The lack of fuel and oil due to President Donald Trump’s tariff threats has resulted in a domino effect of turmoil in Cuba, including a decline in economic prosperity.
Hotels are reporting vacancies after the annual Habanos Cigar Festival, which brings in millions in revenue, was canceled.
“All sectors of society benefited from that,” Pruna said.
“You saw people painting their houses, opening new businesses. For me, it was fantastic. It was the best era for tourism in Cuba.”
The issue of a public health crisis has increased as it seems Cuba cannot lean on its remaining allies to supply the hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of fuel needed to keep the economy going.
However, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has called on residents to “resist creatively” and adopt what he calls “a wartime mentality.”
But the business owner residents aren’t feeling it.
“We are paying two, three times as much to restock and keep people happy,” one food vendor said. “There’s no food. The impact will be terrible. We won’t have anything.”
It doesn’t look like the country will receive much help from the U.S. as Trump has referred to the country as “a failed nation,” pushing for it to make a deal with Secretary of State and Cuban-American, Marco Rubio, because it’s really a humanitarian threat.”
While Florida Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar gives the option of resolving short-term suffering or “free Cuba forever,” those who call Cuba home, like Pruna, are thinking about leaving for good, as he no longer sees a future. “Everything is uncertain at the moment. There’s no fuel. We don’t know if there will be any and how we will pay for it,” he said.
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Source: Black Enterprise
