Cuba's Banking Chaos Persists: "We Can't Access Our Money"

The cash crisis in Cuba is worsening, affecting millions who are unable to withdraw funds from their accounts, while the regime persists with monetary policies that exacerbate the disorder. Árbol Invertido, an independent cultural magazine from Cuba, shared images and stories on X from Havana, depicting endless lines at banks and ATMs. Users report that withdrawal limits fluctuate daily and are insufficient to meet even basic needs. "We can't access our money," people assert in the video clip. Additionally, it's mentioned: "That's why people don't want to accept transfers because there is no cash."

On the island, cash is scarce, prices are soaring uncontrollably, and banks impose withdrawal limits that change every day. Retirees are forced to queue from the early morning hours to collect their meager pensions, while citizens avoid transfers since they can't withdraw money afterward, according to the publication.

For months, many Cubans have been compelled to pay in the informal economy to secure a spot in ATM lines, where "coleros" have expanded their business by selling places, amid the authorities' indifference or inability to manage a problem that merely addresses symptoms rather than structural causes.

The video captures the daily exhaustion in the voices of those affected by an economy on the brink, where even digital transfers are avoided because the cash can't be accessed afterward. The situation is compounded by frequent blackouts, malfunctioning ATMs, and a collapsing financial system that fuels public despair.

In Cuba, withdrawing money from a bank becomes an insurmountable task, reflecting a country ensnared in a cycle of economic crisis, inflation, and a lack of genuine solutions.