A video shows scenes of desperation outside the Banco Metropolitano at the corner of O'Reilly and Compostela, in Old Havana, where dozens of Cubans are fighting and crowding under the sun in an attempt to withdraw cash from their accounts.
The audiovisual material was published by the Facebook profile Plácido Pasillo. One can sense the tension experienced in one of the busiest bank branches in Cuba.
The images show people who are agitated, others who are sad and frustrated because they have been waiting in line since early morning without any guarantee that they will be served at the bank.
"Look at the situation with the bank, the salary, the money in Cuba. They have the population outside the bank, sunbathing, it's almost going to rain, without anything to eat, without water, people lining up since dawn, extremely agitated," describes the author of the video.
He also denounced the "tremendous shamelessness with the tickets," the presence of scalpers and individuals who cut in line with favoritism, while the crowd remains crowded on the sidewalk.
The scene is not an isolated incident. In June, the staff of that same branch intentionally deactivated the ATMs to prevent people from "getting upset," which triggered a new outburst of anger among those present.
That same month, the bank reduced the maximum withdrawal limit from 5,000 to 3,000 Cuban pesos per transaction and indefinitely suspended appointment reservations on the MiTurno and Ticket platforms, citing power outages.
Since 2021, the Cuban regime has implemented a mandatory banking policy that deposits salaries and pensions onto cards, but banks do not have enough physical cash to support withdrawals.
The minimum wage in Cuba is 3,210 pesos per month, equivalent to about 5.50 dollars at the official exchange rate, while covering the basic needs of a family requires approximately 96,000 pesos per month.
The gap is so severe that in cities like Santa Clara, one citizen took three days to withdraw just 40% of their salary, and in Morón, Cubans pay 500 pesos to intermediaries just to get a bank appointment.
The comments reflect the outrage of the Cuban people
"That's how the government wants them, in misery and fighting for a piece of bread or a few pesos in the bank," wrote a user. Another was more direct: "This is hell on earth."
A third voice issued a warning that is increasingly resonating among Cubans: "Reflect, fear has its limits."
On June 19, the regime approved a package of 176 measures that includes, for the first time since 1959, the opening up to private banking and the removal of withdrawal limits.
However, the reforms have not alleviated the immediate cash shortage that the population experiences in the lines at each branch.
Regardless of inflation and the fact that money is insufficient, there is another underlying problem. Workers receive their salaries, but they cannot use them. Businesses refuse to accept payments via transfers because they are unable to withdraw the money from banks to purchase foreign exchange, which is necessary to access raw materials or essential products.
It is a grim economic cycle, where once again the most affected are the people of Cuba.
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