The dollar rose this Tuesday to 525 Cuban pesos (CUP) in the informal market of the island, while the Freely Convertible Currency (MLC) falls to 385 CUP.
The movement of April 14 contrasts with the previous day, when the dollar slightly declined to 523 CUP, after reaching a historic high of 525 CUP on Sunday, the same level recorded today.
The MLC, for its part, continues to decline and hits its lowest level in recent days, after fluctuating between 395 and 398 CUP during the week of April 7 to 12.
The euro remains unchanged today, holding at 590 CUP which it reached this Monday, according to monitoring by the independent media elTOQUE.
Exchange Rate Evolution
Exchange rate today 04/14/2026 - 8:51 a.m. in Cuba:
Exchange rate of the dollar USD to CUP according to elTOQUE: 525 CUP.
Exchange rate of the euro EUR to CUP according to elTOQUE: 590 CUP.
Exchange rate of MLC to CUP according to TOQUE: 385 CUP.
What is the forecast for the rest of the month?
According to the latest bulletin from the Cuban Currency and Finance Observatory (OMFi), for this month of April, the most likely scenario points to a moderate new depreciation of the national currency in the coming weeks, as revealed this Friday by elTOQUE.
Forecast models estimate the euro to be around 604 CUP by the end of the month, while the dollar could reach 533 CUP and the MLC could be around 393 CUP.
However, analysts warn that these figures are subject to high uncertainty.
The report itself indicates wide ranges of variation: the euro could fluctuate between 574 and 640 CUP, and the dollar between 503 and 590 CUP, reflecting the high volatility of the Cuban informal exchange market.
An apparent stability amid the crisis
Although in recent days there has been a sense of stability in the buying and selling rates, this calm is considered fragile.
According to the OMFi, it responds more to a slowdown in economic activity than to a structural improvement.
Among the factors explaining this temporary moderation, the reduction of imports by small and medium-sized enterprises (mipymes) and the contraction of internal trade stand out, in a context characterized by:
-The persistent energy crisis.
-The decline of international tourism.
-A widespread economic depression.
Far from indicating a recovery, this reduced pressure in the market reflects an economy with less capacity for movement and generation of foreign currency.
The gap with the official market remains crucial
The analysis also calls into question the official discourse regarding the supposed existence of conditions to establish a more efficient formal exchange market.
While the Central Bank of Cuba sets the official rate at 480 CUP per dollar and 554.16 CUP per euro in the so-called Segment III, in the informal market these currencies are sold significantly above.
The difference is around 40 CUP in the case of the dollar and over 30 CUP for the euro.
This gap -between 5% and 8%- indicates that the informal market remains the real benchmark for price formation in the Cuban economy.
Less currency, more pressure
Behind the depreciation of the peso are structural factors that remain unresolved. Among them is the significant drop in foreign currency inflows to the country.
Official data shows a 56% year-on-year decline in tourist arrivals in February, coupled with issues in key sectors such as nickel exports and medical services abroad.
This contraction reduces the availability of foreign currency and increases the pressure on the informal market.
Energy crisis and rising cost of living
The fuel shortage continues to be another key factor in the economic decline.
Although there have been some localized reliefs—such as private imports or the arrival of Russian oil—the situation continues to severely impact productive activity.
Energy limitations drive up transportation costs, halt industries, and increase logistics expenses, directly affecting final prices and the purchasing power of the population.
In this context, bicycles and electric vehicles have gained prominence as alternative modes of transportation. However, their increasing demand has also driven up prices, adding additional pressure on households.
The recent issuance of higher denomination banknotes has facilitated certain cash transactions, both in private businesses and in the informal currency market itself. However, this measure has a limited scope.
Far from addressing the underlying issues, the increase in liquidity in pesos does not stop the depreciation of the currency, which continues to lose value against foreign currencies.
With the dollar at historic highs and projections anticipating further increases, the currency situation in Cuba remains dominated by uncertainty.
The combination of structural crisis, shortage of foreign currency, and lack of trust in official mechanisms keeps the informal market as the main economic thermometer of the country, where every rise in the dollar translates into a direct hit to the pockets of Cubans.
Equivalence of United States Dollar (USD) bills to Cuban Peso (CUP), according to the exchange rates of this April 14:
1 USD = 525 CUP.
5 USD = 2,625 CUP.
10 USD = 5,250 CUP.
20 USD = 10,500 CUP.
50 USD = 26,250 CUP.
100 USD = 52,500 CUP.
Equivalence of Euro (EUR) banknotes to Cuban Peso (CUP):
1 EUR = 590 CUP.
5 EUR = 2,950 CUP.
10 EUR = 5,900 CUP.
20 EUR = 11,800 CUP.
50 EUR = 29,500 CUP.
100 EUR = 59,000 CUP.
200 EUR = 118,000 CUP.
500 EUR = 295,000 CUP.
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