Cuba Faces Its Most Severe Crisis Since the 1959 Revolution, Says The New York Times

The American newspaper The New York Times reported on Friday that Cuba is experiencing its most severe crisis since Fidel Castro took power in 1959, surpassing even the so-called Special Period of the 1990s following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The article highlights a combination of economic, social, and energy challenges that have severely impacted the quality of life for Cubans.

Among the issues cited are three nationwide blackouts since October, a migration crisis that has reduced the population by at least a million people since the pandemic, and a stagnant economy with bleak projections for the coming years. "In many ways, Cuba is enduring its worst crisis since Fidel Castro took over 66 years ago, even surpassing the early 1990s when the Soviet Union's collapse left Cuba without its primary lifeline. The country has experienced three nationwide blackouts since October. Official figures indicate that the population has decreased by at least a million people, 10 percent, since the pandemic, with over 675,000 of those Cubans moving to the United States," the report emphasizes.

Amid the tenth anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, the report illustrates how Cubans cope daily with prolonged power outages, long lines at poorly stocked supermarkets, and the constant departure of family and friends abroad. "A decade ago, there was hope. Now, there is despair," several interviewees from the island summarize.

The article also points to the decline in tourism, the closure of private businesses, and the deterioration of urban infrastructure, with streets littered with garbage and an atmosphere of "a sense of misery." The preliminary report from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Cepal) projects a 0.1% decline in Cuba's GDP by 2025, placing the country, along with Haiti, among the worst economies in Latin America.

Despite this dismal outlook, Cuba's Minister of Economy and Planning, Joaquín Alonso Vázquez, recently stated that he anticipates a 1% GDP growth by 2025, based on a potential recovery in tourism, increased exports, and the revitalization of productive sectors.

The VII Report on the State of Social Rights in Cuba by the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) reveals that 89% of the population lives in extreme poverty. Social media reports have shown elderly people fainting in the streets and even dying, literally, of starvation. The food crisis tops the list of social problems, followed by power outages and inflation. The document indicates that "seven out of ten Cubans have skipped breakfast, lunch, or dinner due to a lack of money or food scarcity," while only 15% can have three meals a day without interruption.

The New York Times' analysis arrives on the tenth anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic ties between Cuba and the United States, underscoring the gap between the expectations for change that existed then and today's harsh reality. The regime in Havana refuses to acknowledge its incompetence and continues to blame the U.S. embargo for the downfall of the so-called Cuban revolution.