HAVANA.- The year 2025 comes to an end marked by the worsening of the food crisis and the collapse of the national electroenergy system. The productive paralysis and the increase in imports skyrocketed the cost of living to reach 40 thousand pesos, almost seven times the average salary, which means, according to international standards, that 89% of the Cuban population lives in poverty. Thousands of families face prolonged shortages of liquefied gas and drinking water, being forced to cook with firewood, charcoal and even sawdust. Few households can afford three meals a day and More and more children are asking for money and food on the streetsor they seek to do some work that allows them to contribute to family subsistence.
The measures taken by the government demonstrated, once again, their ineffectiveness, as well as their disconnection from the national reality, of which the former Minister of Labor and Social Security gave an example, Martha Elena Feitóby publicly stating that in Cuba there were no beggars, but rather people disguised as homeless people to earn easy money. Her words were applauded by the National Assembly, but citizen pressure forced her to resign under a hail of criticism for her despotism and lack of empathy.
The political earthquake of the year was caused by the former Minister of Economy and Planning, Alejandro Gilwho was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of espionage, corruption and money laundering, among other crimes. Despite the seriousness of the charges, the Cuban government did not reveal who it was spying for, what the alleged acts of corruption consisted of, and who supported it. The secrecy with which the process was carried out reinforced suspicions that Gil was the scapegoat to shed light on a matter that probably involved other members of the senior staff.
In the month of June, the university protest against the price imposed by the Cuban Telecommunications Company, which dollarized and made Internet access more expensive. Students from the University of Havana and faculties from several provinces called for a cessation of teaching activities until the measure, which they described as exclusive and abusive, was reversed. The regime responded with harassment and threats of expulsion before opening an alleged negotiation in which university representatives, mostly favorable to power, participated. The tariff was maintained, but the protest and the way in which it was quelled confirmed the anti-popular character of the Díaz-Canel government, which has completely failed in the purpose of winning the support of young people.
On that same date, in the province of Matanzas, there was a viral outbreak that the Public Health authorities decided to minimize. High fever, severe muscle pain, joint inflammation and other symptoms began to spread rapidly until it became a nationwide health crisis. Chikungunya, Oropouche Fever, influenza and several serotypes of dengue coexist in a country covered in filth, with the health system overwhelmed, pharmacies empty and without resources or personnel for an adequate fumigation campaign. The epidemic exceeds 47 thousand cases, with 55 officially admitted deaths, almost all of them minors. To date, thousands of Cubans suffer a painful and paralyzing convalescence that prevents them from resuming their daily chores in a context of permanent struggle for survival.
The mass car accident that occurred in August, in the municipality of Centro Habana, is among the most shocking tragedies of 2025. The citizen Mario Pontolilloan Italian resident in Cuba, was identified as responsible for the death of a 35-year-old woman and having injured eight people. Despite the seriousness and unusual nature of the incident, the authorities have not offered more information about the criminal process, nor about possible compensation to the family of the fatal victim, the mother of two minor children.
After months of pressure from State Security, the Cuban political prisoner José Daniel Ferrer García He agreed to go into exile to protect his family. In a letter sent from prison, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba denounced the systematic harassment to which he and his people have been subjected to force him to leave the country or renounce his activism at a time of special vulnerability for the regime. From the United States, the opponent continues to work for the freedom of Cuba and for the unity of Cubans to deal the final blow to the dictatorship.
At the end of October, Hurricane Melissa hit eastern Cuba, leaving millions of victims and hundreds of infrastructures destroyed. Although no deaths were reported, thousands of families lost their homes and many more hectares of crops were destroyed, thus worsening the food crisis on the island. Million-dollar aid arrived thanks to the solidarity of several countries, international organizations and civil society actors. However, Citizens have reported delays, irregularities and even thefts during the distribution of supplies to those affected by the meteor, a task that takes place, in one way or another, under the control of the Cuban state.
Almost closing the year, the regime launched an attack against the informal currency market, accompanied by the creation of an official exchange market that includes two fixed rates and a floating rate slightly lower than the one that operates in the non-state circuit. The objective is to regain control over remittances in the midst of an adverse scenario, with tourism plummeting and foreign investment wary due to the lack of legal and financial security offered by Cuban institutions. The new measure does not include the free sale of currency in state entities, so the black market will continue to be active and prices, sooner rather than later, will set records again.
2025 was another worse year for Cuba. Hunger, epidemics, extreme precariousness of living conditions, institutional helplessness, kilometer-long blackouts, political persecution, increased crime, exodus and the evident shielding of the regime to remain in power, even if it has to sacrifice every last Cuban, are clear signs of the exhaustion of the political model imposed 67 years ago, and of the urgency of promoting, together, a radical change. May 2026 bring us the necessary push to take the reins of the country in our hands.
