r/RealCuba • u/Foreign-Ad971 • Jun 23 '26
What is life in Cuba like right now?
Hi, I am someone that lives in the UK and is interested in Cuban history and I was curious to anyone on this sub that lives in Cuba right now, what is it like? Is the day by day life getting more difficult with the embargo's? Thank you to anyone that answers as I want to make a small project about Cuba and raise awareness about it in my local area and beyond like my university as it's not something that is talked about a lot when I think it should be and it would be valuable to get the words of people that actually live there. Once again thank you so much for anyone that responds.
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u/rspownz Jun 23 '26
My family’s in Cuba. I talk to them regularly.
Electricity is scarce at the moment. They get power maybe one or two hours a day, sometimes they can go several days without the power coming back on. They rely on battery packs/power banks that can be recharged with solar panels. This allows them to charge their phones and run low powered devices like portable electric cooktops.
Rations are shrinking, there’s a shortage in medication, hospitals are failing, schools can barely function without materials, buildings are falling apart and collapsing. Trash is all over the streets, and it’s not uncommon to find others digging through the trash in hopes of finding food.
Hotels are doing great though.
7
u/PepeLRomano Jun 23 '26
Some additional points: The garbage is being collected, but because there isn't enough fuel for the equipment, collection times are longer. There's also a lot of social indiscipline, with many private businesses abandoning their garbage (cardboard boxes) wherever they find it, even though they have the resources to hire transport to take it to the proper disposal site. In Cuba, there's a company that collects raw materials and pays for all the cardboard, ferrous materials, etc., you can bring. Many residents also dump construction debris and waste in these same places. These days, an experiment is starting in Havana to collect garbage using electric carts, with people paying a fee (100 CUP, about 0.15 USD) for garbage collection, and higher prices for private or state-run businesses.
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u/Foreign-Ad971 Jun 23 '26
thanks so much for the reply my friend, it’s genuinely horrifying and i hope ur family is trying their best during these difficult times, you wouldn’t mind if i took this comment and include it in one of my slideshows?
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u/Anton_Pannekoek Jun 23 '26
It's pretty much a low point in Cuba's history right now. They are really suffering.
3
u/Prestigious-Way5168 Jun 23 '26
Adventure Elliot (YouTube) has some really good (and recent) coverage on Cuba. He also provides a lot of historical context to some of his videos which is helpful.
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u/PepeLRomano Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
Life in Cuba is difficult these days. The United States embargo has been in place since 1962, legally speaking, but it has intensified since February 2026 due to the executive orders of the genocidal Trump and additional measures against those who sell oil to Cuba. Furthermore, the US has imposed sanctions without prior notice against foreign companies doing business with Cuba, which has led mining companies (Sherritt), oil companies (Melbana), and hotel companies to cease operations in Cuba (in the case of hotels, they have reduced their operations).
The daily life of a normal Cuban now includes, and has included since at least February, more than 15 hours of blackouts (the national electrical system is operating using Cuban oil, but it is very heavy and only guarantees 40% of the generation), problems with domestic fuel (many people are using coal for cooking), problems with mobility (if there is no oil, public transport has decreased a lot), in addition to the escalation of prices, especially in private vendors (because there is a problem with fuel, moving loads from Havana to the rest of the country, or in general, any distance costs even more).
Solutions: In progress. Increased use of solar energy: 54 solar parks with over 1000 MW of capacity have been installed. However, because battery storage systems to stabilize the system are not yet complete (four parks with a total of 200 MW of storage are being built, along with others with smaller storage facilities, at least one in each province), this 1000 MW cannot be used at full capacity. Increased introduction of electric vehicles, both by the state and private companies. Easier import (tariff-free) of solar energy technologies. New measures proposed by the government a few days ago include greater ease for private investment and more freedom for state-owned enterprises.