The Latin American Report # 702

Following the tremendous crisis afflicting Cuba amid a de facto oil blockade imposed by the United States, this Thursday it emerged that Russia might be preparing a shipment of crude, although the information is not conclusive and, in any case, its materialization would be far too distant for the Antillean nation's urgencies. As the Kremlin spokesman very logically stated on Wednesday, Havana and Moscow are very far apart from each other. And then there is the issue that, even though commercial ties between Russia and the United States are currently very limited due to sanctions—it is almost non-existent, Peskov declares—, the Eurasians are not inclined to provoke an escalation with the Americans, who are clearly on their side regarding their fundamental problem, which is not in the Caribbean but in Ukraine. "Therefore, we would rely here on constructive dialogue and the solution of existing problems through dialogue," expressed Putin's top spokesperson.

Meanwhile, although at the very last minute, and apparently pressured by the Chilean Communist Party, Gabriel Boric's government has decided to follow Mexico's steps and send humanitarian aid to Cuba through United Nations mechanisms. "The blockade that the United States has imposed on Cuba and has intensified in recent weeks is criminal and an attack on the human rights of an entire people. You can have differences with Cuba, but nothing justifies the harm being done to children and innocent citizens," the outgoing head of La Moneda declared on X. Initiatives from international civil society aimed at keeping the issue on the international agenda are also beginning to emerge.

This is not sound statecraft

In a highly contradictory manner, according to the complicated political context we face, the Cuban authorities clumsily insist on harassing the head of the US diplomatic mission here. On the other hand, this Thursday, the precautionary measure of provisional prison was confirmed against two young content creators. They have certainly engaged in criminally punishable practices, but their imprisonment damages Cuba's international image at a time when the country's leadership should ensure that the debate focuses on the social consequences of the US siege. Instead, they are directly and counterproductively feeding the repression narratives that tend to circulate about the Cuban political regime.

Venezuela

Chavismo, which has the necessary muscle to approve laws in the National Assembly without counting on the opposition, chose not to exercise that power and, instead, try to reach a consensus on the most conflictive points of the amnesty bill that, in principle, should have been approved this Thursday. Along with the already approved hydrocarbon law reform, the amnesty is another of the important steps that Delcy Rodríguez's interim government advances under pressure from Washington. In the context of the three-day visit of the US Energy Secretary, Rodríguez said she felt "very happy" about the "cooperation" with the White House, which has set as its immediate goal to "rebuild" the Venezuelan oil industry by attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in investment.

The following, for me, was an overreaction to this. I don´t read in the WSJ´s report what Trump suggests:

Trump makes clear oil magnate Harry Sargeant is not advising the US on Venezuela policy. Recent reports have described his as a dealmaker who could help revive Venezuela’s collapsed industry — but critics have long argued his approach risked enriching insiders and legitimizing… pic.twitter.com/3jhrPdaNzn

— Caitlin Doornbos (@CaitlinDoornbos) February 12, 2026

The red region?

Donald Trump will preside in March over a summit with those Latin American peers with whom he has the most ideological affinity, namely: Javier Milei, Daniel Noboa, Nayib Bukele, Paraguay's Santiago Peña, Panama's José Raúl Mulino, and the recently installed Rodrigo Paz (Bolivia) and Honduran Nasri Asfura. The event will take place, where else, in Miami. Following the recent victories of José Antonio Kast in Chile and Laura Fernández in Costa Rica, the outcomes in Colombia and Peru would continue to confirm the strength of the red (ultra)conservative wave in the region. For the left, the problem is not just that it is now losing one stronghold after another, but that where it is established, the scope of its policies is extremely limited regarding its classic catalog of goals and means. In practice, governments such as those of Lula da Silva, Boric, Petro, or Yamandú Orsi in Uruguay, and the deposed Kirchnerist Peronism, could at best be classified as social democrats.

Argentina

The Chamber of Deputies approved a new and controversial Juvenile Criminal Regime that lowers the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14. "Adult crime, adult punishment," Milei's cabinet chief states. (The government yesterday obtained another victory in the Senate with the half-sanction of an ambitious and conflictive labor reform project.) The president of the congressional commission with jurisdiction over the criminal matter argued that more than thirty experts, including "neurologists, mental health medical specialists, [and] cognitive development specialists," validated that "from approximately 12, 13, or 14 years of age, a minor has absolute knowledge that they are committing an unlawful act." For the opposition, the initiative targets "the popular sectors and [specifically] the children of the working class."

The DEA in Latin America

An old trend 👇?

A DEA boss in the Dominican Republic was arrested as part of an investigation into abuse of a U.S. visa program.

The Trump administration shuttered the DEA office in the 🇩🇴over what it called a “disgraceful violation of public trust.”

W/ @JimMustian https://t.co/Wjf5FZHbxv

— Joshua Goodman (@APjoshgoodman) February 13, 2026