Havana is still without cash in an ATM

Dozens of people rallied this week in front of Havana’s banks as seven of these institutions ran out of cash to pay their clients, either for paychecks or some other extraction. This situation is not limited to the capital, as several Cuban provinces have reported a similar problem.

As shown note to Cuban newspaperThose affected demanded a convincing response from the bank authorities because it is in fact their salary or retirement. A woman told the aforementioned media that more than ten days ago, money was sent to her account and she was unable to extract it due to the lack of money in the automatic teller machines in the capital.

“It’s a Qatari situation, ATMs don’t have money for pensioners. People with savings accounts go to the bank to get their money and the bank doesn’t pay them. We took our receipt to seven different banks all over Havana and we couldn’t collect it,” the source explained.

Havana without cash in an ATM

Other Havanans interviewed confirmed that about ten families were “causing a scandal” at a bank because they were unable to collect not only large bills, but also some very small ones.

“If they send me money in free convertible currency (MLC), I can’t pay for transportation, you can’t pay for equipment, you can’t buy candy, you need the money physically,” a second person explains. “The MLC agreement does not exist, that’s a lie. The only thing left is to ask what time they value, because on paper they sign up to make a reservation,” another added.

The shortage of banknotes caused long lines at financial institutions throughout Cuba since the morning hours. The country’s government recently announced that it would limit cash withdrawals for private companies and implemented a so-called “Extra Box” service, which entitles a customer to request a limit of up to five thousand pesos at cash-handling facilities, such as warehouses or some agricultural sales jobs.