Collection

What to know about Héctor Luis Valdés Cocho, Cuban activist who might be deported

U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to blockade oil from reaching the country in early 2026 made national headlines.

by Jack Izzo, June 11, 2025


A man in a white hoodie walks past a wall painted with a Cuban flag.

Image courtesy of Yamil Lage, accessed via Getty Images


Entire books can (and have) been written documenting the deep history between Cuba and the United States. Relations between the island nation, just 90 miles from the southern tip of Florida, and its much larger neighbor to the north have been consistently frosty ever since the 1959 Cuban Revolution and the subsequent rule of Fidel Castro

The country's close proximity and communist politics led the U.S. to implement a trade embargo on the nation in 1962, which has never been lifted. A brief thaw in relations between 2015 and 2017 under then-U.S. President Barack Obama was later reversed during President Donald Trump's first term. 

Nearly a decade later, Trump again targeted Cuba, this time by blocking its access to oil. In the wake of the news, we found eight stories from our archives about the Republic of Cuba, its former leader Fidel Castro and its tortuous relationship with the United States.


By Jack Izzo

Jack Izzo is a Chicago-based journalist and two-time "Jeopardy!" alumnus.

This image shows Hermanos Ameijeiras Clinical-Surgical Hospital in Havana, Cuba.

Why false rumor that every patient on ventilator at Cuban hospital died due to blackout spread online

March 26, 2026

Widely circulated posts claimed a "humanitarian performance" drained local electricity.

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A woman tends to apples at a stand in a farmers market in Cienfuegos, Cuba.

Is US starving millions in Cuba? What to know about oil blockade squeezing island

March 17, 2026

Since January 2026, U.S. tariffs have effectively blocked oil sales to Cuba.

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Havana syndrome

Do 'Sonic Weapons' Adequately Explain 'Havana Syndrome'?

Sept. 25, 2017

Inaudible sonic weapons are an unlikely cause of the mysterious symptoms suffered by American an ...

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JFK Ordered 1,200 Cuban Cigars Before Signing Cuban Embargo?

Jan. 14, 2025

Records indicate the 35th president averaged “four to five cigars a day.”

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Bottle that says "Cancer Vaccine"

Does Cuba Have a Cancer Vaccine That Has Already Cured Thousands?

July 27, 2017

While a treatment for lung cancer developed in Cuba has entered clinical trials in the United St ...

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 Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks at a candlelight vigil on June 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Unpacking rumors about LA Mayor Karen Bass' ties to Cuba and communism

June 16, 2025

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' alleged ties to Cuba and the country's former leader, Fidel Castro ...

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Is Justin Trudeau Fidel Castro's Son?

Sept. 20, 2024

Claims that Fidel Castro and Margaret Trudeau had an affair that produced the current Canadian p ...

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A Latino holds a sign that says "TRUMP 2024 LET'S GO BRANDON." In the corner, search results appear for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement appears to say Hector Luis Valdes Cocho.

What to know about Héctor Luis Valdés Cocho, Cuban activist who might be deported

June 11, 2025

Online claims alleged that the former Cuban anti-government activist was a leader in the Latinos ...

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