New State Department Report Alleges Cuban Collusion with Leftist Groups in the US

On July 20, the U.S. Department of State issued a 100-page report titled Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism, outlining what it describes as a decades-long campaign by Havana to “turn America against itself” through support for “left-wing terrorism on American soil.” 

One of the report’s more consequential allegations is that Cuba has supported and mobilized “leftist nonprofits, anti-ICE collectives, socialist groups, and Marxist militant organizations,” explicitly naming organizations such as CodePink and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). It also singles out the “Nuestra América” convoy that brought humanitarian aid to Cuba in March 2026, which was organized by some of these groups. More broadly, it attributes Cuban influence to a range of domestic developments, including the protests for the murder of George Floyd, the alleged rise of Antifa, and student activism on U.S. college campuses.

The report adopts an unusually sweeping tone for a government publication, advancing a number of broad, mostly unsubstantiated claims. The assertions are based entirely on public information, including historical accounts, declassified intelligence, and previously reported espionage cases, making it read more as an interpretive assessment than the release of new evidence. While some claims are grounded in reality, such as Cuba's conduct of intelligence operations in the US, critics contend that the report often extrapolates from those facts to far broader conclusions that are not supported by evidence.

A former State Department official noted that the document did not appear to undergo the same rigorous review process that publications bearing the State Department seal typically receive, suggesting it was likely driven more by political appointees than by the Department's career diplomats. 

Reactions from Congress quickly followed the report's publication. Senator Marsha Blackburn (TN) took allegations a step further, arguing on Fox News that Cuba is working with cartels at the southern border, while Representative Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07) wrote on X that the report seeks to “create a chilling effect among groups who oppose his radical right-wing positions towards Latin America and curtail our constitutionally protected right to free speech.” Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) called it “the stupidest, most fantastical, most biased thing I've ever read from a governmental agency.”

Strongly-worded statements from both Washington and Havana followed the report's publication. Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, said the report was intended to frighten the American public, while Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed it as a “propaganda pamphlet.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, wrote on X that “for more than six decades, the Cuban regime has been the leading sponsor of radical leftism and Third Worldism in the United States.” 

The report builds upon the administration's broader narrative that rising left-wing activism is linked to foreign influence. Some observers have noted the ironic parallel with Havana's long-standing practice of portraying domestic dissent as the product of foreign interference rather than internal grievances. This is the tactic Cuba's government deployed in the aftermath of the July 11, 2021 protests, attributing the demonstrations to outside actors rather than acknowledging the widespread frustration over the island's deepening economic and humanitarian crisis.

Critics have also raised concerns about the implications of framing left-wing activism through a counterterrorism lens. The Trump administration has increasingly advanced this approach. In a report, the Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) explains the major risks of conflating political dissent with security threats. CELS warns that encouraging governments to share intelligence and adopt expansive definitions of “left-wing terrorism” could legitimize political repression and revive patterns of state persecution associated with Latin America's Cold War era.

While Cuba has a well-documented history of supporting anti-colonial and revolutionary movements abroad, extending that characterization to current left-wing activism in the US is a considerably broader claim than the historical record alone establishes. As historian Mike Bustamante contends in a thread on X, the fact that activists share views with Cuba's government or engage with Cuban officials does not, on its own, demonstrate that they are directed or controlled by Havana. Rather, these interactions often reflect the exercise of freedoms of speech and association that are largely unavailable to those living in Cuba.

Some analysts have suggested the report also serves a domestic political purpose, reinforcing the administration's messaging ahead of the midterm elections and resonating with key constituencies, particularly within the Cuban American community in South Florida.

Beyond its domestic political implications, the document may also contribute to a broader national security narrative surrounding Cuba. Some groups have expressed concern that it helps lay the groundwork for a more confrontational U.S. policy by framing Cuba's government as not only an external adversary but also a direct source of domestic instability.

This would build upon several recent developments, including the Department of Justice's indictment of Cuba’s former President Raúl Castro and five other Cuban officials or reporting by Axios alleging that Cuba had acquired drones from Iran. President Trump recently stated that his administration was examining whether Iran has stored drones on the island.

Speculation about a more forceful U.S. approach has intensified following reporting by CBS News on July 16 that senior Pentagon officials are examining military options involving Cuba, including the possibility of an Army-led air assault by the 101st Airborne Division. While there is no indication that such plans are imminent or have been approved, the reporting has fueled discussion about how the administration's evolving rhetoric fits within a broader policy trajectory.

Amid growing uncertainty about the island's future, a group of Cuban economists has already begun looking beyond the current moment, releasing a report outlining a potential path forward for Cuba's political and economic transition.

The State Department report's depiction of Cuba as orchestrating and financing a broad left-wing movement in the US appears difficult to reconcile with the island's current circumstances. Cuba suffered its third nationwide blackout in just ten days, and its fifth of 2026, while expanding U.S. sanctions continue to deepen its economic crisis, with Spanish hotel chain Meliá announcing it is fully withdrawing from Cuba.

U.S.-CUBA NEWS

Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara Exiled to the US

On July 18, activist and artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara arrived in Miami after being exiled from Cuba. Following his arrival in Miami, Otero Alcántara was escorted by the U.S. Department of State before being greeted by a crowd of onlookers, who draped him in a Cuban flag with the phrase “Patria y Vida.” The flag, which references the title of his Grammy Award-winning song, pays homage to the San Isidro Movement, an artistic and political movement founded in 2018 by Otero Alcántara alongside Maykel Castillo Pérez. In various videos, Otero Alcántara remarked that it is “not right” that he was expelled from Cuba, as he cannot see his son or ever return home. In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Otero Alcántara a “courageous Cuban artist.”

Otero Alcántara was first arrested on July 11, 2021, following his involvement in the nationwide protests, and was sentenced to five years in prison: a sentence that ended earlier this month. On July 7, he was removed from his correctional facility. On July 9, activist Anamely Ramos spoke with him by State Security phone and alleged that Cuban authorities transferred him to an undisclosed location as he awaits authorization to travel to the US. Castillo Pérez was also recently moved to an undisclosed location on July 10, but his location continues to remain unknown.

State Department Announces Fifth Round of Sanctions Designations

On July 23, the U.S. Department of State announced a new round of sanctions against nine Cuban state-affiliated entities and two individuals under the sanctions authority established by President Trump's May 1 executive order. The designations target organizations operating in Cuba's energy sector, entities allegedly affiliated with the military-run conglomerate GAESA, and those involved in Cuba’s overseas medical missions.

Among the newly designated entities are three tied to Cuba’s energy sector: Centro de Investigaciones del Petróleo S.A. (CEINPET), the research arm of CUPET, and the import companies Empresa de Energía S.A. (ENERSA) and EINARBO S.A. Four additional entities were designated for their alleged ties to the military-run conglomerate GAESA: Terminal de Contenedores de Mariel S.A., Coral Marítima S.A., CEIBA Investments Limited, and Orbit S.A., which the State Department described as a remittance processor “almost certainly controlled by GAESA.”

The sanctions also target Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos S.A. (CSMC), Unidad Central de Cooperación Médica (UCCM), Health Minister José Angel Portal Miranda, and Gretza Sánchez Padrón for their alleged roles in administering Cuba's overseas medical missions, which the U.S. government characterizes as a form of forced labor.

The inclusion of the Mariel port entities is notable. Earlier this month, Terminal de Contenedores de Mariel S.A. announced it had transferred its assets and operations to the newly created Coral Marítima S.A., which established the subsidiary Terminales Portuarias CORAL S.A. to manage the port. The restructuring followed GAESA’s divestment of the terminal to a company under Cuba’s Ministry of Transportation, a move widely viewed as an effort to shield the port from U.S. sanctions. By designating both the former GAESA-affiliated operator and its successor, the administration signaled that restructuring alone will not insulate state-controlled entities from sanctions.

As a result of the designations, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned individuals and entities that are in the US or under the control of U.S. persons are blocked. U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with the designated parties unless authorized by OFAC. This is the fifth round of sanctions designations pursuant to the May 1 executive order, following the most recent round on July 13.

Humanitarian Aid Arrives in Cuba on Behalf of the US

On July 21, the US sent a flight of humanitarian aid to Cuba as part of Secretary Rubio's May offer to provide $100 million in aid to the island. This commitment comes in addition to the $6 million promised by the Trump administration in February. The shipment was delivered by Caritas Cuba, the Catholic Church's official charitable organization, which has previously delivered food on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. They will be supported on the ground by Catholic Relief Services. 

The shipment includes sufficient hygiene kits and pre-packaged food to support 700 Cuban families, alongside water purification tablets and solar lamps. Once the flight arrived, it was received by Mike Hammer, the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to Cuba. Getting aid to those who need it most, however, remains a significant challenge. Without sufficient fuel, distributing supplies across the island is extremely difficult, particularly to rural communities where transportation is already limited.

As with previous aid deliveries, the assistance will be distributed independently of Cuba's government. As the Cuba Study Group Executive Director noted, the U.S. government has other options for getting aid directly to Cubans, such as through other NGOs or faith-based networks, but they have so far chosen not to use those channels.

Members of Congress Deliver Floor Speeches on Cuba

Several members of Congress delivered floor speeches this week criticizing U.S. policy toward Cuba and calling for changes to the decades-old embargo. Separately, Representative Jonathan Jackson (IL-01) clashed with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz during a congressional hearing after the Ambassador dismissed references to a U.S. naval blockade as “Cuban propaganda.”

Representative Jim McGovern (MA-02) urged the US to end the embargo and cautioned against any military action against the island, stating, “What we are witnessing in Cuba, as some have characterized it, is basically Gaza in slow motion: man-made starvation with the help and complicity of the United States of America.”

Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) reflected on his recent fact-finding trip to Cuba, arguing that the embargo is driven by domestic political interests rather than national security concerns. He contended that the policy extends beyond U.S. borders, saying, “We forced the world into an involuntary global blockade,” and accused the Trump administration of reaching “new levels of sadism” in restricting supplies to the Cuban people.

Representative Maxine Dexter (OR-03), who also just returned from the same trip to Cuba, likewise argued that the embargo is rooted in political considerations rather than sound policy. She called on the US to choose "engagement over isolation" and "humanity over cruelty" in its approach toward Cuba.

IN CUBA

Yet Another Islandwide Blackout Strikes Cuba

On July 14, Cuba suffered another nationwide blackout after the island's electric grid collapsed following a mechanical malfunction with a generating unit in Holguín. The blackout led to a halt in public transportation, with many medical procedures being canceled due to a lack of power in hospitals. While priority electricity was restored to the island later that afternoon, many communities are still left without power. This blackout occurs as many Cubans are already forced into severe electricity rationing, with some areas receiving power for only a few hours a day. Following the blackouts on July 6 and 10, this marks Cuba's fifth nationwide blackout in 2026.

6 Detained Following Protests in Guantánamo

On July 17, it was reported that at least six citizens were detained following their participation in protests in the Loma del Chivo neighborhood in the province of Guantánamo, on July 14. Protesting the lack of lights and power in the region, government officials arrived in Loma del Chivo, filmed the participants, and then began arrests. Yeansg Carlos Pérez George and Cristian Jesús Bergondo George are the two identified detainees, with the other four identities remaining unknown. 

Following the arrests and subsequent disappearances, family members have traveled to the Operations Unit of the State Security Department in Guantánamo, demanding that their children be returned. The province of Guantánamo is extremely affected by the electricity crisis, with some power outages continuing for up to 30 hours.

Meliá Ceases Operations, Terminates Its Remaining 34 Properties

On July 21, the Spanish hotel chain Meliá announced that it will halt all its operations in Cuba beginning July 24. This will include licensing brands, tourism services, and any local supply chains related to its establishments. Meliá referenced Cuba's worsening economic conditions, caused by the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration, as having caused threats to its operational stability, forcing it to close its remaining properties. The announcement comes as Cuba's tourism sector continues to struggle: during the first four months of this year, the island received just 298,000 visitors, a 48 percent decline compared to the same period in 2015.

Meliá's departure does not necessarily mean its hotels will close. Because some of the properties are owned by Cuban state entities, they can continue operating under different management. Some were already listed on the Cuba Restricted List and subject to U.S. sanctions. Meliá had already begun scaling back its presence in early June, when it terminated 15 management contracts tied to properties affiliated with Grupo de Administración Empresarial, S.A. (GAESA). The latest announcement ends its remaining operations on the island.

Other foreign hotel companies are also pulling back. Iberostar has already terminated 12 management contracts for hotels overseen by Gaviota, though it continues operating properties managed by non-GAESA tourism entities, including Cubanacán and Gran Caribe. The Indonesian hotel chain Archipelago International has likewise suspended its operations in Cuba, leading to the closure of six hotels. While the company has said it is open to returning if conditions improve, its former properties will remain under Gaviota's management for now. The wave of foreign hotel withdrawals has prompted Cuba's government to signal that it is open to allowing Cuban investors to take over hotel management. 

Meliá first entered the Cuban market in 1990, becoming the first Spanish hotel chain to establish a presence on the island. At its peak, it managed more than 34 properties, making it the largest Spanish hotel operator in Cuba.

CUBA'S FOREIGN RELATIONS

EU Allocates €10 Million in Humanitarian Aid for Cuban People

On July 23, the European Commission announced an additional €10 million in humanitarian assistance for Cuba. The funding will support healthcare through the procurement of medicines and assistance to health facilities, emergency food aid and nutrition programs, rehabilitation of water systems and drinking water treatment, logistics for delivering aid to hard-to-reach communities, and renewable energy solutions for essential services. The Commission said the assistance is intended to reach the country's most vulnerable populations. 

The new funding comes in addition to the €4 million allocated earlier this year for humanitarian needs in the Caribbean, as well as a €2 million reinforcement approved in April. It also follows nearly €6 million in EU assistance mobilized in 2025 for disaster preparedness and emergency response after Hurricane Melissa caused extensive damage on the island. The EU noted that all humanitarian assistance is delivered exclusively through humanitarian partners operating on the ground in Cuba.

IACHR Rules on Cuban Government Violations Against Cubalex

On July 10, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) published Report 81/26, regarding the government of Cuba's recent violations against Cubalex, a non-governmental organization that operates on humanitarian and human rights cases on the island. The IACHR reported that Cubalex officials faced systematic harassment and retaliation, including travel restrictions, threats, and detentions, after they began working with international human rights organizations in Cuba. The report specifically mentions the Universal Periodic Review, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and IACHR hearings, as some of the organizations Cubalex worked with.

Such retaliation includes a case on September 23, 2016, when members of Cuba's government raided Cubalex's headquarters: a building where Laritza Diversent, the Cubalex director, also lived. The IACHR ruled that the seizing of technology and documentation violated both the private and professional lives of Cubalex officials. They ruled similarly concerning the forced eviction of Cubalex officials from the island, stating that the lack of domestic protection mechanisms forced many members and families to leave Cuba.

The report rules that the government of Cuba is in violation of Article 1, Article 10, Article 11, Article 18, Article 25, and Article 26, with such violations going against the right of liberty, transition of correspondence, preservation of health, fair trial and due process of law. They recommended that the State of Cuba issue just reparations for such violations, and will continue monitoring to see if such reparations go into effect.

Aid Sailboat Arrives on Behalf of 150 Social Organizations

On July 19, the sailboat Astral, organized by the Spanish NGO Open Arms, arrived in Cuba, providing seven tonnes of humanitarian aid. It forms part of the “Heading to Cuba” campaign, a movement including over 150 social organizations that worked together to provide this shipment of humanitarian relief to the island. The shipment included solar panels, batteries, and medical supplies specifically donated to support the intensive care unit, immediate care, and clinical laboratory at Juan Manuel Márquez Children's Hospital. The supplies were funded by 4,000 donors, and traveled 6,200 nautical miles from Barcelona, Spain, to arrive in Cuba and are valued at over $182,816 USD.

Cuban Canoeists Defect from Cuban Delegation

On July 16, nine Cuban canoeists defected from the Cuban National canoeing team. The decision follows their participation in the third Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup and the Pan American Championships in Montreal, and lessens the delegation from 12 members to only three. The team is currently recruiting alternative athletes in order to compete in the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, which begin July 24.

These canoeists are not the only Cuban athletes to defect during international tournaments, as there have been over 650 Cuban baseball players who have defected to the US in the past six years alone. The athletes' locations remain unknown, and it remains to be seen whether they will be allowed to stay in Canada.

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing: 

Leer | Cuba Transformación: Cuba Transformación

Read | The Guardian: Cuba Edges Towards Breakdown As Power Cuts and US Meddling Push Society To Brink

Read | USA Today: Freed Cuban artist at center of US-Cuba talks brings his cause to Miami

Read | CNN: Rocked By String of Blackouts, Cubans' Ability To Endure Reaches a Limit

Read | The Economist: The Doctors Keeping Cuba On Life Support

Read | The Wall Street Journal: Cuban-Americans Who Lost Property in 1959 Revolution Seek Compensation

Leer | El País: Los muertos de nadie, los cadáveres del ICE: “Que se revele la verdad. A mi hijo lo mató el guardia”

Read | Folha: Cubans Sell Homes, Take Amazon Journey by Air, Land and Water and Seek to Stay in Brazil

View | Reuters: Scenes From Cuba After Power Grid Collapse Plunges Island Into Darkness

Read | Folha: Exploitation of Cuban Migrants in Brazil Involves Smugglers, Million-Dollar Operations and Roadside Abandonment

Read | Project Saltbox: Inside Ices Plan To Stop Renting

Listen | This American Life: No Power To The People

Read | Foreign Policy: Does Cuba Really Have Iranian Drones?