a new cold front has made the Cubans put on their coats again. The front, which arrived on the island this Monday, has brought a drop in temperatures, at least in the western half, and its effects will continue in the coming days, according to specialists.
Additionally, an arctic air mass should approach the country over the weekend, extending winter weather into early February.
In fact, experts warn that with the arrival of this upcoming meteorological event, the lowest temperatures of the current season could be recorded, “well below the historical average” for this stage of the year.
The cold in the streets and in the atmosphere that is perceived these days in Havana It contrasts with the “heat” of the prices of food and other products that are sold both in kiosks, carts and platforms, as well as through networks and other digital platforms.
It is certainly not an unprecedented or unusual “heat,” but rather the consequence of the prolonged economic crisis that Cuba is suffering, aggravated—even worse—in the last year and for which the Government continues to fail to find solutions or at least effective palliatives for the majority of Cubans.
The tightening of pressure from the United States and the effects of the US attack on Venezuela further increase the uncertainty about the already precarious Cuban economy.
The scenario of inflation and shortages is not exclusive to the capital, but it has one of its clearest mirrors. It is enough to take a look at markets and fairs, street stalls or private establishments, to verify the depth of a situation that squeezes the soul and the pockets to the maximum.
A pound of rice at 300 pesos, sugar at 270, a kilo of beans at 800, a pound of tomatoes up to 200, malanga above 200 and potatoes at 500, are some of the prices found this week on the streets of Havana by photojournalist Otmaro Rodríguez.
This, not to mention a pound of pork or a knob of oil, which can exceed a thousand pesos. Or medicines or other products that are only found on the black market.
Prices, including state prices, are the showcase of a crisis of which at the moment there is no end in sight. One that hits the vast majority of the population and is particularly harsh on low-income families, single mothers and the elderly.
This is how 2025 ended and this is how 2026 has also begun, with the endless blackouts further obscuring everyday life and with the aggravating factor of what happened in Venezuela and the aggressive rhetoric of the Trump Administration, which even threatens an oil blockade.
Under these circumstances, the cold front arrives and sweaters and coats are seen again on the streets. And many are grateful for it, although the low temperatures are not enough to “cool down” the high cost of life.
