A young Cuban documented in an Instagram reel how her grandfather's pension —3,700 Cuban pesos after four decades of work— was only enough to buy a liter of oil and two soft drinks, a stark illustration of the collapse of purchasing power among pensioners on the island.
Lauren Daniela, content creator with the account @laurenlotti_, published the video as the second installment of a series she started four months ago, when she showed what her grandfather was able to buy upon receiving his first pension: rice, sugar, charcoal, and potatoes. Few items, but much more than what is purchased now.
"I received the same pension of 3,700 pesos. And today, due to the enormous inflation in this country, I could only buy a liter of oil that costs 3,500 pesos," the man recounts in the video.
The liter of oil —which a few months ago cost between 1,000 and 1,500 pesos— has reached 2,500 pesos in July of this year, with reports recently placing it even above 5,000 pesos.
"An entire life of work isn't even worth a lunch," Lauren states at the beginning of the reel, summarizing in one sentence the harsh reality that many face.
The situation is even more serious for those who have no family abroad. "At least my grandfather has his family. But think for a second about the thousands of grandparents who are completely alone. They don’t have a family outside sending them money, nor anyone to take care of them," Lauren warns in the video.
"For those who think that we chose this, unfortunately, we have no option. This is what we've been dealt, and this is what we are living," states Lauren, who has previously worked to raise awareness about the crisis affecting several families.
The regime approved a partial increase in pensions in September 2025, which set the minimum at 4,000 pesos per month and benefited more than 1.3 million retirees. However, this amount in 2026 is equivalent to barely between seven and ten dollars on the informal exchange, far below the cost of a basic food basket.
The drama of aging in Cuba includes the fact that seven out of ten individuals over the age of 70 are unable to have three meals a day, while covering all essential expenses would require about 96,060 pesos per month, according to estimates cited in recent reports.
Most Cuban retirees receive pensions of less than ten dollars a month and also face long bank lines, sometimes without cash available. In July, the regime announced that local private businesses would help pay pensions in some areas, a measure that is far from sufficient to solve the problem.
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