El Toque and Other Demons (eng-esp)

The final days of 2025 in economic matters for Cuba have had different nuances. On the one hand, the recovery from the damage caused in some eastern provinces, and on the other, the government's decisions; the latter have become a hotbed of activity on social media. Let's put the ideas into context so you understand what this is all about.

During the passage of Melissa through some eastern provinces, the damage has been considerable. A weakened economy, with the vast majority of its production plans unfulfilled, receives the direct impact of this natural phenomenon, further complicating the existence of Cubans in this region of the country.

Although we must recognize the support received by those affected in the form of food and other essential resources to reduce the recovery time for their homes and lost personal assets, many people have lost everything, and a helping hand is always appreciated. These aid efforts were not free from criticism and discrediting campaigns against government institutions, but the important thing is that, setting politics aside, it did arrive through various channels: through direct donations from individuals, through churches, and through established channels of international cooperation. Many artists, partners, and workers from small and medium-sized enterprises (MIPYME) and self-employed workers have also joined in.

Two other recurring topics are the evaluation of the measures to correct distortions in the Cuban economy, which, in my opinion, depend on a great deal of willingness to listen and to implement the necessary structural changes in all economic processes in Cuba. A debate process, as expected, will not be enough; it is also necessary to adjust what doesn't work and, above all, to listen to what is often not wanted to be heard. In practice, the changes that must be made are not few: the state-owned company must free itself from the shackles of centralized planning for all its processes, have better access to the international market, and, above all, learn to manage those faculties. I acknowledge that it will not be a simple process, but it is urgent.

Next is the "No al Toque" campaign, a digital outlet that has positioned itself in the Cuban consciousness as a benchmark for the informal market's dollar exchange rates. The latter is attributed with the population's main economic problems in a strategy of continually raising the reference price of the dollar with its own means, according to them, and a secret system for these calculations. What is real is that many people use it, and whether or not this digital site exists, the dollars are not in the hands of Cuban banks but in the hands of the population, and each person is the owner of their money and how they manage it.

In short, these will be days of success and failure, as is already customary. Tomorrow, perhaps El Toque will be gone, but another will be there; what perhaps will not be there are the dollars to access international markets. It's time to closely follow these changes and hope that the impact on people's wallets is not so great.

Until next time, don't forget to leave your comment on such a controversial topic.