A Cuban identified as Ángel González summarizes the regime's most painful contradiction: the government demands sacrifice and loyalty from the people, yet never announces measures to improve their lives.
"Every day someone says: 'the people of Cuba will defend this country, this revolution, or the people of Cuba will march alongside their leaders'. But no one says: 'the people of Cuba will buy in dollar stores tomorrow', or whatever they need according to their necessities," claims the man in a video he posted on Facebook.
The video immediately resonated with the accumulated frustration of thousands of Cubans. The criticism is directed squarely at the system of foreign currency stores that the regime implemented in July 2020.
Initially, there were 72 establishments for food and hygiene items, and by October 2025, it had already surpassed 85 locations in the country. The rest of the stores were practically out of stock.
These stores only accept cash in dollars, international cards, or local prepaid cards with foreign currency, completely excluding Cuban pesos, despite being the currency in which salaries are paid in the country.
The average state salary in Cuba was 6,649 Cuban pesos in the first half of 2025, equivalent to less than 15 dollars according to the informal market.
Cuban economists estimate that more than 50,157 pesos per month are needed to cover only the basic living expenses of a family on the island.
That gap leaves between 80% and 90% of the Cuban population without access to stores that sell in dollars and without avenues to acquire essential goods.
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