RT: Russian tanker bypasses US oil blockade of Cuba President Trump said the vessel, carrying 100,000 tons of crude [about 730,000 barrels], was allowed through on humanitarian grounds. A Russian tanker has arrived in Cuba to deliver a humanitarian oil shipment amid a months-long US blockade that has led to severe fuel shortages and recurring power cuts across the island. Russia’s Energy Ministry reported that the Anatoly Kolodkin has docked at the port of Matanzas and now waits to be unloaded.
TeleSur: Mexico Plans to Resume Oil Shipments to Cuba President Claudia Sheinbaum on March 30 announced that her country is actively working to reactivate oil shipments to Cuba. She said “at one point there were tariffs (from Washington) if it was sent”, acknowledging the economic pressures imposed by the US. She explained that “afterwards the tariffs decreased, and we always seek humanitarian aid. It is in that context that we will make the decision, and it will always be reported if oil is sent or not to Cuba.”
Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío reacts to Trump’s threats to take over Cuba: Full NBC interview Worthwhile to watch how he responds to the NBC political agenda in the interview.
Roger Harris: US Sanctions on Venezuela Continue In the wake of Washington’s January 3 military attack and then problematic détente with Caracas, corporate media suggest a meaningful shift in Venezuela policy, implying relief for a country long subjected to economic coercion. However, far from dismantling the sanctions regime, the US has merely adjusted its application through licensing mechanisms, leaving the core structure of coercive measures fully intact. Not a single sanction has been rescinded.
TeleSur:President Maduro and Cilia Flores Send Gratitude and Hope Message to the Venezuelan People President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, issued their first public statement since being captured on January 3 in a US military operation, calling for national reconciliation and endorsing acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s leadership. The couple thanked supporters for “the countless expressions of support, courage, and prayers.” “Every word of love, every gesture of affection, and every expression of support fills our souls and strengthens us spiritually.” In a politically significant gesture, Maduro and Flores aligned themselves with the opening that Delcy Rodríguez is pursuing from power: “Today more than ever, we call on everyone to continue consolidating the country’s peace, national unity, reconciliation, forgiveness, and the reunion of all. Let no one stray from the path of dialogue and respect, for that is the path of the fatherland.”
Popular Resistance: Judge Affirms Maduro and Flores’ ‘Right To Defend Themselves Is Paramount’ The US prosecutor sought to block Venezuela from funding their defense and second, he submitted a motion to withhold information from them about their case through use of a protective order. He claimed that the protective order was to limit discovery information from being misused by the four defendants that remained at large to repress others in Venezuela. The judge pointed out since Delcy Rodriguez is now the acting president and the Trump administration views her as cooperative, the prosecution’s concern appeared to be a stretch of the imagination. No decisions were made in court and no follow-up court date was scheduled. The charges against President Maduro and Cilia Flores are listed in the article.
Mision Verdad: What Lies Behind the Shield of the Americas Its formation was officially announced on March 7 by the Trump administration. It is a strategic link within a doctrine of hemispheric domination explicitly outlined in the 2025 National Security Strategy and the 2026 National Defense Strategy.
A Politico analysis asserts that both documents redirect US military spending toward “world war” preparations, in which absolute control of the Western Hemisphere is a prerequisite. The countries in the region that integrate into this plan accept self-determination being ceded in exchange for protection, financing or political legitimacy, while the states that resist are exposed to unilateral coercive measures.
Behind the Shield of the Americas lies the control of strategic resources and logistical corridors. The National Security Strategy 2025 explicitly identifies the need to eliminate the Chinese presence in strategic sectors – on ports, strategic minerals, and digital infrastructure. The Shield of the Americas operates to project power in a hemisphere that Washington insists on considering its backyard.
TeleSur: Washington’s New ‘Greater North America’ Stretches From Greenland to Ecuador During a conference at the headquarters of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on Sunday, War Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled the “Greater North America” strategy, presenting it as the next geopolitically significant shift for the United States and its allies. “Every sovereign nation and territory north of the equator, from Greenland to Ecuador and from Alaska to Guyana, is not part of the Global South.” According to Hegseth, the US will bolster its military posture and presence across the northern hemisphere in coordination with regional partners.
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Delegations to Cuba, Nicaragua:
Cuba – Video: Yes You can Travel to Cuba
Labor & Youth Activists Delegation, April 23- May 3
Building Relations with Cuban Labor May Day Delegation
NNOC 19th International May Day Brigade
May Day in Santiago de Cuba 2026 (download info doc)
Witness for Peace 2026 delegations to Cuba
Friendly Planet delegations to Cuba
Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade
Nicaragua
Casa Ben Linder Email casabenjaminlinder@gmail.com to apply:
July 2026: Solidarity in Action: Nicaragua’s Popular Revolution
October 2026: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua
Now offering Spanish classes! Fun and practical language classes at Casa Ben Linder – our
model teaches 1/2 day class & 1/2 day practice in a community setting.