Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz acknowledged the magnitude of the crisis facing Cuba and admitted that problems are "piling up," referring to the shortage of foreign currency, fuel, and energy affecting the island.
According to a report broadcasted by the official television, Marrero insisted that local governments must stop waiting for solutions "from above" and take a more proactive role in seeking alternatives.
"We are still not acting as if we are at war," he said, while urging to "manage the crisis as an opportunity."
The comparison, however, is revealing: although the country is not facing an armed conflict, the population has been living for years with power outages, shortages, and precariousness that exhaust any capacity for resistance, as if they were at war.
In the monthly meeting with governors and the mayor of Isla de la Juventud, Marrero also acknowledged that local officials are overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problems.
"We are mixing up objectives with real problems, the electrical energy situations, the lack of fuels and foreign currency, which exceed the capacity of many leaders to confront them," he stated.
Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa, present at the meeting, called for strengthening the municipalities with "competent individuals," though he clarified that this does not imply autonomy understood as sovereignty, but rather solving immediate problems and improving quality of life—a definition that confirms the limits of real decision-making in the territories.
At the meeting, the First Deputy Minister of Economy and Planning, Mildrey Granadillo, updated the government program to "correct distortions" and reinvigorate the economy in 2025, despite similar plans having failed in the past.
The participants also discussed the impact of unpaid debts to producers, a chronic problem that the government acknowledges but does not address, and they learned about the proposal to convert shipping containers into homes as an "affordable and sustainable" alternative.
The official rhetoric insists once again on resilience and discipline as solutions to navigate the crisis, while the country finds itself immersed in a reality where, more than a language of war, the urgent need is to address scarcity, inflation, and migration that define the present for millions of Cubans.
The acknowledgment by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero that in Cuba "problems are accumulating" reflects the extent of a crisis that impacts the population on all fronts: from blackouts to shortages of foreign currency, fuels, and food.
Days ago, it was reported that over three million people are suffering from a lack of drinking water, a situation that has become a national alarm and adds to the daily hardships faced by millions of families.
Last month, a study revealed that extreme poverty now affects 89% of the Cuban population. This information highlights the government's inability to reverse the decline in purchasing power and the lack of access to basic goods.
More recently, it was reported that Cuba came out of the darkness after a massive blackout, although the electricity generation deficit persists, prolonging the power outages that define life on the island.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Crisis in Cuba and Manuel Marrero's Statements
What is the current situation of the crisis in Cuba according to Manuel Marrero?
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz has acknowledged that the crisis in Cuba is serious and that problems are piling up on the island, highlighting the scarcity of foreign currency, fuels, and energy as the main challenges. Marrero urges local governments to act more proactively in seeking solutions, suggesting that there is still a lack of necessary urgency. This acknowledgment reflects the exhaustion of the population living in conditions comparable to those of a war conflict due to blackouts, shortages, and precariousness.
What measures does the Cuban government propose to address the economic crisis?
The Cuban government has proposed a program to "correct distortions" and boost the economy in 2025. However, these plans have failed on previous occasions. Among the discussed proposals are strengthening municipalities with competent individuals and building houses from shipping containers. The government's focus remains on resilience and discipline, although the population continues to face shortages, inflation, and migration.
How does the economic situation in Cuba affect the population?
The Cuban population is facing a reality characterized by prolonged blackouts, shortages of food and medicine, and increasingly unaffordable prices. The regime has tried to justify the crisis by attributing it to the United States embargo, but it has also admitted to internal errors and deficiencies. The situation has led to spontaneous protests and a mass exodus of citizens seeking better living conditions.
What is the Cuban government's stance on the private sector on the island?
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero has criticized the private sector for its disorganization and abusive pricing, calling for a "reordering" of the relationship with these economic actors. The Cuban government has intensified its offensive against the private sector, blaming it for inflation and scarcity, and has announced punitive measures such as the confiscation of hidden products to control prices. This stance reflects a lack of self-criticism regarding the role of the State in the economic crisis.
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