The Intelligence from The Economist Hasta la victoria, quizás: Cuba’s broken economy
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Mar 27, 2026 
Sarah Birke, Cuba reporter, describes how long-term mismanagement and US pressure have hollowed the island’s economy. Natasha Loder, health editor, and Tim Cross, science writer, unpack the booming unregulated peptide trade and its safety and regulatory worries. Ann Wroe, obituaries editor, recounts Chuck Norris’s odd rise to macho-meme fame. Short, sharp looks at crisis, wellness fads and cultural myth-making.
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How US Pressure Triggered Cuba's Fuel Collapse
- America's oil blockade after pressuring suppliers cut Cuba's cheap Venezuelan fuel and collapsed tourism, causing blackouts and empty hotels.
- Sarah Birke reports Cuba now imports ~60% of its oil, flights cancelled for refuelling issues, and conditions worse than the 1990s crisis.
Structural Failures Predated Recent Sanctions
- Cuba's long-standing centralised, state-dominated model misallocates resources and has steadily hollowed out key exports like sugar.
- Sarah Birke notes sugar exports fell 90% from 1990 to 2010 while the state still sets prices and owns most firms.
Targeting Dollar Flows To Cripple The Regime
- US tactics targeted Cuba's dollar sources, notably banning payments for Cuba's medical-worker programs and restricting fuel and tourism.
- Sarah Birke explains these moves drained the government's foreign-currency revenue and left it with little money.