Havana Times.Org

What Havana Times.Org does

Havana Times is an independent online publication founded in October 2008 that provides open-minded journalism focused on Cuba, Nicaragua, Chile, and broader Latin American affairs. The site is built on a WordPress-based digital publishing platform with a bilingual footprint, operating an English edition at havanatimes.org and a Spanish edition at havanatimesenespanol.org, and distributing content through organic social channels (Facebook, X, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Threads, Reddit, WhatsApp) and an RSS/email subscription feed via follow.it. Editorial content spans news, features, opinion, first-person diaries, photo features, videos, cultural coverage including a daily Song of the Day, the reader-submitted Photo of the Day, an annual Photo Contest (15th edition in 2026), and a Book Reviews & Interviews section launched in March 2026. The publication is managed by editor Circles Robinson and operates as a fully distributed, virtual newsroom because non-government media is illegal in Cuba.

The business model is donation-driven and explicitly rejects sponsored content, paid posts, and advertising. Revenue is generated solely through voluntary reader contributions routed via circlestranslations.com/donate. There are no subscription fees, paywalls, or freemium tiers; the product is free and globally accessible. Havana Times serves English- and Spanish-speaking readers worldwide, including Cuban diaspora communities, Latin American audiences, researchers, activists, and news consumers seeking perspectives often unavailable through state-controlled media, alongside a secondary contributor base of writers, photographers, and content creators who supply diaries, photos, and articles.

Name

Havana Times.Org

Legal name

Havana Times

Website

https://havanatimes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Havana Times is an independent, donation-funded online publication founded in 2008 that delivers bilingual English/Spanish journalism on Cuba, Nicaragua, Chile, and Latin America to a global readership, operated virtually by a small distributed team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital News Publication

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper Publishers (51311)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

Keywords

• Independent journalism
• Cuba news coverage
• Latin America reporting
• Photo journalism
• Diaspora media

Headquarters

HQ city

Havana

HQ country

Cuba

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Havana Times relies on reader donations as its primary revenue source. The publication accepts donations via circlestranslations.com/donate and explicitly states it does not accept sponsored posts or paid content.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Havana Times is an independent online news publication that publishes open-minded journalism, first-person diaries, photo features, and cultural content focused on Cuba and broader Latin America. The platform operates as a free, reader-supported digital outlet with a bilingual English/Spanish presence and runs recurring features such as Photo of the Day, Today's Song, and an annual Photo Contest. It explicitly does not accept sponsored posts or paid advertising, relying instead on voluntary reader donations.

Product overview

Havana Times.Org is a single, unified online news publication offering open-minded journalism about Cuba and Latin America. The platform operates as a content portal with multiple content categories including News, Features, Opinion, Diaries, Photos (Photo of the Day and Photo Features), Videos, and Books. Key content features include the daily 'Song of the Day' music feature, the 'Photo of the Day' reader submission section, and an annual 'Havana Times Photo Contest' now in its 15th edition. The publication was founded in October 2008 and is managed by editor Circles Robinson, operating as a reader-supported independent news outlet with no sponsored posts or outside advertising links.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Havana Times en Español: Spanish-language version of the publication
• Photo of the Day
• Today's Song
• Havana Times Photo Contest

Products and services

• Havana Times Online Publication An independent, donation-funded online news publication providing open-minded journalism about Cuba and Latin America for global English- and Spanish-speaking readers.
• Havana Times en Español

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Diario de Cuba: Spanish-language independent digital outlet publishing Cuba-focused daily news and opinion from outside Cuba's state media system, directly comparable in mission and geographic emphasis to Havana Times.
• Translating Cuba: Independent digital news outlet publishing English-language coverage of Cuba from abroad; most direct comparable given shared independent, diaspora-oriented, English-first positioning and recurring commentary on Cuban current affairs.
• CubaNet: U.S.-headquartered nonprofit news organization covering Cuba with an explicitly independent editorial stance; comparable as a Cuba-focused, opposition-friendly publication serving diaspora audiences.
• Café Fuerte: Independent bilingual digital outlet covering Cuba and the Caribbean; similar mission, audience, and operational constraints make it a near-direct comparable.
• CiberCuba: Large Cuba-focused digital news publisher serving diaspora readers with news, opinion, and lifestyle. Competes for the same English- and Spanish-speaking audience seeking independent information about Cuba.
• OnCuba News: Bilingual Cuba-focused outlet covering current affairs, culture, and business; comparable in audience, content mix, and bilingual publishing model.
• 14ymedio: Independent Cuba-focused digital publication founded by blogger Yoani Sánchez, known for on-the-ground reporting that operates within similar journalistic and political constraints as Havana Times.

Broad incumbents

• Miami Herald: Major U.S. regional newspaper with longstanding dedicated Cuba coverage that serves overlapping diaspora readers; a broader incumbent rather than a Cuba-specialist.
• El País - América: Spanish-language global newspaper with dedicated Latin America edition covering Cuba; broader incumbent with substantially larger editorial scale and overlapping audience for Cuban news.
• BBC Mundo: BBC's Spanish-language news service covering Latin America including Cuba; broader incumbent with overlapping coverage of Cuban current affairs but a wider regional remit and substantially larger resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/havanatimes
• Facebookfacebook.com/havanatimes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/havana-times

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Havana Times.Org