Spain Closes Airspace

Spain has closed its airspace to U.S. aircraft involved in the conflict with Iran, Defense Minister Margarita Robles announced on Monday—a move that marks another step in the Spanish government's opposition to the involvement of the United States and Israel in the Middle East conflict.

Spain had already indicated that the U.S. could not use jointly operated military bases in the conflict with Iran, which Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has characterized as illegal, reckless, and unjust.

On Monday, Robles stated that the same logic applied to the use of Spanish airspace in the conflict. This comes during a time when the larger question about joining the American war effort is being weighed in the congresses and presidential palaces of Europe. Many have taken similar stances to the Spanish, most notably PM Kier Starmer in the UK, who has seen a subtle rise in his despairingly low approval ratings. 

More Bolsonaro News

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from a hospital in the country's capital on Friday to continue serving a 27-year sentence for an attempted coup d'état at his residence, located within an exclusive gated community.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court granted Bolsonaro the right to house arrest due to his delicate state of health. This measure could be reviewed within 90 days.

Bolsonaro left the DF Star Hospital in Brasília around 10:00 a.m. local time and headed to the Jardim Botânico neighborhood, where he lived prior to his conviction with his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, and his 15-year-old daughter, Laura.

The 71-year-old politician was hospitalized on March 13 with pneumonia—one of several health issues he has faced since being stabbed by an assailant in 2018, before he was elected president. He remained in intensive care for several days due to renal and inflammatory complications.

The former right-wing leader was accused of conspiring with high-level advisors to remain in office by decree despite his electoral defeat, and was convicted on charges including attempted coup d'état and the attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law. He has denied any wrongdoing and characterized the case as a political witch hunt.

Cuban Energy Crisis

Cuba began restoring its energy system on Sunday following a nationwide grid collapse that occurred on Saturday afternoon and evening, leaving millions of people in the dark—for the second time this week across the country, and the third time on a massive scale since the United States tightened an oil embargo against the island in January.

A report from the state-run Electric Union and the Ministry of Energy and Mines indicated that, by early Sunday morning, approximately 72,000 customers in the capital—including five hospitals—had already regained power. Meanwhile, in provinces such as Matanzas in the west, and Granma and Holguín in the east, local "microsystems" had been established to supply the most critical vital facilities. By shortly after noon, more than 280,000 users in Havana had their electricity restored.

The previous nationwide blackout had occurred last Monday and took several days to resolve, while a massive outage on March 4 affected the entire western region of Cuba—the country's most populous area.

Cuba is facing an unprecedented energy crisis following the oil embargo imposed on the island by U.S. President Donald Trump in January—a move intended to pressure for a change in the political model—and coming on the heels of attacks against Venezuela, one of the island's primary fuel suppliers.

Daily power outages—whether regional or circuit-specific—lasting for hours are taking a heavy toll on the population, creating difficulties with cooking, water supply, and food preservation, as well as causing damage to household appliances; these issues are further compounded by widespread system collapses, such as the one that occurred on Saturday.

Costa Rica and the U.S. v. Cuba

On Wednesday, Cuba criticized Costa Rica’s “arbitrary decision” to close its embassy in Havana and request the withdrawal of Cuban diplomatic personnel from San José, stating that the move was taken “under pressure from the United States.”

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves had indicated that the measure was a protest against the human rights situation on the island, speaking during a press conference held alongside Foreign Minister Arnoldo André Tinoco.

Chaves, whose term ends on May 8, clarified that the decision was made jointly with the country’s President-elect, Laura Fernández—who currently serves as his Minister of the Presidency—because his country “does not recognize the legitimacy of the [Cuban] regime,” “in light of the mistreatment, repression, and undignified conditions endured by the island’s inhabitants.”

Last week, Chaves and Fernández participated in the “Shield of the Americas” meeting, convened by U.S. President Donald Trump to garner support from the countries he considers his allies on the continent.

Trump recently asserted that he can do “whatever he wants” with Cuba—amidst the severe crisis affecting the island—and that Washington could take imminent measures regarding the Caribbean nation.

Cuba Talks

Cuba recently held talks with the U.S. government, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel affirmed on Friday, marking the first time the Caribbean nation has confirmed such speculation as it grapples with a severe energy crisis.

Díaz-Canel stated that the talks "have been aimed at seeking solutions—through dialogue—to the bilateral differences that exist between our two nations. There are international factors that have facilitated these exchanges." He did not specify what those factors were, nor did he offer details regarding the talks, to which U.S. President Donald Trump has alluded in the past.

Cuba's relations with the United States have been tense for decades and marked by animosity, except for a brief rapprochement during the second term of former President Barack Obama.

Trump has indicated that Cuban leaders would be wise to avoid the fate of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured in a U.S. military operation in January.

Shortly after Díaz-Canel's remarks, two U.S. officials said that Rubio—the son of Cuban immigrants and a hardliner toward Cuba—and advisors met in late February in the Caribbean with the grandson of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, who is believed to wield considerable influence in the government despite not holding an official position. Only time will tell whether these talks bear fruit and the Caribbean remains peaceful. 

Chile's New President

In his first hours as President of Chile, José Antonio Kast signed six decrees inaugurating his “emergency government,” featuring measures ranging from border control in the country’s north to a comprehensive audit of the entire public sector.

The measures were signed on Wednesday night following his swearing-in as Head of State, and the details were made public on Thursday. Part of this emergency agenda addresses a strategic and crucial issue for his administration: the control of irregular migration—a subject on which Kast, during his campaign, promised mass deportations, the construction of detention centers, and the criminalization of clandestine immigration.

With promises of a tough stance against crime and illegal immigration, inspired by policies adopted by El Salvador's Nayib Bukele and the United States' Donald Trump, Kast won the support of nearly 60% of an electorate eager for change in the country.

In his speech, Kast—a nostalgic supporter of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship, whose legacy and figure he has praised in recent years—gave a nod to the security forces and asserted that they “will have the full backing of the law, the resources of the State, and the political will that they have lacked for so long.” 

Cuba Protest

A group of students protested in front of the steps of the University of Havana today, expressing their concerns about their education amid an energy crisis exacerbated by the U.S. oil embargo against the island, which has reduced classes and paralyzed the Caribbean nation.

Power outages and the disruption of public transportation have forced the university to reduce the number of classes or hold them online, although many students also face difficulties with slow and unreliable internet access.

“We are not martyrs of any side; we are university students. Therefore, none of us intended to be here, but there has been no other option,” said one of the protesters, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals from the authorities.

The First Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Modesto Ricardo Gómez, came out to speak with the students. He acknowledged the financial difficulties affecting higher education and stated that they have been aggravated by the current impasse with the administration of President Donald Trump. 

Trump has signaled an interest in regime change in Cuba, using strictly economic means (for now) to push towards that goal. 

War, or Special Military Operation?

In the wake of the bombing campaign now being carried out by the United States military, serious questions remain about the goals and the legality of the aggressive action. Indeed, even calling it a war was controversial. 

Numerous Republican politicians and cabinet members refused to use the word, instead opting for more restrained and euphemistic phrases such as "limited combat operations.” The reason for this is probably twofold: to avoid legal scrutiny, as Congress is supposed to be the only body able to start war, and to dodge public ire over another American war in the Middle East. 

One of Trump’s main campaign promises was to avoid more “forever wars”, framing his opponent Kamala Harris as a warmonger. Of course, Trump could not maintain the necessary discipline for long, coming out and calling the conflict a war and laying out a multi-month timetable for it. 

The entire initial fiasco about naming is reminiscent of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which the Russian government refused to call a war, rather using the nice label “special military operation.” Calling it a war was illegal in Russia, even though now most Russian propagandists allow that the four year conflict cannot be termed anything else without incurring a charge of absurdity.

Iran and the World Cup

Iran's participation in the World Cup in three months' time was thrown into doubt on Monday amid a growing conflict in the Middle East instigated by the United States, the tournament's co-host.

Iran is scheduled to play its three group-stage matches in the United States—two in Inglewood, California, and one in Seattle—from June 15 to 26. Cities in Canada and Mexico will also host several of the 104 matches.

The United States and Israel have attacked Iran in coordinated actions since Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other top officials.

This prompted an Iranian response that included missile strikes against U.S. allies, including Qatar, host of the 2022 World Cup, and Saudi Arabia, which FIFA has selected to host the 2034 edition.

It is unclear whether Iran's state-backed football federation could refuse to send its team to the 48-team tournament that begins on June 11, or whether the U.S. government could effectively block the team.