Cuba protest
Image of a protest in Cuba Getty Images

An American journalist claimed the Cuban regime is "collapsing" in an op-ed published on The Hill. Concretely, Daniel Allott said such a scenario could have far-reaching consequences extending beyond the island.

The journalist detailed the island's economic and social collapse, with a perpetually-weakening currency and a failing electrical grid. He noted that while authorities claimed it was a result of mechanical failures, residents pointed to decades of mismanagement.

The country's energy infrastructure is dependent on outdated plants and high-sulfur crude, and is operating on sporadic fuel shipments from Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico. Venezuela, once Cuba's main supplier, has sharply reduced deliveries as it faces a crisis of its own as a result of military pressure from the Donald Trump administration.

He went on to say that economic effects are visible across Cuba, with inflation and currency devaluation rendering most state salaries nearly worthless, equivalent to less than $20 a month on the informal market. Gasoline shortages have driven up costs, and many rural areas now rely on bicycles or horse carts for transport. Tourism, long the island's primary source of foreign income, has also fallen by more than half over the past decade.

Agriculture has suffered similar decline, Allott added. The sugar harvest, once the backbone of Cuba's exports, is expected to fall below 200,000 tons, the lowest since the 19th century. He also noted that almost two million Cubans, close to 20 percent of the population, have emigrated in the past four years. As a result, hospitals are reporting doctor shortages, universities are lacking faculty and businesses can't find skilled labor.

As a result, the journalist concluded, "the pillars that once held Cuban socialism upright are giving way all at once." "Venezuela's collapse dominates the headlines, but Cuba's slow-motion breakdown could have far more profound consequences. A failed state just 90 miles from Florida would unleash new migration waves, invite rival powers into the region, and test America's resolve," he finished.

In this context, Prominent Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer said conditions are given for the "end of the tyranny" in Havana and called on U.S. President Donald Trump for help.

Ferrer, who on Monday was released from prison and exiled from the country, said his "request for the administration is that we need as much support as possible so, in three and a half years, before this administration ends, we no longer have tyranny in Cuba."

During a press conference in Miami, Ferrer added that "all factors are given so these end up being the last days of the tyranny." He went on to say that negotiations from the Trump administration were "key" so he would be freed from prison and taken to the U.S.

Ferrer went on to detail that the current situation in Cuba is a "national catastrophe." "It is a situation of extreme injustice, of hunger. There is barely any electricity, medical services, transport, buildings are crumbling," he added.

© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.