Chequera Unveils the "True" Purpose of Magnetic Cards in Cuba

Chequera, an endearing and absentminded figure birthed from Cuban comedy, has recently unraveled a national enigma: What is the purpose of a magnetic card in today's Cuba? Captured in a brief 24-second clip, now boasting over 90,000 views on Facebook, the revelation is as straightforward as it is disheartening: it's for eating and card games.

In the video, Chequera's niece catches him using the card as a utensil and incredulously questions his actions. The character's response is priceless: "What else can I do with this, girl?" He then displays several cards arranged like a deck of playing cards on a table, exclaiming, "Trio of metropolitan aces! [referring to the city bank] I'm on a roll, Farándula!" Curtain call. Applause. Tears.

The clip, shared by the Chequera Vivir del cuento page, quickly garnered thousands of likes and numerous comments, reflecting a brand of humor that resonates deeply with Cubans, who carry it in their pockets alongside a card that serves no real purpose.

Chequera's Satirical Commentary on Cuba's Banking Woes

Chequera is the comedic alter ego of actor Mario Sardiñas in the sitcom "Vivir del cuento," arguably the most beloved show on Cubavisión from 2008 to 2024. His character—a failed musician, clumsy, and a perpetual freeloader at the retired Pánfilo's home—always managed to turn everyday chaos into comedy. This time, however, the chaos was handed to him by the Cuban banking system, and all he had to do was dine with it.

The joke resonates because reality underpins it with a robustness that no Cuban ATM can claim. Since the Central Bank's Resolution 111/2023 enforced compulsory banking, Cubans were pushed towards electronic payments, yet the chronic cash shortage remained unresolved. The aftermath: over 50% of ATMs are perpetually nonfunctional or empty, less than 10% of private businesses in some provinces accept transfers, and certain establishments in Havana impose illegal surcharges of up to 20% for card payments. A state journalist in Santiago de Cuba even confessed, with rare candor, that "money on a card is worthless."

The Sobering Reality Behind the Humor

In May, an anonymous Cuban captured the collective sentiment with a phrase that went viral for its accuracy: "My card is only good as a keychain." Chequera, ever the humorist, took it further: while a keychain doesn't feed anyone, a card used as a utensil has some culinary potential, and as a deck of cards, at least provides entertainment.

Comments on the video echoed the same bitter humor that Cubans employ when discussing their banking system. No one asked if Chequera had any balance. They all knew the answer.

Beneath the humor lies a grim reality. Over a million retirees receive pensions of just 4,000 pesos—less than seven dollars at the informal exchange rate—and must endure lines of four to six hours, sometimes spanning several consecutive days, to access their funds, often sleeping on sidewalks. The provincial government of Granma admitted lacking the over 400 million pesos needed to pay its 111,000 pensioners. In El Cotorro, people recently queued amid sewage puddles outside a bank.

In response to the crisis, the regime announced in June a package of 176 measures, including, for the first time in decades, the authorization of private banks and currency exchange houses. As these reforms await implementation—if they ever do—Chequera has already discovered the most honest use for a magnetic card in Cuba: eating or playing cards with it. At least that never fails.