Inspectors from the Cuban regime conducted an operation on Monday at the Aguilera Cultural Plaza, a central commercial space in Santiago de Cuba popularly known as "the Subway," where several self-employed workers were penalized for not having electronic payment options available.
Fines start at 16,000 Cuban pesos, a significant amount for small merchants who, furthermore, report a fundamental contradiction: the State forces them to collect digitally while a large part of their suppliers demands cash or foreign currency for the goods they need to restock.
The operation was reported by the independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, who shared images of inspectors touring the area, taking notes and talking with vendors.
In the Aguilera Cultural Plaza, numerous stalls operate under tents and simple structures where clothing, footwear, and household items, among other products, are sold.
"How can we force them to receive money through transfers when a large part of the goods they need to restock must be purchased with cash or foreign currencies?" questioned Mayeta Labrada while reporting on the sanctions.
The question encapsulates one of the main challenges faced by small businesses in light of the government’s push for banking: receiving money in an account does not guarantee access to the cash needed to keep the business running.
Fines while getting cash becomes an odyssey
The oversight in Santiago de Cuba is not an isolated event. Throughout August, authorities have intensified operations against private businesses for violations related to pricing, documentation, and electronic payment methods.
On August 14th, an inspection day in Centro Habana concluded with 232 businesses inspected, 363 fines, 15 closures, and 11 forced sales.
In Sancti Spíritus, between August 4 and 15, the authorities imposed more than 200 fines and ordered at least five closures.
The crackdown on establishments that fail to comply with banking regulations has been ongoing for several years. Official data released in 2025 by the newspaper Granma reported 15,240 fines and 269 closures of establishments due to irregularities detected during inspections.
There lies one of the greatest contradictions of the official offensive.
While the government demands that merchants accept electronic transfers and other payment methods, withdrawing money from banks has become an increasingly complicated task for Cubans.
In June, Banco Metropolitano reduced the withdrawal limit per transaction in Havana from 5,000 to 3,000 pesos at a time when more than half of the ATMs in the capital were out of service.
The situation reached a point where the Central Bank of Cuba (BCC) announced extraordinary measures to address the cash shortage, including the introduction of 2,000 and 5,000 peso notes and the temporary removal of specific limits for cash payments.
However, those decisions have not resolved a liquidity crisis that continues to affect both consumers and merchants.
"They must have good sponsors."
The reports about the operation in Santiago de Cuba also brought to light another common complaint: the apparent inequality with which regulations are enforced.
Users on social media claimed that at least two small and medium-sized enterprises (mipymes) located in the Aguilera area would also not accept transfers, but they had not been penalized during the inspection.
"Those must have good godfathers," commented a user.
Others pointed out that the authorities should impose the same conditions on wholesale suppliers, as many of them also do not accept electronic payments.
For the self-employed, the problem creates a difficult cycle to break: the State requires them to charge by transfer, but their suppliers need cash; the banks, in turn, cannot always provide them with that cash.
A user highlighted the contradiction in the very sanctions imposed by the inspectors.
"Can those who have been fined now pay their fines via transfer? Because that's another of the paradoxes of this situation," he joked.
The banking program was initiated by the Cuban government in August 2023 with the , expanding electronic payments, and increasing control over economic flows.
Three years later, the authorities continue to try to extend it through inspections, fines, and closures of establishments, while basic problems persist that hinder its implementation in everyday life.
The lack of cash, ATMs being out of service, restrictions on withdrawing money, and a supply market where numerous suppliers demand physical payments place small merchants in a particularly difficult situation.
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