A post published on Facebook by a photographer aligned with the government has reignited the debate about the future of the MLC (freely convertible currency) in Cuba, amid the quiet closure of an increasing number of establishments that operated with this payment method and now exclusively require U.S. dollars in cash.
In the post, the author shared an image of a sign in a store that no longer accepts payments in MLC, questioning: “So what the hell is MLC?”. “More and more stores are operating exclusively in USD and fewer are accepting MLC,” without authorities having officially informed about a gradual elimination of this payment method.
When the MLC was introduced, it received a widely promoted governmental backing. However, now that its use is drastically decreasing, no public explanation has been offered, nor has there been any clarification on what will happen to the money deposited by citizens in their accounts.
Exchange Rate Evolution
Critiques from the population
The photographer's post accumulated dozens of comments from users expressing outrage and distrust towards the Government.
"It is a disrespect and indifference towards the population. The authorities tell you not to believe the hostile campaigns that claim they will eliminate the MLC, but at the same time they are closing all the establishments that accept MLC, and soon there will be nowhere to make purchases with MLC. It’s a deception," wrote an internet user, recalling that the first "arbitrariness" was the prohibition of purchasing fuel with MLC at CUPET, which he considers a "brazen theft" from those who deposited foreign currency in the banks.
Another user pointed out that the MLC is in "natural death":
“It is officially still valid, but if there are no offers in that currency, it will inevitably die. The other major problem is that the USD deposited several years ago are no longer the same USD from the classic card... and if you go to the bank to withdraw, 'there are none in stock.' What is the role of a bank then if it doesn't guarantee the delivery of personal savings?”
Situation in the provinces
From Santa Clara, a commentator explained that the process is advancing "little by little":
"In the city center, there are only two stores with MLC left: La Reina, which recently transitioned to MLC and will soon switch to USD, and Praga, which is liquidating its inventory and is nearly empty. The rest have already moved to USD."
Official silence and complaints
Various voices are demanding that the Government explain the loss of value of a card created with backing in foreign currencies:
"All cards opened in any convertible currency should have the same value in stores. If they say they are not going to remove it, but they do not supply it and everything new goes to the USD, the MLC is doomed."
Others were tougher:
"They have no face, no morals, nor dignity to speak before the people. The Cuban government is satanic, corrupt, and incompetent. It is completely failed."
"And what, those accounts had a backing in dollars? Where are those dollars?"
So far, no official entity has reported any changes regarding the acceptance of MLC or the status of accounts in that currency. Meanwhile, the perception that its disappearance is only a matter of time is growing, even though authorities publicly deny it.
In 2020, when the Government created the stores for food and personal hygiene products in MLC, it claimed that these foreign currencies would supply the stores in Cuban pesos. However, that promise was never fulfilled, and today the shops in national currency are scarce and almost completely out of stock.
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