Key Facts

• The U.S. embargo restricts oil imports to Cuba, causing severe power outages and crisis in the electricity supply.
• Many places in Cuba, including the capital Havana, get only a few hours of electricity each day or less.
• Medicine shortages are affecting Cuba’s public health system. Some people rely on donated medicine or black-market vendors.
• The Trump administration recently added new sanctions on Cuba’s state bank, accusing it of ties to Iran.
• Cuba’s government calls the sanctions collective punishment and says the bank is legitimate.
• About two-thirds of Cubans work for the state and face challenges accessing their wages due to the sanctions.
• Prices for basic goods like bread have risen sharply, while average monthly salaries remain very low, below $20.
• Cuba has started some economic reforms to allow more private business but has not agreed to any political changes, and talks with the U.S. are stalled.