The authorities of Guantánamo warned that they will take legal action against private and state vendors who refuse to accept payments via electronic transfer, in the midst of a banking crisis that officials themselves acknowledge as serious.
The topic was discussed in a meeting on operational and socioeconomic vitality of the province, chaired by the highest authorities of the Party and the Government, and held via audioconference with all the municipalities.
According to the official newspaper Venceremos, the meeting demanded "to increase the actions of the corresponding inspection bodies to enforce what is established by the banking system and the Cuban government," which requires all establishments to operate with electronic payment methods.
The paradox is evident: the regime threatens to penalize those who do not accept transfers while simultaneously admitting that the banks do not have enough cash, which is precisely why many sellers refuse digital payments.
The state media itself acknowledged that "the lack of cash in banks limits payments, especially in sectors such as education and public health, as well as for retirees."
According to Radio Guantánamo, Bandec was able to collect just over 35% of the nearly 15 million pesos it needed daily, while BPA captured 92% of the more than two million required each day.
This shortage left more than 6,000 workers from Culture, Sports, Education, and Higher Secondary Education without their July salary in Guantánamo.
Private businesses operate in a vicious cycle: they reject transfers because their own suppliers do not accept them either, and they need cash to restock or acquire foreign currency on the informal market.
At the national level, only 3.77% of transactions in Cuba are digital in 2026, according to data from the official press, which has acknowledged the failure of the banking policy imposed since August 2023.
In some provinces, intermediaries charge up to 20% —and even 30% in Matanzas— for converting digital payments into cash, further discouraging the use of transfers.
The contradiction between the threat of Guantánamo and national policy became evident when the Central Bank of Cuba published on July 17 the Resolution 74/2026, which indefinitely eliminates the 5,000 pesos limit for cash payments among economic actors—effective since August 2023—implicitly acknowledging the failure of the restrictive policy.
This resolution also includes incentives such as reduced fees for merchants and bonuses for consumers using online payments, in a move that directly contradicts the coercive measures implemented by provincial authorities.
While authorities tighten warnings against vendors, a resident of Santa Clara reported that it took him three days to withdraw just 40% of his salary in cash.
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