How to Exchange Currency in Cuba in 2025: What Travelers Need to Know

Buying U.S. dollars or euros in Cuba isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Between digital appointments, daily limits, and a booming informal market, knowing where and how to exchange money can significantly impact your trip. Here’s what you need to know about official and unofficial options, the risks involved, and recent changes to the island’s foreign exchange system.

Cuba: It’s Not Loneliness, It’s State Abandonment

For brief moments, Marilu Placencia Gonzalez thinks she’s alone. But she isn’t. She lives with her son Gerardo who has a mental health disorder. Marilu’s skin is dry and scaly like that of a fish.

Cuban Government Announces Pension Increase

During his address to the National Assembly on July 17, 2025, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz presented an overview of the measures implemented by the government during the first half of the year.

“There Are No Beggars in Cuba,” says Labor Minister

Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera, head of Cuba's Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS), claimed that "there are no beggars in Cuba." Her statements are misleading and contradict both official figures and the reality experienced by Cubans.

Infant Mortality Soars in Cuba: Country on Track for Highest Rate in 25 Years

Cuba's infant mortality rate has surged to 8.2 per 1,000 live births—the highest in decades—amid a deepening healthcare crisis, hospital shortages, and declining birth rates.

Does Cuba have a Real Government Program for the Economy?

On July 5, 2025, President Díaz-Canel announced a vague economic reform plan. Experts criticized the lack of details and transparency, citing past failed policies. Core issues like state inefficiency and low productivity remain unaddressed, raising doubts about the government’s ability to deliver real economic change.

“What Comes Out of Your Throat Is Black”: In Moa, Cuba, a Mining Town Suffocates Under Toxic Air

“What comes out of your throat is black. It’s like we’re breathing poison. These people are killing us slowly.” The message captures the anguish of residents in Moa, a mining city in Cuba’s eastern province of Holguín. In recent days, citizen reports have drawn attention to a sharp spike in environmental pollution in this industrial hub—home to Cuba’s main nickel and cobalt processing plants.

Cuban Banks Withhold Euros from Spanish Pensions, Forcing Recipients to Accept Devalued Currency 

Cuban banks are withholding euros from Spanish pensions and aid programs, forcing recipients to accept Cuban pesos or MLC at unfavorable rates—causing financial hardship for thousands of elderly citizens.

How Cubans in Mexico Became a Key Source of Remittances to the Island

As more Cubans settle in Mexico, they’re turning from transit migrants into vital remittance providers, reshaping financial flows to the island.

Cuba’s Yipsi Moreno Changed Her Flag, But Not Her Talent

Yipsi Moreno’s story is a gem. The former commissioner, former parliamentarian, former national idol — and, more recently, former exclusive citizen of the island — has returned to world competition in the hammer throw at age 44, with a new flag in hand and as if time only weighs on mortals.

eSIM in Cuba: A Growing Workaround for Internet Access?

Amid rising mobile data costs from state-run Etecsa, eSIMs—virtual SIM cards that enable internet access via smartphones—are gaining attention in Cuba. Though they still rely on Cubacel’s network, some users say the connections are more stable. But the option comes with several limitations.

Cuba With Little Food or Electricity = School Absenteeism

In Cuba, more and more children and teenagers are skipping school due to the lack of breakfast, clothing, or snacks. The economic crisis has turned the simple act of sending kids to school into a daily struggle for many families.

Surveillance and Threats Against Students in Cuba

Following protests at several Cuban universities against the sharp rise in Internet prices, students have come forward with reports of institutional repression and intimidation aimed at preventing them from joining an academic strike. 

Tension Grows in Cuban Universities: Disobedience Spreads

Student protests continue in Cuba. On June 5, the strike at the University of Havana’s Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science remained active. A statement shared by the FEU of the Faculty of Chemistry, also endorsed by the UJC, confirmed the students’ decision to stop attending classes “until they receive answers.”

China & Cuba in the Global Arena: Two Parties One Strategy

Claiming that the People’s Republic of China and Cuba are not so different may seem, at first glance, like a misleading assertion. In fact, it almost sounds contradictory when one considers the levels of development and economic growth both countries have reached over the past century.