The Spanish newspaper El País spotlighted the profound deterioration of everyday life in Cuba with a front-page report titled "The Collapse of Cuba: We Are an Altar of Sacrifices." This piece outlines the unprecedented economic downfall, widespread shortages, and political repression plaguing the island.
Journalists Sergio Murguía, David Marcial Pérez, and Carla Gloria Colomé paint a picture of a nation in ruins where the foundational pillars of Castro's regime—healthcare, education, poverty alleviation, and security—are crumbling one by one. The article starkly declares that only the state's repressive apparatus remains untouched.
Compiled from Havana, Mexico, and Miami, the chronicles depict a severe decline in essential services: hospitals devoid of medicines, half-empty schools, and neighborhoods where trash remains uncollected for weeks.
Just a few blocks from the Plaza de la Revolución, a doctor tends to patients in a dusty clinic, cautioning them to bring their own syringes and medications. This scene illustrates the collapse of the healthcare system described in the report.
El País emphasizes the collective loss of hope as the prevailing trait of a society enduring poverty and emigration. The report was published shortly after another article titled "Cuba: The Other Side of the Story," by Cuban historian Rafael Rojas, who argues that the island's current collapse was inevitable and can no longer be solely attributed to the U.S. embargo.
Rojas writes, "No historical evidence will convince those who continue to see Cuba as a powerless victim of the United States."
Both articles agree that the regime in Havana is experiencing its worst crisis since the Special Period of the 1990s, but this time without the political or economic cushion previously offered by Moscow or Caracas. "Today, neither Russia nor Venezuela can rescue Cuba," the authors assert.
El País also highlights the impact of recent measures by President Donald Trump, which intensified sanctions against the regime's military and business elites, halted commercial licenses, and froze overseas assets. The newspaper states, "Trump's latest blows have left a system that was already surviving on inertia without oxygen."
The Spanish outlet notes that while the United States continues to send humanitarian aid to the Cuban people, it has blocked the financial and logistical channels that allowed the regime to divert international funds for repression.
"While the general population survives on the bare minimum, the generals and their families continue to live in abundance," the report states.
El País's chronicles reflect a growing consensus both inside and outside the island: the structural crisis of the Cuban model has no solution within the current system. Propaganda has lost its effect, repression can no longer contain discontent, and emigration has become the only possible dream.
According to the report, thousands of Cubans continue to attempt to flee the island despite the closure of routes and increased migration restrictions.
The collapse of Cuba is not only economic but also moral and human. The population lives between resignation and hopelessness, while the government persists in blaming external enemies, the report concludes.
Key Issues in Cuba's Current Crisis
What are the main causes of Cuba's current crisis?
Cuba's crisis is attributed to a combination of economic collapse, widespread shortages, and political repression. The regime's foundational pillars, including healthcare and education, are deteriorating, and external support from allies like Russia and Venezuela is no longer available.
How have recent U.S. policies affected the Cuban regime?
Recent U.S. policies, particularly under President Donald Trump, have intensified sanctions against the Cuban regime's military and business elites, halted commercial licenses, and frozen assets abroad, further isolating the system.
Is there a solution to Cuba's structural crisis?
Currently, there seems to be no solution within the existing system. The structural crisis is deepening, with propaganda losing its effectiveness and emigration becoming the primary aspiration for many Cubans.