The building of the same name located across the street was dismantled and converted into a warehouse
The few products available are being sold at “exorbitantly high” prices, according to several shoppers. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Dario Hernandez, Havana, 12 February 2025 — It has been just over a year since the grand opening of Havana’s 3rd and 70th Supermarket, the figurehead of dollarization in Cuba, but it feels like a lifetime. The establishment, located on the ground floor of the luxurious Gran Muthu Habana Hotel in Miramar, is a far cry from the one whose shelves were once overflowing with a wide variety of products. Although it is still clean and well-lit, it is now just a shadow of its former self.
Rows of bare shelves, other shelves repeatedly stocked with the same product, and prohibitive prices even for shoppers who receive remittances or income in foreign currency—this was the scene at the supermarket on Wednesday. “If this is empty, anything can happen, because it used to be the best-stocked store in the country,” asserted a Havana resident who had been shopping there since it opened.
“If this is empty, anything can happen, because it used to be the best-stocked store in the country.” / 14ymedio
Where canned goods, pasta, oils, and cleaning products once alternated, now only metal shelves remain. In other sections, the scarcity is disguised by an artificial overabundance, with the same item repeated again and again, as if quantity substituted for variety. “There are more empty spaces than usual,” a customer remarks as he walks through the store without a cart, aware that there isn’t much to choose from.
This scarcity of offerings is compounded by the problem of prices. The few products available are sold at “exorbitantly high” prices, according to several shoppers. These same items—or their equivalents—can be found on the street, in informal markets, and paid for in Cuban pesos, albeit at the cost of illegality and runaway inflation. The supermarket, conceived as a showcase of order and supply, has lost any advantage over the informal market. continue reading
Shelves piled over and over with the same product. / 14ymedio
One of the clearest symbols of this transformation was the closure of the market that operated in freely convertible currency (MLC) across the street from the same establishment at 3rd and 70th, bearing the same name. It hasn’t just been “dismantled,” says a local resident, but converted into a warehouse for the neighboring market that operates in dollars. “It’s like the prince and the pauper,” the man says ironically, summarizing the coexistence of privileged spaces for those who can pay in foreign currency and the growing precariousness for everyone else.
Opened on January 31, 2024, the 3rd and 70th Street Supermarket was the first of the establishments that accepted payment exclusively in dollars, a type of store that has since proliferated in Cuban cities. Intended to as a source of foreign currency for a state increasingly short of it, the store offered at least the illusion of variety and abundance. Now, it is nothing more than a shell, a stark reminder of an economic system in its death throes.
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Desperate due to the lack of trucks, neighbors set the garbage on fire
At dawn or dusk, day or night, the neighbors set fire to the garbage without any restraint. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Dario Hernandez, Havana, February 16, 2026 – – Just as mountains of garbage have proliferated on every corner of Havana in recent months, so too has the illegal burning of it. At dawn or dusk, day or night, neighbors set fire to the trash without any restraint. Smoke over the capital and black wisps falling like negatives of snowflakes are becoming commonplace, with the consequent health risks.
“I don’t think people are aware of how dangerous burning solid waste is,” says a nurse who lives in Central Havana. “But they don’t have any other choice. There are garbage dumps burning next to houses, parks, sports fields, everywhere.”
Another Havana resident from Guanabacoa told 14ymedio that on Saturday, returning home at night, he saw a curtain of smoke along his entire route on Vía Blanca. “At certain times of the day, the smell of burning is constant,” he said. Not only in his municipality, he explained, but throughout the city, burning trash “is now a widespread practice because the garbage trucks are delayed or simply don’t come at all.” continue reading
Returning home at night, he saw a curtain of smoke along his entire route. / 14ymedio
“The smell of burning is better than the stench of all that filth,” asserts a resident of Plaza de la Revolución. There’s no other way, she says, to light a fire to get rid of the flies.
From her tall building, she sees what she calls a “Sauron’s ring of waste,” referring to the villain from The Lord of the Rings: distinct garbage dumps that, due to a lack of trucks to collect them because of the critical fuel shortage—exacerbated by the US oil embargo in force since early January—have merged together. “The one that runs from Factor and Conill joins the one at Estancia and Conill, which in turn joins the one at Santa Ana and Estancia, which completes the circle with the one at Factor and Santa Ana,” she lists, lamenting that since the temperatures have begun to rise, the smell is unbearable. Ironically alluding to the plot of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel, she concludes: “One ring to choke them all.”
Two weeks ago, the official newspaper Cubadebate published a report highlighting some figures on the collapse of waste collection: Havana has 10,000 garbage containers but needs between 20,000 and 30,000, and only between 16,000 and 17,000 cubic meters are being collected daily, whereas in the past between 25,000 and 30,000 cubic meters were collected.
“There’s no other way to get rid of the flies than to light a fire.” / 14ymedio
One of the main problems, the media outlet said, quoting officials, is not only the lack of fuel but also the poor condition of the equipment: of 106 collection trucks, only 44 are working. “We are between 37% and 44% technical availability, well below what is needed,” acknowledged Alexis González Inclán, an official from Municipal Services.
Another drawback is the lack of labor. There is little interest in being a street sweeper because the basic salary they received, which a few years ago was attractive, today, according to González Inclán, “is little more than 2,000 pesos,” while a carton of 30 eggs costs between 2,000 and 3,000 pesos or a pound of rice costs 300 pesos on the informal market.
In a meeting on the issue, President Miguel Díaz-Canel criticized his officials for not acting more quickly before the problem reached its current levels. The Havana government presented 49 measures to address the accumulated garbage piles, but so far, none have been implemented, either on paper or in practice.
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In the absence of electricity, this has become an essential resource for cooking in neighborhoods without piped gas.
Most of those waiting to buy a small gas cylinder at Cupet establishments are elderly people. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Havana, Darío Hernández, February 13, 2026 – As the sun begins to set in Regla, under a red sky, people remain crowded in a line that started forming well before 3:00 in the afternoon. Most of those waiting to buy a small gas cylinder at Cupet outlets are elderly; many use the empty tank or the small cart used to transport it as a seat to ease their fatigue.
At 6:00 in the evening, the truck loaded with gas arrives, and finally, two hours later, the crowd slowly begins to move forward amid arguments and commotion.
Not all lines in the capital are the same: some are better organized than others. A young woman scrolling through Facebook on her phone while she waits says loudly that “my mother in Cerro got her cylinder at 1:00 in the afternoon, just imagine,” without taking her eyes off the screen.
The protocol, published in a Telegram group, states that priority in line should be given to those who have gone the longest without refilling their cylinder; in this case, those whose last refill was in August. But in reality, organization depends on the judgment of the workers at each sales point. For example, on Obispo Street in Guanabacoa, “a huge commotion broke out,” neighbors told 14ymedio, because it was decided that only 150 gas cylinders would be sold to the first people who arrived. “Many of them have been marking their place for days or are messengers, so those from August were left without continue reading
a cylinder once again.”
The protocol, published in a Telegram group, states that priority in line should be given to those who have gone the longest without refilling their cylinder / 14ymedio
This Tuesday, the Liquefied Gas Company (GLP) announced the distribution of cylinders for residents of the provinces of Havana, Artemisa, and Mayabeque, with a projected 15,000 units per day, to be distributed “equitably,” supposedly prioritizing by geographic location the areas with the highest customer density. The document stipulates the sale of only one cylinder per contract, the organization of sales points based on customer records, and the date of the last purchase. Registered delivery agents would only be authorized to buy one cylinder per customer per day. However, the reality seen on the streets is far from what is established and reveals chaos well removed from the protocol.
Yamila, a resident of Nuevo Vedado who spoke with 14ymedio, feels very fortunate not to have to endure that “calvary”: “Luckily, the piped gas is working well; I don’t know if it’s because it’s domestically produced. It doesn’t cover the whole city or anything close to that, but for those of us who have it, it’s a blessing to count on that service.”
The growing demand for small gas cylinders, which on the informal market can now reach prices of up to 30,000 pesos, has surged over the past month as the energy crisis has worsened. Faced with shortages of both gas and electricity, many people have begun turning to charcoal and firewood for cooking, a practice long common in eastern Cuba but now increasingly frequent in some Havana neighborhoods.
Jamaica has traditionally supplied liquefied gas to Cuba, but after sanctions imposed by the Trump administration starting January 30 on any country supplying fuel to the Island, shipments were interrupted. On February 1, the Cuban tanker Emilia returned empty to the port of Cienfuegos after a failed attempt to purchase LPG in Kingston.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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Gasoline is rationed and sold only in dollars; public transportation is drastically reduced, and food prices are rising.
The near-total absence of buses is pushing the population toward private transportation, now almost the only option available. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Havana, Darío Hernández, February 7, 2026 – Empty bus stops are seen across much of Havana, a city that is nearly paralyzed. In Regla and Guanabacoa, where until recently route A29 connected both municipalities, not a single bus runs today. Urban public transportation, already fragile, has practically disappeared. And the new measures announced this Friday threaten to make the situation even worse, even as authorities avoid using the word “collapse.”
In other areas, such as the Guanabacoa intersection, people do gather, but not because there are active routes. There, inspectors stop State-owned vehicles and force drivers to take on passengers. “There aren’t many State cars on the road either,” explains a woman waiting, with no certainty about how many hours it will take her to reach her destination. The result is an improvised, irregular, and humiliating form of mobility, where getting around depends on luck, charity, or administrative coercion.
The near-total absence of buses is pushing the population toward private transportation, now almost the only option available, but getting around Havana this way has become a luxury. A trip in a private car from the Guanabacoa traffic light to Parque de la Fraternidad cost 350 pesos this week; from there to El Vedado, another 200. In total, 550 pesos to cross the city. “I spent the money I had planned for this outing just on transportation,” one passenger sums up as he gets out of a taxi.
Getting around depends on luck, charity, or administrative coercion. / 14ymedio
Electric tricycles, once presented as a “sustainable” alternative, barely ease the situation. “They’re only a little cheaper, 50 or 100 pesos less than cars,” a passenger told 14ymedio. In addition, their fares are also soaring. For the past two weeks, ticket prices have been rising exponentially, and transport continue reading
operators themselves warn that the increases will continue as long as the fuel shortage persists.
These vehicles, which are lightweight and with a maximum capacity of six passengers, also have the additional problem that the configuration of their wheels prevents them from effectively navigating potholes. This forces drivers to move at very slow speeds and take dangerous detours to avoid falling into the many potholes that dot Havana’s streets.
The impact of the current restrictions is not limited to mobility. The transportation crisis is already beginning to be reflected in the prices of basic goods. A small shopkeeper in Regla reported that his suppliers raised the price of all bread by 20 pesos “because of the fuel issue,” and he fears the same will happen with other foods. The rising cost of transportation is almost immediately passed on to the cost of living.
“People think that since work hours are shortened and school is cut back, there’s no need to move around,” reflects a resident of Guanabacoa. “But what do I do if I want to see a relative, go out at night, or visit a nearby place like Havana or El Vedado?” The question sums up a reality that official discourse avoids: the city is not only about work and school; it is also about social life, relationships, and leisure. All of that is now conditioned on having enough money to pay an inflated fare.
The new restrictions have been presented as an “opportunity.” / 14ymedio
The official measures do little to dispel public fears, even though they have been presented as an “opportunity.” On the television program Mesa Redonda [Round Table], Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga acknowledged the “low availability” of fuel and announced new restrictions. The Cimex Corporation reported that “until conditions allow, fuel sales in CUP and the commercialization of diesel fuel in USD to the population are postponed.”
In addition, starting February 7, the Ticket app will be implemented at service stations that sell gasoline in dollars, as had previously been done with purchases in pesos. The stated goal is to “organize the process,” but the imposed limit, 20 liters per turn, confirms the magnitude of the shortage. Far from normalizing access, the measure institutionalizes rationing and excludes those who do not earn in hard currency.
At the same time, the Ministry of Transportation has announced a drastic reduction in interprovincial services, the suspension of national routes, and adjustments to urban and worker transportation across the country. Trains with widely spaced departures—every eight days—canceled buses, and exclusive priority for sectors deemed “strategic” complete a picture of near-total paralysis.
In practice, the State is withdrawing from everyday mobility and shifting the problem onto citizens. Those who can pay can move; those who cannot, stay put. “People who don’t have money will get around through charity or won’t get around at all,” one comment concludes. This is the country’s new reality.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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It has now become nearly impossible to obtain fuel on the black market, where it’s sold at 1,000 pesos per liter.
The availability of gasoline becomes more critical every day. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Darío Hernández, Havana, February 6, 2026 — The main partner to the shortage, corruption, has colonized the sale of gasoline at a dizzying rate. The under the table sale is a minor thing: they are now even selling turns to buy gas at service centers in dollars, and the price is no small issue. The ten dollars that it costs to move ahead in the line are, at the informal exchange rate (490 as of Thursday), more than double the minimum wage in Cuba.
“It’s no secret to anyone, and the eyes are useless when the mind is blind, fuel is extremely limited,” warned Pedro Garcés, organizer of the service stations of El Vedado and of the social group Gente del Barrio, this Wednesday, to introduce new regulations around the sale of gasoline. All service stations now deal in dollars, he explained, “a measure which we should understand the importance of in order to, in the middle of this siege, continue paying the least amount possible,” added the man who regularly brags about his loyalty to the Revolution.
Garcés explained that, for right now, the waiting lists on the Ticket app for sales of gasoline in pesos are closed, given that they are unable to serve “those that are in them, whose numbers surpass the thousands.”
One can spend up to five hours in line for gas, just to have to leave without any in the end.
The organizer insisted that the corporation Cimex – controlled by the military conglomerate Gaesa and in charge of, among other things, the management of gas stations– accepts the contributions that he himself sends based on the demands of the population. Despite this, “they are searching for solutions to avoid the long lines and the waste of time to obtain fuel in dollars, a situation which today generates growing continue reading
illegalities,” he lamented. More than the price of 10 dollars to get a turn, Garcés affirmed that the liter is being sold under the table at 1,000 pesos, more than double the price tag that it carries in dollars on the legal market.
The situation is an open secret on the streets of the capital. Regular gas in service stations costs $1.10 (equivalent to 539 pesos on the black market) and premium $1.30 (637), and now there is no way to get it in pesos on the Ticket app. “Now I don’t see the group nor the app,” said a man posted in the service station on Zapata and 4th, in Guanabacoa. “Everything is a shameless mess. The line doesn’t move. And, of course, it’s only in the gas stations in Zapata, of Línea & E, and Riviera: all in dollars. If you want to pay in pesos, pay the street rate of 1,000. If you’re lucky and you find it…” he said this Wednesday while waiting in a long line guarded by two officers. Resigned to wait hours or days to get gas in dollars.
A few meters away, in the same line, another man assured 14ymedio that the day before he spent five hours waiting for his turn and, at the end, he had to leave empty-handed because there was none left. The shortage is so bad that where before there were generators to fix the light issues they have started to install new solutions, like the purchase of electric generators, which take 2 or 3 hours to charge.
They continue dispensing fuel to state vehicles without reductions, for now.
In Vedado, they only dispense for sales in dollars, while in Tángana and the service stations at 25th & G and L & 17th they don’t have a drop of fuel. Furthermore, in Guanabacoa two gas stations are selling, but only on the surface, given that instead of the long line that would be expected in that case, there have barely been two or three vehicles, a fact that quickly raised suspicions among passers-by.
“Now with 750 or 800 pesos you can’t afford a liter,” admits another aspiring customer. “If anyone has it, in a few hours it’s already run out. It’s selling for 1,000 pesos, for example, on the Santa Fe bridge,” they added.
“My neighbor, who used to sell regularly, now doesn’t have any,” confessed another driver. “He has huge barrels in his house and people come with containers of all kinds. Cans of 1.5L, 5 liters, etc. I couldn’t tell you where he gets the gas, I only know that his daughter works with something to do with Cupet. I guess that it would be from there.”
In the gas station at Vía Blanca, the line was the usual: only state vehicles. The discomfort is heightened among the drivers, who complain that those cars still don’t have restrictions. “They haven’t cut their rations, nor reduced them. They hope that they soon will, including a 50% reduction, but until this moment, they haven’t done it. They are the only ones that you see in these gas station lines,” protested another.
Translated by Logan Cates
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The crowd was very focused on making the steps look full, because the park, which in other years was overflowing, was empty this time. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Dario Hernandez, Havana, 28 January 2025 — “Thousands of Cubans, led by young people, are marching tonight with torches through the streets of Havana honoring José Martí and, with him, his firm and unwavering anti-imperialist stance.” That was the response of Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez to US President Donald Trump, hours after the American again predicted the fall of the regime due to the lack of oil, on a day when doubts about Mexican crude shipments remained unresolved.
The reality was far less epic. Yesterday’s march drew much smaller crowds than last year, and although some young people, already hoarse, shouted slogans on street corners, indifference was widespread. “Most people leave within the first few blocks, and others throw down their torches at the first opportunity,” said Alejandro, a Havana resident who came more out of curiosity than revolutionary fervor. “It seems the security cordons, rather than protecting us, are there to prevent people from heading en masse for the buses parked on Carlos III Avenue,” he quipped.
“It seems that the security cordons, rather than protecting anyone, are there to prevent people from flocking to the buses parked on Carlos III Avenue” / 14ymedio
Heavy police presence, road closures, and a crowd intent on making the steps appear full, because the park, which in other years was overflowing, was empty this time. “While the inaugural speech was being given, people were preoccupied, not paying attention,” a Havana resident observed. The presence of workers, sports schools, and cadets was more significant this year, but there were far fewer students than usual. The conversations were almost entirely focused on one topic: the power outages, Trump, and Mexico were on everyone’s lips, and it was no surprise. continue reading
“Cuba is about to fall. Cuba is a nation that is very close to collapse,” Trump had just told the press before beginning a rally in Iowa. The president reiterated—as he did on January 9—that Havana “got its money from Venezuela, got its oil from Venezuela, but they don’t have it anymore.” Not another word about the island, although he did continue praising “the largest oil reserves in the world”—referring to Venezuela’s—and the “excellent job” being done by Delcy Rodríguez. “We have a very good relationship with the leaders of Venezuela, and we’re going to keep it that way,” he said.
The words were not well received in Havana, especially during one of the biggest propaganda events of the year, this time commemorating the 173rd anniversary of José Martí’s birth. But every cloud has a silver lining, and the incident served to invigorate the previously lackluster rhetoric. “This is not an act of nostalgia, it is a call to action,” said Litza Elena González Desdín, national president of the Federation of University Students (FEU), which organizes the march every year with the support of the Communist Party’s propaganda apparatus.
The event was attended by top government officials, who paid tribute to Fidel Castro, whose centenary is being celebrated this year. / 14ymedio
“It is up to us to defend sovereignty, build more social justice, and raise the banner of Latin American unity and anti-imperialism,” he continued, turning into an epic statement, saying that the youth “do not accept new or old chains and do not surrender or sell out.”
The event, which, incidentally, was not attended by Raúl Castro – for the first time in at least ten years – nor Ramiro Valdés, who is suffering from health problems, was attended by the top brass of the Government, who evoked Fidel Castro – whose centenary is being celebrated this 2026 – and tried, with little success, to turn it into a demonstration of revolutionary reaffirmation in the face of the unprecedented crisis the country is experiencing.
A Lackluster Torchlight March Without Raúl Castro in Response to the Cuban Regime’s Imminent Collapse / 14ymedio
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Only a few service stations that take foreign currency are operating, where a liter of regular gas costs $1.10 and premium $1.30.
The service stations were once again empty this weekend, not only of gasoline, but also of people trying to buy it. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Havana, Darío Hernández, January 26, 2026 – When gasoline was scarce in Havana, there were always people who knew where to find it. Fuel theft is a good business in Cuba, and the market had never failed. Until now. “Even the people who sell on the side, who almost always have it, don’t have any either,” says Pedro, a street-smart habanero who knows how to get around, but who now states bluntly: “Gasoline has disappeared.”
The service stations were once again empty this weekend, not only of gasoline, but also of would-be buyers, except for the most stubborn who refused to leave the line just in case something arrived. “Being here is pointless,” said a private transport operator waiting in line.
At one of the Cupet stations reserved for state vehicles, which receive fuel by allocation, they weren’t pumping either, and drivers were waiting for a tanker truck to arrive. When asked whether there was any way to resolver (work something out), one of them replied that it wasn’t possible because what they were being given wouldn’t even last two weeks. “If I sell you any, I’ll end up stranded.”
The only station that had customers waiting on Sunday was the one at Línea and E, in El Vedado, which sells fuel in dollars. / 14ymedio
Walking past gas stations in the capital is bleak. The only one with customers waiting on Sunday was the Línea and E station in El Vedado, which sells fuel in dollars. Most of the cars were modern, and it was clear their owners were well-off. Since last year, when some service stations were dollarized in order to obtain hard currency amid the collapse of tourism, these had been the only places where supply was guaranteed. Now even that is not always enough, and prices don’t help either. A liter of regular gas continue reading
costs $1.10 and premium $1.30, paid with prepaid cards or the Clásica card.
“The situation is extremely complicated,” Pedro insists. “A friend in Matanzas who owns a car told me that over there it’s the same. The only places selling are the service stations, in dollars, end of story, because there’s nothing on the street either. He says the dollar went up to 600 pesos, but then the gasoline disappeared, and there’s nowhere to find it.”
Suddenly, a man on a motorcycle shows up. He says he managed to buy fuel on the black market because he couldn’t find any at a service station, but before that he had to make another round through the informal market to buy dollars to pay for the gasoline.
Oil isn’t arriving, and the paths are narrowing. Everyone trembled again on Friday when the Reuters agency reported that the Mexican government is evaluating whether to maintain, reduce, or suspend its crude oil supply to the Island, amid fears of direct reprisals from the United States under the presidency of Donald Trump. Added to this were statements to Politico by sources familiar with an alleged White House plan to invoke the Helms-Burton Act in order to “impose a total blockade on oil imports carried out by Cuba.” “Energy is the key to killing the regime, and this will happen in 2026, with a 100% probability,” said one of the sources.
Gasoline is on the path to disappearing in Cuba, even on the black market. / 14ymedio
The reaction in Havana was immediate. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, spoke on Friday, denouncing a “brutal assault against a peaceful nation that poses no threat whatsoever to the United States.” He added that these measures are irrefutable proof that the economic hardships faced by the Cuban people are mainly caused and designed in Washington.
Carlos de Céspedes, Cuba’s ambassador to Colombia, has also weighed in. In an interview on Saturday with Qatari television network Al Jazeera, he accused the U.S. of “international piracy” and said it is imposing a “maritime siege” on the Island. “Cuba is facing U.S. threats more powerful than at any time in the 67 years since the Revolution,” he asserted.
The authorities, for their part, have continued without providing public data on the fuel shortage, not even on the fuel used for distributed generation, whose specific shortfall is not discussed. This Sunday, the Island experienced another day of blackouts: with a forecast peak demand of 3,130 megawatts (MW), available capacity was only 1,325, which pointed to a shortfall of 1,805 MW, equivalent to 60% of national consumption.
Although it is not known what portion is due to the lack of fuel, it was specified that only 450 MW corresponded to the deficit at thermoelectric plants.
If in Havana power outages already exceed 15 consecutive hours, what is happening in other provinces is truly staggering: 29 hours in Pinar del Río, 40 in Matanzas, and 48 in Cienfuegos, numbers that no longer surprise anyone. “Don’t add more misfortune to what we already have in that report that isn’t true,” a user pleaded with the Electric Utility. “Look for solutions for a people who are suffocating, who are agonizing. Don’t ask for resistance because there is none left. Be capable of moving your country forward and stop justifying the atrocities you commit with the blockade, because your standard of living isn’t affected.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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The oil tanker Mia Grace, which was heading to Cuba from Africa, will instead go to the Dominican Republic
Pots and pans bang in Havana in protest against blackouts of up to 13 hours
A family cooking with kerosene on a Havana street. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Havana, Darío Hernández, January 23, 2026 – Havana experienced a totally dark day this Thursday, Diana, a second-year veterinary student went the entire day without eating. There is no gas left in her home, where she lives with her elderly grandparents, she tells 14ymedio. “They say pots were banging. I didn’t have the strength to listen or to bang a pot myself though I certainly felt like it,” the young woman says. “To make matters worse, I had an exam today and was hungry, because there comes a point when bread doesn’t fill you up, and it’s not that cheap either. I don’t know where this is going, but I’m exhausted.”
Irma, a 40-year-old Facebook advertising promoter, recounts her ordeal: “The power goes out and the connection disappears. I caught a cold going out onto the balcony looking for a signal and hanging laundry at night, because the clothes pile up, and when the electricity comes back, it’s rush, wash, make rice, iron the kid’s uniform.” The woman says her sister, a seamstress, is pulling her hair out because she doesn’t have light to work. “They give her power for one hour during the whole day. If this keeps up, she’ll have to sleep during the day and work at night. And the worst part is that it seems like you-know-who doesn’t care.”
“Here people live however they can. Many skip meals and baths; they resign themselves,” says a resident of Guanabacoa. “Yesterday the pots were banging in several areas here, and really loud. We’ll see what happens when the heat arrives, and on top of all this is the lack of sleep.”
“Here people live however they can. Many skip meals and baths; they resign themselves.”
On the streets at night, cooking in doorways lit by candles or by the glow of a cigarette, there are neighbors who take it with as much humor as they can. “I have no electricity, I have no soap,” sings a young woman almost melodically, to the tune of Juan Gabriel, continuing: “I have no money and nothing to give.” continue reading
Several municipalities in the capital reported more than nine hours in the dark, such as Marianao, where the power was cut at 3:00 pm and by midnight they were still without electricity. In the La Güinera neighborhood of Arroyo Naranjo, residents reported up to 13 hours without power, and in La Lisa there were protests with pots and pans. “I just confirmed by a video call that they restored electricity a few minutes after the demonstration. So, a word to the wise is enough,” said journalist Mario Pentón.
Mercedes and Antonio, two retirees who live alone, couldn’t cook their peas on Tuesday until 11:00 pm, when the power finally came back after 14 hours. “It was enough to drive you crazy,” says the man, an accountant when he was working; his wife was a doctor. However, “on Wednesday the blackout was even worse.”
The fuel shortage is also evident at gas stations. Since January 10, the Ticket system has not provided the list of the 24 gas stations open in eastern Havana, which could indicate that they are all closed. The list for the western sector is still being issued; this Thursday, 5 of the 14 stations there remained open.
Several municipalities of the capital reported more than nine hours in the dark, such as Marianao, where power was cut at 3:00 pm and by midnight they were still without electricity. / 14ymedio
Meanwhile, on the informal market fuel prices are rising at a dizzying pace. In Holguín, local sources report that a liter of gasoline has reached 1,200 pesos and a can of kerosene up to 15,000. In Havana, some users say they can find gasoline on the black market for 1,000 pesos per liter, although in most places prices range between 700 and 750. In Sancti Spíritus, the product is cheaper: five liters of “kerosene for the stove,” a resident explains, cost between 1,850 and 1,900 pesos; that is, between 370 and 380 per liter.
The situation is not easing, and the ship on the horizon fades away. In a strange twist of events, the Mia Grace, the tanker that was heading to Cuba from Togo to deliver some 314,500 barrels of diesel or 280,500 of fuel oil, according to University of Texas expert Jorge Piñón, has changed course. Geolocation data that this week indicated its departure from the port of Lomé with an expected arrival in Havana on February 4 have been modified.
The vessel, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, now appears off the coast of Guinea after having departed on January 13 from Takoradi (Ghana), with destination Río Haina (Dominican Republic), where it is due to arrive on February 2. It is unknown why the route detected last Monday by Piñón has changed. He was alerted to the tanker’s destination and told 14ymedio that it could be a “spot purchase” by the state company Cubametales, sanctioned by the United States, “through a European intermediary.”
The expert noted that “Togo does not refine oil, but it exports refined petroleum products and has extensive logistics and maritime transit infrastructure.” Now the origin points to a port in Ghana, located about 500 kilometers from Lomé.
Most significant is that as of this week the UNE has stopped reporting the deficit by type of energy.
Ghana’s oil industry has consolidated in recent years as one of the most flourishing, along with gold, although it is still a mid-level African crude power, especially compared to Libya, Nigeria, or Algeria. The latter country, which maintains excellent relations with Cuba, has contributed a small amount of oil to the Island, but only around two million barrels annually, the equivalent of 18 days of national consumption.
After nearly reaching a 2,000-megawatt (MW) deficit during peak hours on Thursday—well above the announced 1,775 MW—a similar shortfall is expected this Friday. Officially, the Electric Utility (UNE) has forecast 1,970 MW, but even during average hours the figures are staggering, with 1,200 MW affected. This is almost unheard of in a context where solar parks are operating correctly. This Thursday the 49 parks generated 3,186 MWh, with a maximum output of 711 MW. These figures are enough to imagine what would happen if they were not contributing at all.
The thermoelectric plants are constantly going in and out, as if they spent the day revolving through a turnstile. This Thursday, the electric company’s posts announcing shutdowns were so numerous that users could take no more. “All those shutdowns are aimed directly at the people. Thank you very much for your efficiency,” one responded bitterly. Announcements of “offline” and “back on the system” multiplied, prompting some darkly humorous comments amid the desperation. “Whoever runs the UNE’s profile must enjoy their job; they work more than anyone else at the company. Incredible incompetence,” someone remarked.
Most significant is that as of this week the UNE has stopped reporting the deficit by type of energy. This Friday’s breakdown indicates breakdowns at units 5 and 8 of the Mariel thermoelectric plant (CTE), unit 3 of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes CTE, units 5 and 6 of Nuevitas, and unit 2 of the Felton CTE. Under maintenance are unit 2 of the Santa Cruz del Norte CTE and unit 4 of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes CTE, totaling 466 MW out of service in thermal generation. But there is a complete absence of data on the shortfall due to fuel, a figure that has been reported for months and generally exceeds 1,000 MW.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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Economist Pedro Monreal points to the failure of the floating exchange rate created by the government a month ago in its latest attempt to revalue the national currency
At the La Cuevita market in San Miguel del Padrón (Havana), the dollar was being bought at 480 CUP. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Holguín/Sancti Spíritus, Havana, Miguel García, Mercedes García, and Darío Hernández, January 22, 2026 – Just over a month after the official floating exchange rate went into effect, promising to revalue the national currency, the dollar has soared to 500 pesos in some parts of Cuba, such as Holguín. That is 10 CUP more per USD than the rate reported this Thursday by the independent platform El Toque (490) in its daily tracking of informal-market currency trading.
This was confirmed by a resident of Holguín who owns the electric tricycle he uses for work, whose electronic control box burned out. When he asked about prices, a private seller told him it cost $190. “I asked him what that was in pesos, because I didn’t have USD and had no way to get them, and after insisting that he preferred dollars, he told me the dollar was at 500 pesos.”
At the same time, mipymes [‘MSMEs’ — micro, small and medium-sized private enterprises] in the eastern city have raised prices for basic goods such as cooking oil, spaghetti, and chicken. “Starting this week, it’s going to be huge,” a Holguín resident laments ironically. Some merchants argue that inflation is precisely due to the new price of the dollar. “Due to the rise of the USD, there may be some price changes in certain products, but it’s nothing serious; we’re making an effort to keep prices as fair as possible,” they promise in a WhatsApp group.
“It’s not at all fair. They say they made the last purchase at one price for the dollar, but the next one will more expensive, so they’ll have to raise prices”
“Can you imagine? It’s not at all fair. They say they made the last purchase at one price for the dollar, but the next one will be more expensive, so they’ll have to raise prices,” the same woman says. continue reading
In Sancti Spíritus, most informal stalls are offering the dollar at the rate reported by El Toque, 490 CUP, but according to a source in the city, “there’s a mipyme that’s taking it at 500.” Meanwhile, in Havana, in most neighborhoods the dollar can be found at 490 pesos, but two days ago, at the La Cuevita market in San Miguel del Padrón, it was being bought at 480.
That same Tuesday, Cuban economist Pedro Monreal documented the failure of the most recent exchange-rate measures, comparing them to preparations for the “war of the whole people,” announced after the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the U. S. in Caracas and the death of 32 Cuban soldiers in the operation. “Exactly one month passed between the announcement of a new official floating exchange rate and the notification of the analysis and approval of plans and measures for the ‘transition to a State of War’ in Cuba,” tweeted the specialist, who lives in Spain. “So far, the floating rate is fighting a losing battle.”
For now, Monreal continued, the peso “has depreciated 3.9% against the USD under the floating rate, failing to meet the government’s expectation that the ‘new official foreign-exchange market’ would help restore the purchasing power of the national currency.”
In effect, when the Central Bank of Cuba (BCC) launched without prior notice an official floating exchange rate on December 18, to be added to the other two operating in the country: one at 1×24 for centralized state allocations for goods and services deemed essential, and another at 1×120 for certain “entities with the capacity to generate foreign currency,” such as tourism. The government presented it as the start of a transformation of the foreign-exchange market aimed at “bringing order” to the economy and moving toward future monetary unification.
In practice, however, the Island entered an even more complex stage of exchange-rate segmentation amid the worst economic crisis in decades. It quickly became evident that the population was ignoring the official rate, which was paradoxically very close to El Toque’s, against which the government had waged a harsh propaganda campaign months earlier, and they continued exchanging dollars on the informal market.
The peso “has depreciated 3.9% against the USD under the floating rate, failing to meet the government’s expectations”
In the following weeks, it could be seen that at state-run currency exchange offices (Cadeca), where dollars are virtually nonexistent and where the dollar was theoretically selling this Thursday at 457.92 pesos, only elderly people came to collect their pensions.
On January 9, yet another policy was added to the already convoluted exchange-rate market. The BCC opened a banking channel allowing private mipymes to legally purchase foreign currency through banks, but under very strict rules.
Thus, purchases by these private entrepreneurs can only be made based on the new floating rate, only once a month, and without being able to choose the amount. The amount is calculated by the bank by taking the average of what the mipyme deposited into its tax account over the previous three months, using only half of that money and converting it at the floating exchange rate in effect at the time.
In practice, this means that if a mipyme has had low or irregular income, it will be able to buy very few dollars, even if it urgently needs them to import raw materials, pay for services, or fulfill contracts. And if the business is just starting and does not yet have an income history, it could simply be left out altogether.
The BCC also made it clear that the entire process would be “bankarized.” Cuban pesos must be debited from the tax account, and the purchased foreign currency can only be deposited into the economic actor’s own foreign-currency account. No cash, no informal transfers, and no room for maneuver. Before approving the transaction, the bank will review the client’s identity, accounts, and the origin of the funds, as part of the controls that currently weigh on any economic activity on the Island.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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After long waits, patients are given appointments more than ten days later
Most of those waiting outside Havana’s Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery were over 60. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Havana, Juan Diego Rodríguez / Darío Hernández, January 15, 2026 — Berta has just managed to get an appointment, after trying for almost a month, at Havana’s Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, one of the places where the government has launched a specialized clinic for people recovering from the chikungunya virus. She will be seen in ten days.
Infected in early October, the woman, a resident of Centro Habana, spent several weeks bedridden, immobilized by pain. When the fever subsided, she still couldn’t go outside and had to borrow a wheelchair. More than three months later she is better, but she continues to suffer many aftereffects. “I can’t sleep; I spend my nights awake with pain in my hands and knees,” she told 14ymedio.
Since the Ministry of Public Health announced on December 22 the start of care for patients with chikungunya sequelae at the Neurological Institute, Berta’s husband had been trying to get her a spot, but he only succeeded two days ago.
“The first time the doctor sees you in the clinic, they give you medication, but if you then need physical therapy, they send you somewhere else”
Every day, hundreds of people relentlessly form a line to request appointments at the institution, located in El Vedado on 29th Street between F and D. This Wednesday, 14ymedio witnessed two lines: one to request an appointment and another for consultations. The first moved along fairly well; the second barely budged. “I’ve been here since 7:00, and from 8:00 when they opened until noon only four people had gone through,” said an elderly woman who was waiting. “This is far too slow.”
Appointments are being scheduled for roughly 15 days out. “The first time the doctor sees you in the clinic, they give you medication, but then, if you need physical therapy, they refer you elsewhere,” explained another woman, younger than the first. Most of the doctors observed were young and foreign. By contrast, most of those waiting were over 60. continue reading
“I’m hopeful they can help me, even though my husband doesn’t believe it,” Berta says. “At least on the news they say this actually works.”
Indeed, the information disseminated by official media could not be more optimistic. They promise the design of “personalized physical therapy programs to promote rehabilitation and a rapid return to daily and work activities.” The service, the Ministry of Health explained, is intended “for the management of neuropathic pain, joint disorders, and paresthesias,” some of the consequences suffered by chikungunya patients, in some cases chronically.
A crowd outside the doors of Havana’s Neurological Institute. / 14ymedio
“Our objective is to evaluate and treat each case individually, facilitating a path toward functional recovery and an improvement in quality of life,” promised Orestes López Piloto, director of the Institute of Neurology. The project is being carried out by a multidisciplinary team made up of neurologists, neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists, and physical therapists, the Ministry also assured.
In addition, health authorities painted a picture that included sophisticated studies such as CT scans, ultrasounds, and even “specialized anesthetic interventions” to relieve aftereffects. Asked about this, López Piloto said they could not know the exact number of people who would seek care, but that the Institute had the necessary resources. “The strength of our health system allows us to organize this kind of response,” he asserted.
The long wait outside the facility seems to contradict that claim.
“At least they have a clinic,” objects Amauri, a resident of Ciego de Ávila. “Here, those of us who had the virus are left with nothing but patience.” He, his partner, and his mother contracted the disease in November and still suffer its consequences. “In the mornings I wake up with numb hands; I have to move them a lot just to function halfway decently,” he confesses.
“In the mornings I wake up with numb hands; I have to move them a lot just to function halfway decently”
According to the Pan American Health Organization, based on official Cuban statistics, a total of 65 people have died from chikungunya and dengue. However, statistical calculations by the Cuban Observatory of Citizen Auditing and Cuba Siglo 21 place the figure at 8,700 people.
Most of the deaths in the official registry are minors. Within this age group, the most vulnerable are newborns, whose lives are at risk if they fall ill.
In 2025, 51,217 cases of chikungunya and 30,692 of dengue were recorded. The epidemic, as happened with covid-19, has exposed the fragility of the health system, once an emblem of the Revolution. In addition to the lack of medications and the deterioration of health facilities, there has been a 27% decrease in the number of doctors in just five years, from 103,835 in 2020 to 75,364 in 2024.
The challenge, wrote Periódico 26 this Thursday, is to find “the keys through a sound line of research in order to impact the recovery of patients experiencing aftereffects” of arboviral disease. Authorities still do not see things clearly. One of the measures has been to promote trials with Jusvinza, also known as Cigb-258, a drug created more than a decade ago by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) as an immune system modulator, originally intended for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and which has not yet proven effective for those recovering from chikungunya.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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Even refilling a lighter has become a difficult task in Cuba due to the fuel shortage
“Maduro abandoned us,” a Cupet worker tells a customer. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Havana/Holguín, Darío Hernández and Miguel García, January 11, 2026 — Under the uneven shade of a tree in a park in Holguín, Genaro waits for someone to approach with a lighter. The scene has repeated itself for more than a decade: a folding table, several gas sprays, screwdrivers, and pliers. For years, that small family business, refilling disposable lighters, allowed them to put food on the table. Today, however, the lack of fuel threatens to extinguish even that minimal flame. “Now it’s cheaper to buy a new one than to repair it because gas has become incredibly expensive,” he says, arranging his tools with a mechanical gesture.
Genaro charges 100 pesos for each lighter he refills and 50 more if the flint has to be replaced. Until recently, that fee guaranteed a steady trickle of customers. Today, the flow has dropped sharply. “This is no longer profitable, and if things get worse,” he warns, “I’ll have to find something else.” His occupation—salvaging what in other countries is thrown away—becomes unviable in a context where even the gas used to refill lighters has turned into a luxury.
The problem is not limited to his improvised table. At home, he explains, they cook with firewood and with liquefied gas “when it shows up.” The balita—the small gas cylinder that sustains the domestic life of thousands of families—now costs 50,000 Cuban pesos on the informal market in Holguín. “You almost never find it, and when someone does offer it to you, they can sit back and demand continue reading
whatever they want, because people are desperate.” At state-run sales points, the supply was suspended weeks ago, with no date for resumption.
The cutoff of Venezuelan oil supplies, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. troops, has further strained a daily life already marked by shortages. What happens in Caracas translates almost immediately into extinguished stoves, paralyzed businesses, and reduced transportation in Cuba. The Island’s energy dependence turns any shock in the South American country into a domestic tremor.
In Havana, the situation is reflected in empty gas stations and in the conversations repeated under the roofs of the state company Cupet. In Telegram groups where virtual lines are organized, discouragement is palpable. This Saturday, in East Havana only 11 gas stations were offering service; another 10 were completely out of fuel. In the west of the capital, seven service stations had closed on Friday. No one dares to predict an improvement in the short term.
The mechanism for buying gasoline has become a digital maze. To even aspire to a turn, one must register in the Ticket app, enter an ID number, vehicle registration details, and the license plate. With luck, confirmation arrives in two or three months. But even then, the result can be frustrating: on the scheduled day, there may only be motor or regular gasoline of lower octane, unusable for many vehicles.
A tour of several Havana service stations confirms the picture. The central station at G and 25, in El Vedado, opened without fuel. The same scene repeats at its neighbor on La Rampa. Only at the nearby Tángana station was there still some supply for those waiting with a Ticket appointment, and in the entire central area only the station at L and 17 continued dispensing with some regularity.
The majority of gas stations in Havana are not operating.
Under the red sign reading “Your friend 24 hours a day” at G and 25, three men talk. They begin by discussing gasoline, but the conversation soon drifts toward Caracas, Washington’s warnings, and Marco Rubio’s statements urging Havana to choose between “change and collapse.” International politics seep into their words as yet another explanation for the empty tank.
“The situation is tight; I’ve never seen it this bad,” says a motorcyclist who came to Cupet just to confirm the obvious. He has a generator at home and urgently needs fuel. “My mother is bedridden with a relapse of chikungunya,” he explains. “At home we’re preparing for the worst, because this is just the beginning.”
At the Cupet stations on Vía Blanca and La Coubre, dispensing was limited to state vehicles, as it was at the station at the La Shell roundabout in Guanabacoa. Rafael, a Spanish businessman temporarily based in Cuba, described his fruitless tour of several stations in the Playa municipality. “They have no idea when fuel will come in again. They look lost,” he said.
One worker was more direct and, in a mocking tone, summed it up in four words: “Maduro abandoned us.” A tremor in Caracas is an earthquake in Havana.
“With what happened in Venezuela, I don’t think this will be fixed quickly,” / 14ymedio
In El Cerro, two brothers in the moving business have halted all operations. Their truck sits immobile while requests pile up unanswered. “With what happened in Venezuela, I don’t think this will be fixed quickly,” they say.
Early Sunday, many woke up glued to their phones after Donald Trump posted a message urging the Cuban regime to reach “an agreement, before it’s too late,” warning: “There will be no more oil or money for Cuba: zero!” For many, that message sealed the certainty that the severe fuel shortage will not be temporary.
On Havana’s Malecón, some look out to sea hoping for the silhouette of a tanker. For a young man singing boleros and guarachas to tourists, the definitive collapse will come “when El Morro goes dark.” Perhaps it will not require a mass exodus—only the absence of fuel and a wait that stretches on, like Genaro’s under the tree, with an empty lighter in his hand.
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Nervous and hoarse, Díaz-Canel addressed an indifferent audience at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune
Miguel Díaz-Canel, during his speech this Saturday at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune in Havana. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Darío Hernández, Havana, January 3, 2026 – The morning dawned somewhat cold in Havana, with clear skies that failed to conceal the power outages in several municipalities and the water supply problems that continue to affect daily life in large areas of the city. Added to this everyday scene, early in the morning, was a last-minute official announcement: a rally at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune, next to the Malecón, to “denounce US attacks against Venezuela,” following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by US troops.
While the Electric Union warned that the generation deficit for the day would exceed 1,600 MW, at bus stops and doorways people were talking less about the energy report than about what had happened in Caracas. The topic spread quickly throughout the city. At the popular market in La Cuevita, in San Miguel del Padrón, the pulse of the conversation seemed more intense than at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune itself.
Among the stalls selling jewelry, clothing, and household items, the comment was almost unanimous: “Did you see what happened to Maduro?” Some people were boasting: “That wouldn’t happen here, because they’d shoot down at least one or two helicopters,” said a man while offering sneakers and T-shirts for sale. Others preferred sarcasm and emphasized “how easy” it had been for U.S. special forces to capture the Venezuelan president and his wife, Cilia Flores. “It was like a movie,” said a young man, cell phone in hand, scanning the headlines.
Cubans are concerned about the oil supply being cut off due to Maduro’s fall.
There was no shortage of conspiracy theories. One woman claimed that “it was all planned” and that without Havana’s complicity, it would not have been possible for the Venezuelan leader to fall into Washington’s hands. “But we can rest easy because there’s nothing in Cuba that interests the Americans,” she said, as she chose a scouring pad. A few meters away, a household goods vendor told 14ymedio that “there’s sure to be a cut in oil supplies now, and everything here is going to get even more heated,” a concern that resonated more strongly than any slogan.
That restless murmur contrasted with the scene unfolding at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune, in front of the US Embassy in Havana. There, by mid-morning, hundreds of people had gathered with little enthusiasm. Many arrived in groups organized by their workplaces and tried to protect themselves from the sea breeze, which this January is not only laden with salt spray but also with a cold that seeps through coats.
One of the attendees at the rally at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune captured by this newspaper. / 14ymedio
The event began with predictable speeches, laden with references to “imperialism” and the defense of regional sovereignty. Miguel Díaz-Canel took the floor with a tone that sounded nervous. His hoarse voice, attempts to raise his volume, and forced gestures conveyed more tension than firmness. Some in the audience listened in silence; others took the opportunity to check their cell phones or talk quietly. The solemnity of the leaders contrasted with the evident fatigue among those gathered.
A few minutes after Díaz-Canel finished his speech, the stampede began. / 14ymedio
Unlike La Cuevita, where the debate was spontaneous and at times heated, the atmosphere at the Tribune seemed encapsulated, detached from people’s immediate concerns. A few minutes after Díaz-Canel concluded his speech, the stampede began. Entire groups left almost in unison, seeking shelter from the wind, looking for a bus, or simply thinking about getting home before the next power outage.
On the way back, the city was still talking about Venezuela. In a line to buy bread, someone asked if “Venezuelan oil is now really gone.” In a park, two retirees discussed how Maduro would behave before the US judges. “Change is coming,” summed up a bicycle taxi driver who, wearing long sleeves and sunglasses, was trying to convince a couple of tourists to get into his vehicle.
Translated by GH
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The shortage of SIM cards has further complicated Cubans’ access to telecommunications
For months, the shortage of SIM cards left numerous users without service. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Dario Hernandez, Havana, December 23, 2025 – This Monday, the offices of the State telecommunications company Etecsa in various parts of Havana were packed after the start of sales for new mobile lines and replacement SIM cards, a service that had been unavailable for months. The prolonged shortage made losing a phone a secondary problem compared to the impossibility of recovering the number, essential for communication, internet access, or carrying out basic tasks. The reopening of the service led to long lines, tension, and uneven organization in a context marked by the precariousness of telecommunications
Early on, 14ymedio visited several of these branches and confirmed how quickly the news had spread among customers. At the office located beneath the Focsa building in El Vedado, they attempted to maintain some control by issuing 100 tickets daily. The wait was long and the atmosphere tense, but relatively orderly. Similar stories were repeated among those waiting: stolen or lost phones and months of fruitless visits to Etecsa. “What hurts the most is losing the line,” several commented while they waited.
“What hurts the most is losing the line.”
In Regla, the lack of a clear queuing system led to constant arguments. Some, despite arriving late, tried to cut in line, an attitude that fueled the discontent among those who had arrived at the office early. The shouting and recriminations increased as rumors spread that supplies could run out at any moment, a possibility many considered certain after previous experiences of shortages and sudden sales suspensions.
For months, the shortage of SIM cards left many users without service. Some reported that the only alternative offered was to manage the line from abroad or pay in foreign currency, options beyond the reach of a large part of the population. This situation was compounded by frequent power outages and mobile service interruptions, which affected the quality of the connection.
This crisis is part of a broader scenario marked by Etecsa’s so-called “tarifazo” — a huge rate hike — which last May raised the cost of data and telephone services relative to salaries in pesos. The price increase, coupled with a shortage of lines and dependence on top-ups from abroad, has deepened inequality in access to communication. The lines this Monday reflect the cumulative impact of a commercial policy that has made connectivity an increasingly difficult commodity to obtain.
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“We ourselves have doubts. The banks are collecting foreign currency only; they haven’t given us the order yet to sell”
In private businesses, it’s common for employees to accept US currency at the informal exchange rate and even purchase it. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Havana, Darío Hernández, December 23, 2025 — Nearly a week after the Central Bank of Cuba (BCC) announced the implementation of a floating rate for the foreign exchange market, in addition to other official exchange rates, the measure has yet to materialize for most Cubans. In Havana, the banks are not selling dollars to the population, despite the regulation being presented as a step to “organize” the exchange market and bring the official rate closer to the country’s economic reality.
In practice, the only thing that has begun to function is the purchase of foreign currency, and even that operation is surrounded by improvisation, administrative silence and confusion among bank employees themselves, as 14ymedio was able to confirm during visits to several bank branches in the Cuban capital.
“So far, I have no news that dollars are being sold to the population under the new rate; what they are doing is buying,” a Banco Metropolitano branch employee in El Vedado, who prefers to remain anonymous, explained to this newspaper on Monday. According to his account, US currency was being received that day at 401 pesos.
“If the customer hands over a large amount of dollars and the bank doesn’t have enough cash in national currency, part of the payment is made through electronic transfer. If the disbursement is made completely in cash, a 3% discount is applied as a tax,” the state worker specifies.
The new rate was announced by monetary authorities as a flexible mechanism, subject to adjustments based on supply and demand. The stated objective was to compete with the informal market and capture dollars currently circulating outside the state financial system. However, what is happening at the branches is very different from the official narrative. There are no clear protocols, and staff continue reading
are working without precise instructions on how to proceed.
There are no clear protocols and staff are working without instructions
This scheme, far from conveying confidence, feeds the perception of improvisation. “This entire process of the new floating dollar exchange rate has been implemented without notice or prior preparation of the bank staff,” the worker summarizes. “We haven’t received any guidance on how to sell the dollars, whether we’ll give it to them in cash or through electronic transfer. Even yesterday we had a meeting at our bank, and the topic of selling dollars didn’t even come up.”
The uncertainty repeats itself at other branches in the capital. At the bank located on the ground floor of the Focsa building, also in El Vedado, an employee confirms that the order for now is to buy only foreign currency. “We ourselves have doubts. Now all the banks are doing is collecting, buying dollars,” she explains. Although she says that selling will happen “at some point,” she recognizes that there still isn’t an official instruction allowing them to offer dollars to the public.
The worker also confirms that the rate of 401 pesos is already being used in other financial operations. “Those who have MLC [freely convertible currency] cards, now when you do a transfer from Transfermóvil to national currency, the exchange rate used is that one, and you gain cash that way.” If this detail is confirmed, then it would be a signal that the BCC is trying to consolidate the freely convertible currency again, as seems to be indicated by the rapid rise of that virtual financial instrument on the informal market exchange board published daily by the site El Toque. At the end of October; a dollar was worth barely 200 pesos and is now at 350.
The design of the sales mechanism, when finally activated, also raises questions. According to banking sources, MSMEs (micro, small and medium-sized enterprises) will receive dollars exclusively through electronic transfers, not in cash, which is in line with the chronic shortage of bills in state coffers. For individual customers, a combination of cash and transfers is expected, “when they approve it,” clarifies the Focsa employee. For now, the outlook is an asymmetric scheme: the bank buys dollars from the population but doesn’t sell them.
The BCC announced a new banking channel for the non-state sector to purchase foreign currency in the official market. “Requests will be made from commercial banks and through the fiscal account, without handling cash,” the brief informative note clarifies. “The limit will be up to 50% of the average gross income of the fiscal account in the last quarter,” the text adds.
For now, the outlook is an asymmetric scheme: the bank buys dollars from the population but doesn’t sell them. / 14ymedio
Regarding individuals, this note clarifies that the limit of 100 dollars per person will continue and that the cumbersome and ineffective system of turns through the Ticket app at the 41 sales offices will be maintained.
Outside the Focsa bank branch on Monday, however, the urgent concerns were different. The long line to collect pensions or attempt to withdraw cash from ATMs monopolized customers’ anxiety. Each time an employee poked their head out the main door, a shower of questions rained down on them. Doubts ranged from the establishment’s operating hours during the upcoming holidays to questions about when they will start selling dollars.
Informal currency exchangers, meanwhile, seem to be starting to react after days of paralysis and uncertainty following the official announcement. “The guy who buys dollars in my neighborhood went a week without accepting them but has started again and has set them at 420 pesos,” a young resident of the Guanabacoa municipality explains to this newspaper. In private businesses, it is common for employees to accept US currency at the informal exchange rate and even to purchase it.
El Toque reports that the dollar this Tuesday is at 440 pesos on the informal market, where the greenback continues to circulate with greater agility and without taxes or cumbersome procedures. For many Cubans, handing over their foreign currency to the bank and having to register personal data with no certainty of being able to buy it back doesn’t seem like an attractive option at the moment.
“I had 100 dollars saved for Christmas and I preferred to change them with an individual who has a cafeteria on my block,” recounts a neighbor from Cotorro. “He gave me 425 pesos for them and I came out better than I would have with the bank and didn’t have to show my ID card,” she adds. However, she will avoid selling the remaining US currency she has saved “until things settle down.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
The Cuban author acknowledged he is an admirer of Vargas Llosa’s work, especially ‘Conversation in the Cathedral’.
The dialogue also addressed Vargas Llosa’s relationship with the Cuban Revolution. / 14ymedio
14ymedio, Dario Hernandez, Havana, 20 December 2025 — For just over an hour, Havana experienced one of those rare moments when literature manages to triumph over blackouts and hardship.
The Ateneo de La Habana was packed to overflowing to hear Leonardo Padura speak about Mario Vargas Llosa, in a conversation moderated by Rafael Grillo and organized by La Tertulia. The sustained attention and the diversity of the audience confirmed that literature continues to draw people in Cuba, despite the crisis, censorship, and fears surrounding certain topics.
The room, with its peeling walls and fans that barely offered any relief from the tropical winter chill, was packed long before it began. Readers of all ages filled every available chair; others sat on the floor, leaned against the walls, or remained standing throughout the entire event. Among the attendees were writers, editors, artists, university professors, and regular readers, all mingling without any apparent protocol or hierarchy.
The hall was packed long before it started. / 14ymedio
Rafael Grillo led the discussion with sobriety and precision, avoiding a laudatory tone and opting for questions that placed Vargas Llosa at the center of the literary debate, not in the realm of superficial political polemics. From the outset, it was clear that this was not an uncritical tribute, but rather a reasoned reading of a pivotal work of Spanish-language narrative. Padura knows that speaking about Vargas Llosa on the island entails acknowledging contradictions, areas of conflict, and an intellectual trajectory that cannot be reduced to slogans.
The Cuban author acknowledged his admiration for Vargas Llosa’s work, especially Conversation in the Cathedral, a novel he defined as one of the undisputed masterpieces of the 20th century. He detailed the Peruvian writer’s obsession with power, the mechanisms of domination, and the moral degradation produced by authoritarian structures. He also continue reading
emphasized the tension between Vargas Llosa’s liberal thought and a literature that, in many passages, seems written from a leftist perspective.
One of the most talked-about moments was when Padura recalled personal anecdotes from his first encounter with Vargas Llosa. The first time he approached him, as they were getting off a plane, he told him he was a close friend of Ambrosio Fornet, with whom the Peruvian had studied in Madrid during his youth. Then he confessed: “Maestro, I just wanted to tell you one thing so as not to bother you: every time I start writing a novel, I read Conversation in the Cathedral .”
Among those present were writers, editors, artists, university professors, and regular readers. / 14ymedio
The dialogue also addressed Vargas Llosa’s relationship with the Cuban Revolution. Padura recalled that the Peruvian writer’s initial enthusiasm was shared by much of the Latin American intelligentsia of the 1960s and that the break was not immediate. The definitive rupture came in 1971, after the Padilla case, when Vargas Llosa spearheaded the letter of protest against the Cuban poet’s arrest and forced self-criticism. From that moment on, he noted, the distance was irreversible, and the writer understood that the revolutionary project had betrayed basic principles of intellectual freedom.
The audience listened in silence, without interruptions or signs of impatience. The final questions confirmed the level of attention and the need for these spaces. They discussed literature and politics, censorship and the market, in a country where the price of a book in Europe is equivalent to two months’ salary for the average Cuban. There were also references to Donald Trump and the current regional context, where old stories that “Cubans heard in fourth grade” are resurfacing, such as the Monroe Doctrine and gunboats.
Padura insisted that his relationship with Vargas Llosa has always remained on the literary plane, without demands for alignment or concessions, as if literature were the last territory where it is still possible to converse without preconditions.
Leonardo Padura speaks about Mario Vargas Llosa in a packed Ateneo de La Habana.
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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
14ymedio, Dario Hernandez, Havana, 12 February 2025 — It has been just over a year since the grand opening of Havana’s 3rd and 70th Supermarket, the figurehead of dollarization in Cuba, but it feels like a lifetime. The establishment, located on the ground floor of the luxurious Gran Muthu Habana Hotel in Miramar, is a far cry from the one whose shelves were once overflowing with a wide variety of products. Although it is still clean and well-lit, it is now just a shadow of its former self.
