The Cuban crisis and other Latam's issues
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel called today for courage and bravery from countries of the "Global South" to address the Trump administration's aggressive policy, particularly when it comes to supporting Cuba in the extraordinary crisis the Island faces; the geopolitical notion of the "Global South" often includes countries like Russia and China. Havana has insistently reiterated this week that it is willing to negotiate with Washington as long as its right to self-determination is respected. And that position, which seems fair and logical to me, is a fundamental problem in this case because regarding Cuba, the historical position from the United States is resolved between black and white; it's an all-or-nothing game where victory is only achieved by knocking out the political regime.
According to the Cuban deputy foreign minister, to discuss the possibility of advancing internal political reforms, the Caribbean nation would encounter the same limitations that its northern neighbor would have in putting reforms to the U.S. Constitution on the table or discussing very controversial recent events there like anti-immigrant raids. Another topic Cuba would not consider part of a dialogue agenda is that of some prisoners whom many organizations and governments consider "political". "We see no reason, we see no connection between [the oil blockade] and [the prisoners]. We have no intention of talking about that, it is not part of the bilateral dialogue," stated the senior diplomatic official, although this is a topic that would likely find some resolution according to history.
But, while that opportunity materializes or not, the Cuban president confirmed that a "contingency plan" will be adopted, which will entail—once again—the halting of some socioeconomic activities, and, naturally, more restrictions for a citizenry that has been experiencing a multifaceted, intensified crisis for about six years, marked—in that sociological level—by extremely long power outages and skyrocketing inflation. Both issues translate into the high cost of basic goods and services in a country practically without foreign currency.
The Cuban foreign minister was sent to Asia as a special envoy of the ruling Communist Party and the government seeking to open some vital line of support because of this level of pressure that has managed to suspend everything from Mexican crude imports—which in any case are not very significant—to medical service export programs—which were once very profitable—in countries of the region. China and Russia have committed to continuing to support the Island even materially, albeit with the caveat that this will happen "within their means and possibilities."
The secretary-general of the ineffective UN warned about the negative consequences of the US strangulation strategy. "The secretary-general is very concerned about the humanitarian situation in Cuba, which will worsen, if not collapse, if its oil needs are not met," said his spokesperson. For the moment, at my own university, the effects of the Republican administration's policy are already being felt, as there is a de facto suspension of transportation for workers and our children—in the latter case, to their schools, which is guaranteed by the institution—due to the unavailability of diesel, while other emergency measures are anticipated.
A #MustR account from AP about all this 👇
Cubans rendered powerless as outages persist and tensions with US escalate https://t.co/9XsnvK22V6
— 69News Business (@69NewsBusiness) February 5, 2026
Venezuela
The arrest in Caracas—still not officially confirmed—of Colombian-Venezuelan citizen Alex Saab, a figure with a convoluted history closely linked to Maduro, could shed more light on the trajectory of the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez. Saab was pardoned by Joe Biden just over two years ago as part of a negotiation process with Venezuela, when he was fighting a money laundering case in Miami courts after being extradited from Cape Verde. Former President Nicolás Maduro defended him vigorously and celebrated his return with great fanfare, granting him important and progressive responsibilities in the government until appointing him Minister of Industries and National Production, a position from which Rodríguez removed him as part of the first shake-ups in a cabinet that now reports to her.
Thus, his arrest, and the hypothesis—also unconfirmed—that the capture operation was executed jointly by Venezuelan intelligence and the FBI, are signals that speak to how much the new leadership of the Miraflores Palace is bending to the pressures and interests of the White House, so much so that I am beginning to wonder if in the not-too-distant future we might discuss whether Chavismo has ceased to exist. The narratives coming from Caracas sometimes mark too explicitly a distancing from original Chavismo, as in the case of the general amnesty bill being discussed in the National Assembly today. On another note in the same direction, the head of Russian diplomacy denounced in an interview with RT some pressure against his country's companies operating in Venezuela, also referring to the recent agreement between India and the United States that is also connected to the South American nation in the new context.
Very explicative report from Reuters 👇
Venezuela's oil reserves are massive, but not all crude is created equal. Read why the country's production is so low ➡️ https://t.co/5QmY8sdo28 pic.twitter.com/Fpc1U1SL3O
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 5, 2026
Mexico
Ten miners from a Canadian company remain missing in Mexico, where four suspects were arrested the past Tuesday for their alleged participation in the incident, somehow indirectly attributed to a faction of the Sinaloa cartel led by the family of the notorious "Chapo" Guzmán. Security forces seized two AK-47s, a SCAR Multi-Caliber rifle, a Glock 22 pistol, 11 magazines, and other equipment from the suspects.
"Identification cards have been located, which is why there is certainty that [the suspects are related to] the people currently deprived of their liberty," said the prosecutor of Sinaloa. Thus, violence does not cease in the Aztec nation, especially that with political overtones, as in the case of today's armed attack against the mayor of Ayotoxco, a locality from the turbulent southern state of Guerrero.
Also on Mexico, crypto-related 👇
Justice Department steps up pressure on cartels’ financial networks as launderers turn to crypto https://t.co/3URVLY4cRI pic.twitter.com/6jCAp5zgol
— Orlando Sentinel (@orlandosentinel) February 5, 2026
Chile
Chilean President-elect José Antonio Kast criticized outgoing President Gabriel Boric for his "lack of initiative" in combating the devastating fires that, once again, affect the South American nation. Visiting Rome, the ultra-conservative stated that "we have seen that in the emergency there has perhaps been a lack of initiative, a lack of knowledge on the ground." However, experts point out to the Spanish agency EFE the progressive complexity of managing this phenomenon, marked by certain circumstances such as the mega-drought affecting the country.
As of this Thursday, 21 deaths, more than 800 homes destroyed, and over 40,000 hectares severely impacted by the fires are reported, all very concentrated in the Ñuble and Biobío regions. Of the about 50 active fires, just over 35% are considered megafires due to the combination of negative characteristics they embody, including their large size, intensity, speed of propagation, and organic capacity to generate their own meteorological phenomena, according to EFE.
Regional news brief
In the midst of a very negative context for the crypto market, the government of the extremely popular Nayib Bukele continues to bet on bitcoin and add units of the cryptocurrency.
EL SALVADOR JUST BOUGHT MORE BITCOIN
— The Bitcoin Office (@bitcoinofficesv) February 3, 2026
1 BTC per day, every day! pic.twitter.com/XsOGqqwUhn
Bolivia
Bolivian transport workers are protesting the alleged poor condition of a batch of gasoline sold by the government that reportedly damaged a significant number of vehicles. "We have given the Government 24 hours to respond about compensation for damages and losses due to the bad gasoline that has been distributed; unfortunately, there is no response from any government authority," said a union leader who threatened that if they do not receive a response by Sunday, they would move to an indefinite strike.
Immigration
A Haitian citizen is believed to be behind the murder of four female compatriots in the Dominican locality of Elías Piña, bordering his homeland. The aggressive anti-immigrant policy of Donald Trump resonates in this case because the four women, who had been missing for two weeks and were found decapitated, had been deported from Puerto Rico at different times starting last October. "Leave these people alone already. Deporting these people means condemning them to death," said a community leader of Haitian descent residing in Puerto Rico.
Brazil
Lula is the latest president who swells the list of those whose sons have been involved in corruption scandals, this time a one linked to the diversion of resources for retirees. Regarding the potential guilt of Fábio Luís Lula da Silva in a case that is not new but has received more scrutiny following testimony given this year, Lula stated that he told him he "will pay the price" that corresponds if he truly has anything to do with it.
Argentina
Here 👇 is the Pink House's version of the White House's Rapid Response Account in X. Washington and Buenos Aires remain in perfect sync, both in the financial-commercial and political dimensions.
La Oficina de Respuesta Oficial de la República Argentina fue creada para desmentir activamente la mentira, señalar falsedades concretas y dejar en evidencia las operaciones de los medios y la casta política. Porque solo “informar” no alcanza si la desinformación avanza sin…
— Oficina de Respuesta Oficial (@RespOficial_Arg) February 5, 2026
This is all for today’s report.
