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Cuban provinces implement price controls amid food shortages

Updated 9 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-19 22:32 UTC → 2026-09-20 22:34 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Cuban provinces implement price controls amid ~~rising food-st~~ food shortages

Cuban authorities are increasingly utilizing provincial and municipal interventions to manage soaring inflation, despite recent central government efforts toward price liberalization. While the Ministry of Finance and Prices removed national caps on items like oil, chicken, and milk in mid-2026, local authorities in provinces such as Villa Clara, Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, and Matanzas have responded to public pressure by implementing “reference prices” or maximum commercial margins. In Matanzas, the price of oil has exceeded 3,500 pesos, surpassing the national minimum monthly wage of 3,210 pesos. The province is also seeing an expansion of informal markets; due to provincial price caps, imported rice is increasingly sold through unregulated domestic markets in private residences. In neighborhoods like Los Mangos and La Marina, rice prices have risen to between 320 and 350 pesos per pound, driven by inflation and fuel-related transport costs. This reliance on imports is underscored by a 73.4% decrease in domestic rice processing since 2020. The economic strain ~~remains acute.~~ is compounded by a crisis in bread quality and availability. Driven by severe wheat flour shortages—with only one of six contracted shipments arriving as of June 2026—citizens have reported receiving substandard loaves. In ~~Havana, chicken breast has reached 10,500 CUP. Bread prices~~ Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo, reports include mold, acidity, and improper baking. Official loaf weights have ~~become particularly burdensome; purchasing 15 bags from private bakeries costs approximately 3,000 pesos, which equals the current monthly minimum wage.~~ also decreased, with some provinces distributing portions as small as 40 grams. Inflation has recently accelerated, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rising 4.92% in August, nearly double the rate recorded in July. Year-to-date accumulated inflation for the first seven months stands at 20.78%, while the year-on-year rate has reached 25.19%. ~~Primary drivers include food, restaurants, and hotels.~~ In response, the Central Bank of Cuba is proposing banking reforms to increase bank account usage and increase transfer limits to facilitate daily operations amid intense stagflation.

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