A self-employed worker in Havana refused to accept five peso bills in national currency for a purchase, claiming that she only accepts denominations of 100 CUP and above, even though all circulating bills are legally valid.
The incident occurred at a point of sale located on Vento Avenue and the Railroad Line, in the Miraflores Nuevo district, Boyeros municipality, as reported in the official newspaper Tribuna de La Habana by journalist Carlos Manuel Serpa, who attempted to buy a nylon bag for 20 CUP with a 10 CUP bill and two five CUP bills.
According to Serpa, the saleswoman informed that low denomination bills were not accepted.
The situation is part of an increasingly common practice in private commerce, where not only bank transfers are rejected, but also certain banknotes in cash, despite having been obtained legally from ATMs within the banking system.
According to the testimony, the vendors justify this behavior by claiming that the small businesses do not accept small bills, which creates a chain of excuses that ultimately transfers the problem to the consumer and forces them to adapt to informal and arbitrary rules.
"It is time to put an end to these violating practices. I told the clerk at the TPC that I was a journalist and that I was going to clarify this violation of not accepting certain amounts in national currency. We all must demand respect for our laws and that businesses comply with what is established," the reporter emphasized.
The rejection of five CUP notes creates a direct conflict with the provisions of the Central Bank of Cuba, which recognizes all circulating denominations as valid.
However, in practice, the lack of control and oversight allows these violations to occur repeatedly without visible consequences.
The case reopens the debate on to what extent the TCP and small and medium-sized enterprises are replacing official regulations with their own rules, in a context of cash shortages, long lines to withdraw money and a payment system that is increasingly dysfunctional for the population.
Inflation in Cuba has drastically reduced the purchasing power of the population, causing the prices of basic goods to rise while salaries remain stagnant.
This causes people to face difficulties in obtaining food and other essential items.
The devaluation of the Cuban peso against the dollar has led to unusual situations, such as the one recently experienced by a young man who showcased on social media the result of exchanging 100 dollars on the island: five bags filled with Cuban peso bills.
But at the same time, the national banking system faces criticism for imposing absurd withdrawal limits, account freezes, and delays in transfers.
These restrictions are seen as a form of state control that limits the people's access to their own money, especially in the context of an economic crisis and cash shortages on the island.
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