A public complaint that surfaced on Instagram this Friday reveals a massive crowd gathered outside the Metropolitan Bank branch at the corner of O'Reilly and Compostela in Old Havana. At 10:40 a.m., under the blazing sun, people anxiously waited to withdraw cash.
The video, posted by user Irma Lidia Broek, captures the chaotic moment when the crowd chants desperately, "The ATM, the ATM!"
Reports from the scene indicate that the staff managing the ATMs inside the bank deliberately disable them to prevent what they describe as "disturbance" from the public.
"Hundreds of people gather daily outside this bank, enduring the sun, with the sole hope of accessing some of the money they worked so hard to earn," Broek noted in her post.
Recurring Issues Across Havana
This incident is not isolated. The previous day, another altercation was reported at a bank line in Havana, where frustrated locals shouted, "There's no money, there's nothing, it's all gone."
In April 2026, EFE news agency reported lines lasting four to six hours at Havana banks, primarily involving retirees attempting to collect their pensions.
In Camagüey, elderly individuals have been documented sleeping on bank porches to secure a spot for the following day, while in Cienfuegos, police were dispatched to manage pensioners' lines amidst the persistent chaos.
Widespread ATM Malfunctions
The Metropolitan Bank operates over 500 ATMs across Havana's 15 municipalities, but recent reports suggest that only about 200 are functional.
Frequent power outages, sometimes extending from 20 to 40 hours a day, have rendered ATMs and digital payment systems inoperative, exacerbating a pre-existing structural crisis.
In August 2025, frustration peaked when an ATM in Havana was stoned during a blackout.
Economic Hardships Intensify
Since August 2023, there has been a withdrawal limit of 5,000 Cuban pesos per ATM transaction, yet the shortage of physical cash remains unresolved.
The economic context further worsens the situation: with the informal dollar exchange rate hovering around 650 Cuban pesos, minimum pensions between 3,056 and 4,000 pesos amount to merely four to six dollars each month.
The regime has tried limited measures, such as enabling cash withdrawals through point-of-sale terminals in all Metropolitan Bank branches since May 2026, and a pilot project in Holguín to pay pensions via small and medium private enterprises, but none have relieved the fundamental pressure.
"The economic crisis is severe, but the crisis of empathy and solidarity destroys what little remains. Enough of mistreating the ordinary Cuban!" Broek concluded in her complaint.
Understanding Havana's ATM Crisis
Why are the ATMs in Havana being shut down?
According to reports, bank staff are deliberately disabling ATMs to prevent disturbances from large crowds gathering to withdraw cash.
What measures have been taken to address the cash withdrawal issue in Cuba?
The government has implemented cash withdrawal through point-of-sale terminals and a pilot project for pension payments through private enterprises, but these efforts have not significantly eased the crisis.
How has the economic situation affected pensioners in Cuba?
With the informal exchange rate of the dollar at 650 Cuban pesos, minimum pensions are worth only four to six dollars monthly, making it extremely difficult for retirees to survive.