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Fidel Castro

The latest stories on Fidel Castro, Cuban revolutionary, politician and former President of Cuba, including Cuba news and updates.

Born

13 Aug 1926

Industry

Politics

Job Title

Politician

Ramiro Valdes in Havana in 2024. Photo: Reuters

Obituaries

Ramiro Valdes, key figure of Cuban revolution and Castro ally, dead at 94

The architect of Cuba’s state security apparatus and former vice-president was one of the final veterans of the 1956 rebel uprising.

22 Jun 2026 - 9:59AM

Vietnam

Asian Angle | When the US comes for Cuba, what can Vietnam do?

20 Jun 2026 - 3:00PMvideocam

Americas and the Caribbean

Under US pressure, Cuba unveils largest economic reform in decades

19 Jun 2026 - 3:24PM

China-Latin America relations

China says US ‘invented’ terrorism charges to justify Cuba blockade

Foreign ministry rebutted Marco Rubio’s claim that Cuba sponsors terrorism and demanded an end to US sanctions on the island.

5 Jun 2026 - 10:03AMvideocam

A portrait of former Cuban leader Raul Castro is seen in Havana, as Cuba grapples with economic hardship and renewed pressure from Washington. Photo: Reuters

China-Latin America relations

US’ Cuba-China fears, Panama pressure: Latin America relations reads

From Argentina’s shrinking China lifeline to the US’ Cuba worries, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in May 2026.

3 Jun 2026 - 12:38AM

China-Latin America relations

As US pressures Cuba, Beijing holds talks with Havana on agriculture

Chinese support includes rice shipments and diplomatic backing as Trump administration ramps up sanctions and rhetoric.

28 May 2026 - 6:04AMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

US casts Cuba as China-linked security threat while still pushing for talks

Washington portrays Havana as a national security risk tied to Beijing and Moscow while insisting diplomacy remains possible.

30 May 2026 - 5:04AMvideocam

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the media before boarding his plane at Homestead Air Base in Miami on Thursday. Photo: AP

China-Latin America relations

China slams US over Castro charges and ‘unauthorised’ sanctions on Cuba

Beijing says it supports ‘Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity’ after charges over downed planes.

21 May 2026 - 8:44PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

US charges Raul Castro as Trump administration ratchets up pressure on Cuba

Historic murder charges against 94-year-old former leader mark the first time Washington has criminally pursued a Castro brother.

21 May 2026 - 12:55PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

US plans to charge Raul Castro increases Trump administration’s pressure on Cuba

US Justice Department preparing to indict ageing Cuban leader on Wednesday over the shooting down of two aircraft three decades ago.

20 May 2026 - 4:03AMvideocam

Former Cuban president Raul Castro attends a May Day rally in Havana, Cuba, on May 1. Photo: Reuters

US-Cuba relations

Cuba warns of ‘bloodbath’ if US attacks as Washington expands sanctions

Cuba’s president defends right to self-defence as US report claims the island has acquired more than 300 military drones.

19 May 2026 - 5:03PM

An old car drives past the US embassy in Havana, Cuba, as geopolitical tensions flare between the two nations. Photo: EPA

United States

Trump expands Cuba sanctions with global reach, targeting foreign banks and firms

New executive order allows US to penalise third-country actors, raising risks for international companies.

2 May 2026 - 4:25AMvideocam

Americas and the Caribbean

Cuba confirms rare Havana talks with US officials

A senior diplomat describes ‘professional’ meetings as Havana seeks an end to the US oil blockade.

21 Apr 2026 - 12:14PM

Cuba

Cuba’s president says island does not wish for US aggression, but ready to fight

Cuba has been bracing for a possible attack following repeated warnings from Trump after he toppled Venezuela’s leader.

17 Apr 2026 - 11:35AM

Cuba

A new cast of Castros is emerging in Cuba, where the name holds sway

Younger Castros emerge as key figures on the communist-run island - including a bar-owning influencer.

7 Apr 2026 - 1:44PM

Cuba

Fidel Castro’s grandson backs capitalism and Trump deal, slams Cuba leader

Sandro Castro said most ‘Cubans want to be capitalist, not communist’ amid worsening power outages and an economic crisis.

1 Apr 2026 - 2:34PMvideocam

Americas and the Caribbean

Cuba rejects ‘shameless’ US request for diesel amid Trump oil blockade

The US embassy in Havana is seeking fuel for its generators even as the rest of the island is plagued by shortages and power outages.

22 Mar 2026 - 7:39AMvideocam

Horoscopes

What’s your luck like in February 2026, the Metal Tiger month?

A good start to the Lunar New Year for the Rat, Ox, Rabbit, Rooster, Dog and Pig – but challenges are in store for the Dragon, Horse, Goat and Monkey.

10 Feb 2026 - 2:00PM

Discover what your luck has in store in February 2026, the Metal Tiger month kicking off the Fire Horse year. Illustration: SCMP Graphics

Americas and the Caribbean

US pledges food aid for Cuba while putting squeeze on fuel supply

Havana signals a cautious readiness for talks as the island’s leader accuses the US of imposing an ‘energy blockade’.

6 Feb 2026 - 3:35PM

US-Venezuela conflict

Trump team praises US media for keeping its Venezuela raid plan secret

Marco Rubio says a ‘number of media outlets’ held leaks before the US intervention that snatched President Nicolas Maduro.

6 Jan 2026 - 6:16PMvideocam

United States

Explainer | US interventions in Latin America: a history of coups and conflicts

From the Bay of Pigs to Operation Condor to Venezuela in 2026: A look at the legacy of CIA-backed coups and US military action in Latin America.

3 Jan 2026 - 11:16PM

Members of Cuban Assault Brigade 2506 after their capture at the Bay of Pigs, Cuba, April 1961. Photo: AFP

United States

Opinion | Don’t blame China for America’s authoritarian turn

America’s authoritarian turn didn’t start with Donald Trump and has been decades in the making.

19 Nov 2025 - 9:30AM

US President Donald Trump participates in a reenlistment ceremony for soldiers during a military parade commemorating the Army’s 250th anniversary on his 79th birthday on June 14 in Washington. Photo: AP

Marco Rubio

Who are US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s parents, Mario and Oriales Rubio?

Marco Rubio has been criticised for saying his parents fled Cuba when Fidel Castro came to power, even though they were granted permanent residency in the US several years before.

10 Apr 2025 - 7:00PM

Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration

Marco Rubio wins unanimous US Senate approval to be secretary of state

Marco Rubio, who succeeds Antony Blinken, is known for his hawkish stance toward Latin American authoritarian states and China.

21 Jan 2025 - 12:09PMvideocam

Americas and the Caribbean

After hurricanes, 2 earthquakes jolt crisis-hit Cuba

Back-to-back earthquakes follow two hurricanes and two major blackouts in the last three weeks.

11 Nov 2024 - 3:05PM

Cuban children play on a road after Hurricane Rafael last week. Photo: AP

France

Who is Jean-Luc Melenchon? French leftist leader defiant after victory

It did not take Jean-Luc Melenchon long to seize the moment after initial poll indications of the French legislative vote showed the leftist New Popular Front was headed to a shock victory.

8 Jul 2024 - 8:49AM

Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon. Photo: AFP

US-China relations

Reports of Chinese spy base in Cuba met with shrugs in Latin America

Latin American nations are strengthening relations with China amid a belief that Washington’s focus turned to the Middle East and now the Indo-Pacific.

1 Jul 2023 - 1:46AM

Obituaries

Bolivian general who captured communist Che Guevara dies 84

Gary Prado Salmon was in charge of a patrol in southwestern Bolivia on October 8, 1967, that captured the Argentine revolutionary and Bolivia’s Congress declared him a national hero.

8 May 2023 - 12:58AM

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Fidel Castro

Ramiro Valdes, key figure of Cuban revolution and Castro ally, dead at 94

The architect of Cuba’s state security apparatus and former vice-president was one of the final veterans of the 1956 rebel uprising.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Asian Angle | When the US comes for Cuba, what can Vietnam do?

Under US pressure, Cuba unveils largest economic reform in decades

China says US ‘invented’ terrorism charges to justify Cuba blockade

Foreign ministry rebutted Marco Rubio’s claim that Cuba sponsors terrorism and demanded an end to US sanctions on the island.

US’ Cuba-China fears, Panama pressure: Latin America relations reads

From Argentina’s shrinking China lifeline to the US’ Cuba worries, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in May 2026.

As US pressures Cuba, Beijing holds talks with Havana on agriculture

Chinese support includes rice shipments and diplomatic backing as Trump administration ramps up sanctions and rhetoric.

US casts Cuba as China-linked security threat while still pushing for talks

Washington portrays Havana as a national security risk tied to Beijing and Moscow while insisting diplomacy remains possible.

China slams US over Castro charges and ‘unauthorised’ sanctions on Cuba

Beijing says it supports ‘Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity’ after charges over downed planes.

US charges Raul Castro as Trump administration ratchets up pressure on Cuba

Historic murder charges against 94-year-old former leader mark the first time Washington has criminally pursued a Castro brother.

US plans to charge Raul Castro increases Trump administration’s pressure on Cuba

US Justice Department preparing to indict ageing Cuban leader on Wednesday over the shooting down of two aircraft three decades ago.

Cuba warns of ‘bloodbath’ if US attacks as Washington expands sanctions

Cuba’s president defends right to self-defence as US report claims the island has acquired more than 300 military drones.

Trump expands Cuba sanctions with global reach, targeting foreign banks and firms

New executive order allows US to penalise third-country actors, raising risks for international companies.

Cuba confirms rare Havana talks with US officials

A senior diplomat describes ‘professional’ meetings as Havana seeks an end to the US oil blockade.

Cuba’s president says island does not wish for US aggression, but ready to fight

Cuba has been bracing for a possible attack following repeated warnings from Trump after he toppled Venezuela’s leader.

A new cast of Castros is emerging in Cuba, where the name holds sway

Younger Castros emerge as key figures on the communist-run island - including a bar-owning influencer.

Fidel Castro’s grandson backs capitalism and Trump deal, slams Cuba leader

Sandro Castro said most ‘Cubans want to be capitalist, not communist’ amid worsening power outages and an economic crisis.

Cuba rejects ‘shameless’ US request for diesel amid Trump oil blockade

The US embassy in Havana is seeking fuel for its generators even as the rest of the island is plagued by shortages and power outages.

What’s your luck like in February 2026, the Metal Tiger month?

A good start to the Lunar New Year for the Rat, Ox, Rabbit, Rooster, Dog and Pig – but challenges are in store for the Dragon, Horse, Goat and Monkey.

US pledges food aid for Cuba while putting squeeze on fuel supply

Havana signals a cautious readiness for talks as the island’s leader accuses the US of imposing an ‘energy blockade’.

Trump team praises US media for keeping its Venezuela raid plan secret

Marco Rubio says a ‘number of media outlets’ held leaks before the US intervention that snatched President Nicolas Maduro.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Explainer | US interventions in Latin America: a history of coups and conflicts

From the Bay of Pigs to Operation Condor to Venezuela in 2026: A look at the legacy of CIA-backed coups and US military action in Latin America.

Opinion | Don’t blame China for America’s authoritarian turn

America’s authoritarian turn didn’t start with Donald Trump and has been decades in the making.

Who are US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s parents, Mario and Oriales Rubio?

Marco Rubio has been criticised for saying his parents fled Cuba when Fidel Castro came to power, even though they were granted permanent residency in the US several years before.

Marco Rubio wins unanimous US Senate approval to be secretary of state

Marco Rubio, who succeeds Antony Blinken, is known for his hawkish stance toward Latin American authoritarian states and China.

After hurricanes, 2 earthquakes jolt crisis-hit Cuba

Back-to-back earthquakes follow two hurricanes and two major blackouts in the last three weeks.

Who is Jean-Luc Melenchon? French leftist leader defiant after victory

It did not take Jean-Luc Melenchon long to seize the moment after initial poll indications of the French legislative vote showed the leftist New Popular Front was headed to a shock victory.

Reports of Chinese spy base in Cuba met with shrugs in Latin America

Latin American nations are strengthening relations with China amid a belief that Washington’s focus turned to the Middle East and now the Indo-Pacific.

Bolivian general who captured communist Che Guevara dies 84

Gary Prado Salmon was in charge of a patrol in southwestern Bolivia on October 8, 1967, that captured the Argentine revolutionary and Bolivia’s Congress declared him a national hero.

Asian Angle | When the US comes for Cuba, what can Vietnam do?

Explainer | US interventions in Latin America: a history of coups and conflicts