Cuba Problems 12-2-25

In December 2025, Cuba faces a severe multidimensional crisis driven by a collapsing economy, a worsening energy crisis, and persistent human rights issues. The economy is shrinking, tourism has not recovered, and the country is burdened by U.S. sanctions, which exacerbate energy shortages and lead to blackouts and supply chain failures. On the human rights front, there are ongoing concerns about freedom of expression, political imprisonment, and a lack of accountability for corruption.  

Economic and energy crisis

Economic contraction: Cuba's GDP has shrunk significantly, with further declines forecast for 2025, hindered by a lack of tourism and external aid from Venezuela.

Energy shortages: Widespread and prolonged blackouts are a daily reality due to a lack of fuel and equipment, crippling industrial and agricultural production.

Food insecurity: The energy crisis and economic decline have worsened food shortages, driving inflation and making essentials like rice, beans, and eggs scarce and expensive.

Public debt: The government faces an unsustainable public debt and a high current account deficit, with limited foreign currency to cover imports like fuel. 

Human rights and political issues

Freedom of expression: The government maintains strict control over media and the internet, leading to censorship and the arbitrary detention of critics and independent journalists.

Political prisoners: Cuba continues to hold a significant number of political prisoners, with concerns raised about their treatment and lack of due process.

Corruption: Corruption remains a serious problem with limited independent oversight or accountability for government officials.

Restricted civil society: The government suppresses independent civil society groups and journalists, who might otherwise serve as a check on power. 

Social and health impacts

Health system strain: The economic crisis has weakened the health system, leading to shortages of medicine, reagents, and laboratory supplies.

Disease outbreaks: The crisis, combined with other factors like natural disasters, increases the risk of communicable disease outbreaks.

Migration: The combination of economic hardship, shortages, and political repression is fueling a surge in emigration. 

In December 2025, Cuba is grappling with its most severe multifaceted crisis since independence, marked by an escalating economic collapse, systemic infrastructure failures, severe shortages of basic goods, and ongoing political repression. 

Key problems include:

Economic Crisis and Shortages

Widespread Shortages: The country faces acute shortages of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential goods. The government has reduced subsidized basic food rations (the libreta), forcing many to rely on expensive informal or dollarized markets.

Hyperinflation and Currency Crisis: High inflation, driven by currency devaluation on the informal market and the partial dollarization of the economy, has significantly eroded purchasing power for those on state wages.

Recession and Debt: The economy has struggled to recover, with expectations of continued contraction in 2025. Cuba is in arrears on its substantial foreign debt and has limited access to international credit, in part due to its designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism by the U.S.. 

Infrastructure Collapse 

Energy Crisis and Blackouts: The national power grid is fragile and prone to frequent, prolonged blackouts (up to 20 hours a day in some regions) due to aging oil-fired thermal plants, lack of maintenance, and fuel shortages. This paralyzes daily life, businesses, and essential services like water pumping and refrigeration.

Sanitation and Water Failures: Aging pipes, pump failures, and fuel shortages for garbage trucks have led to inconsistent water supply and accumulating solid waste in cities, raising public health risks.

Transportation Breakdown: Fuel and spare parts shortages have crippled public transport and freight movement, relying increasingly on bicycles, ox carts, and walking in rural areas. 

Social and Humanitarian Issues

Mass Migration (Brain Drain): Cuba is experiencing an unprecedented exodus, with its population declining significantly in recent years as young, educated professionals, including doctors and teachers, leave the country in search of better prospects.

Public Health Strain: The healthcare system is under severe strain with drastic shortages of medicines and supplies. This, combined with sanitation issues, has led to a rise in vector-borne diseases like dengue. The government requested aid from the UN World Food Programme for milk for children in early 2025.

Growing Inequality: The partial dollarization has widened the gap between those with access to foreign currency (via remittances or tourism) and those without, deepening social stratification.

Natural Disasters: The island is vulnerable to hurricanes and earthquakes, which have further damaged infrastructure and agriculture in late 2025. 

Political Challenges

Repression and Lack of Reform: The one-party authoritarian state continues to suppress dissent, restrict freedom of expression, and arbitrarily detain critics and protesters. The government's response to public frustration has largely been a mix of emergency measures, blaming the U.S. embargo, and crackdowns, rather than meaningful structural reforms.

US Embargo: The long-standing U.S. economic embargo and sanctions, including the re-designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, continue to significantly hinder Cuba's ability to finance new projects, import essential goods, and attract foreign investment, though internal mismanagement is also a key factor. 

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Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader