Cuba is currently facing a severe economic and social crisis, regarded as the worst since the collapse of the Soviet bloc in the early 1990s. The crisis has multiple roots, including:

• The loss of cheap oil supplies from Venezuela due to that country's own economic difficulties and sanctions.
• The tightening of US sanctions, especially under the Trump administration, which severely restricted remittances and tourism from the US, one of Cuba's major sources of foreign currency.
• The COVID-19 pandemic, which heavily impacted Cuba’s crucial tourism sector, causing a dramatic jump in unemployment and economic contraction.
• Internal economic mismanagement, including sharp currency devaluation and high inflation (around 200%), as well as a stagnant centrally planned economy.
• Infrastructure problems, such as frequent and prolonged power outages, worsened by a major fire that destroyed fuel depots.
• Political repression and limits on dissent, with thousands detained following protests in recent years.
• Increasing discontent shown through record-high election abstentions and protests despite harsh crackdowns.

Social conditions have deteriorated with shortages of food, medicine, fuel, and basic services. Many Cubans endure long waits for essentials and suffer from blackouts and poor public services. The government has not indicated forthcoming political liberalization. Due to these dire circumstances, a large number of Cubans have fled the country in recent years, with many detained at the US border. In sum, Cuba is in a state of economic collapse compounded by political repression, infrastructure failures, and external pressures, leaving the population struggling with severe hardship and uncertainty about the future. The regime remains authoritarian, responding with repression rather than reform despite growing public dissatisfaction and protests.