Cuba is experiencing its most severe crisis since the 1959 revolution, with widespread blackouts, food shortages, and a collapsing economy. Verónica Caré, a 39-year-old mother of three, says she has never known such desperation, not even during the 'special period' of the 1990s. She avoids writing to relatives in the US, preferring to send photos of her children without revealing the harsh reality.
Some days, Verónica and her husband eat only bread and divide a single chicken thigh among their children. Her eldest daughter, Aitana, has missed up to two weeks of school due to hunger. The youngest, a one-year-old, screams when hungry, leaving Verónica in tears with nothing to offer—not even stale bread or milk.
The economy contracted by nearly 5% by the end of 2025, making it the worst performer in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. A 2025 report forecasts a 6.5% contraction. Despite a US-approved Russian tanker delivering 100,000 tons of crude oil in March, supplies ran out by April, meeting only an eighth of monthly needs.
Blackouts and water shortages are routine. In Pinar del Río, most residents have electricity for only two to three hours daily. Verónica's home is spared due to its connection to a paediatric hospital, but she still must rush to cook and charge devices when power returns. Public transport is sporadic, and streets are empty as people lack money and energy to go out.
Cuba is now the most aged country in the region, with 25.7% of the population over 60. Deaths have exceeded births for five years, driven partly by mass emigration. Since July 2021 protests, the largest exodus since 1959 has occurred, facilitated by a Nicaraguan visa exemption. Verónica sold her wedding rings to feed her children, stating, 'I was not going to have gold on my hand while the girls were going hungry.'
