The informal currency market in Cuba begins this Wednesday, December 24, without changes, on a day marked by exchange calm and year-end economic tensions.
According to the independent observatory elTOQUE, the US dollar (USD) continues to trade at 440 Cuban pesos (CUP), the euro (EUR) at 480 CUP, and the Convertible Currency (MLC) remains at 350 CUP, its highest level since the upward trend began three days ago.
Informal exchange rate in Cuba Wednesday, December 24, 2025 - 05:02
- Exchange rate of the dollar (USD) to Cuban pesos CUP: 440 CUP
- Exchange rate of the euro (EUR) to Cuban pesos CUP: 480 CUP
- Exchange rate of (MLC) to Cuban pesos CUP: 350 CUP
The stability of the three currencies arrives on the eve of Christmas Eve, as most Cubans face the highest prices of the year and a deep cash shortage.
Exchange Rate Evolution
Despite the festive atmosphere of this season, Cubans face Christmas with growing uncertainty, keeping one eye on the informal market and the other on the "floating rate" implemented by the Central Bank of Cuba, which continues to show no visible effects on the street, where people turn to seek foreign currency.
Since the regime activated the new exchange scheme on December 18, promising to "reflect the real market conditions," official rates have barely changed, while the informal value of the Cuban peso continues to dictate the pace of the national economy.
Analysts indicate that the apparent calm of recent days does not imply stability, but rather a technical pause before a new adjustment.
"The market is on edge. No one wants to sell currencies just before the end of the year, when a surge in demand and prices is anticipated," commented an independent economist consulted by CiberCuba.
A peso adrift in an economy without oxygen
Despite the temporary halt, the Cuban peso continues to lose purchasing power against any currency.
With average salaries barely equivalent to 10 dollars a month, most citizens rely on remittances, online sales, or informal bartering to survive.
Meanwhile, the BCC insists that its floating rate will bring "order and transparency" to the currency market.
But on the street, on Christmas Eve, not even the dollar moves, and Cubans continue to wait for the economic miracle that never comes.
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