkable shift in relations since Trump authorized action to remove Maduro from power in Venezuela and bring him to the United States to stand trial on drug trafficking conspiracy charges.
After Trump imposed a complete naval blockade of Venezuela and authorized the U.S. military operation to nab Maduro, the Trump administration began overseeing Venezuela&#8217;s state-run oil industry. The United States is especially benefiting from Venezuela&#8217;s recent bump in oil output, with American oil refiners, such as Chevron, bringing in their biggest oil hauls from Venezuela in seven years, according to Bloomberg.
Part of the Trump administration&#8217;s strategy for overseeing Venezuelan oil sales is to use the sales as “leverage” to push the Venezuelan government toward lasting &#8220;change,&#8221; Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in January.
“If we control the flow of oil, the sales of that oil, and the flow of the cash that comes from those sales, we have large leverage,” he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-to-control-venezuelan-oil-sales-as-leverage-for-change-energy-secretary-says">said</a>.

Donald Trump/Delcy Rodríguez

Trump Praises Maduro’s Replacement As Venezuela Sees Shift In Key Industry

Doug Burgum

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