The lavish event took place on Thursday, December 5, at the EFE Bar, a “VIP” establishment he owns, located in the Havana district of Vedado, known for its extravagant parties. EFE Bar is advertising the party in an Instagram story on its account at press time (Instagram “stories” are usually scheduled to disappear within 24 hours).

The communist disaster has dramatically worsened in recent years, and as of July, 90 percent of Cubans are now forced to live in conditions of extreme poverty.

The inhumane living conditions have forced a growing number of Cubans to flee communism in recent years, prompting what is now described as the largest exodus of Cubans in the country’s history. More than 850,000 Cubans have arrived in the United States since 2022. The record-breaking number of Cubans fleeing their country forced the Castro regime to admit in 2023 that the country’s population is collapsing.

Cuba’s rundown power grid, which forces Cubans to live with near-endless blackouts, completely collapsed in October. While the ruling communists managed to bring it back online, particularly in luxurious parts of Havana, it currently operates at a much more diminished capacity. Cubans are expected to begin facing in December blackouts worse than the ones they endured on an almost daily basis prior to October’s collapse.

The Castro regime announced a series of “wartime economy” measures in July with the desperate goal of “saving socialism.” As of late November, the measures have had no effect on improving the country’s dramatic situation, leading to communist officials openly begging international sympathizers of the regime to engage in “economic cooperation” and help fund the authoritarian regime in a November gathering of communists held in Paris, France.

Sandro Castro’s expensive lifestyle has been the subject of fierce criticism from outraged Cuban nationals who struggle to survive in the communist nation. In September, Fidel Castro’s grandson recorded himself partaking in a luxury meal at an elite seafood restaurant in Cuba where dishes range in price from $175 to $437. In July, Castro posted a photo of himself during his stay at El Patrón, a luxurious estate away from the reach of regular Cubans.

The renowned Cuban comedian Otto Ortiz criticized on his social media what he called an unjust measure by the government to start the year: the refusal of some stores to accept payments in MLC.

On Facebook, the comedian expressed his dissatisfaction: "The first one of 2025: there are stores where you can't pay with MLC, only with Clásica, Visa, Mastercard, or cash in dollars."

The "surprising measure" led the comedian to reflect on his social media: "My question is: aren't the MLC just dollars that we give to the State? So, what do we do with them? Can private businesses also choose to charge only in those currencies?"

Although Ortiz did not specify which currency collection stores are operating this way, in the comments section, Humberto McClarin Barrios recounted: "My parents experienced the same thing yesterday at the new store Súper Mercado de 70 that was inaugurated at the Gran Muthu hotel. What a lack of respect! Now we can't even shop in MLC at those stores, so tell me, where are we supposed to go?"

Omar Milanés also shared a similar story: “My wife carried the products to the checkout. You wouldn’t want to see the look on her face. It turns out that since fuel is sold in USD, everything else got ‘contaminated’.”

A person named Asowuano Kmvv shared their experience: "Well, Otto won't be the first in 2025. Today, it happened to me here on the key. I went to pay at the store, and they hit me with that: dollars, Visa or MasterCard. And I asked myself: 'What about the MLC? What are they, and why did I deposit dollars?' The new year is starting off hot."

However, in reality, the measure is not as "surprising." The Cuban government approved a document that regulates the "partial dollarization of the economy," as announced by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz during the fourth ordinary session of the National Assembly.

This measure, which reflects the growing influence of the US dollar in the country, aims to reorganize key sectors of the economy while attempting to manage the impact of the informal currency market.

The partial dollarization scheme will cover the following sectors: wholesale and retail trade in approved foreign currencies; and payment of tariffs and services related to foreign trade for non-state management forms.

Additionally, cash in dollars will be accepted in strategic sectors such as tourism, Casas del Habano, pharmacies, opticians, international clinics, and airports. Furthermore, there will be payments in foreign currency to agricultural producers who replace imports and to those who manufacture exportable goods.

According to the regime, this regulation will also provide greater flexibility in the use of foreign currency for specific economic activities, such as tourism and foreign trade, which are key sectors for generating income amid the economic crisis.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dollarization and the Use of MLC in Cuba

Why have some stores in Cuba stopped accepting MLC?

Following a recent measure by the Cuban government, some stores have stopped accepting MLC as a form of payment and now only accept cash dollars or international cards like Visa and Mastercard. This decision is part of a partial dollarization process aimed at reorganizing key sectors and controlling the informal foreign exchange market.

What is the partial dollarization of the Cuban economy?

The partial dollarization of the Cuban economy is a system implemented by the government that allows the use of dollars and other currencies in specific sectors such as wholesale and retail trade, as well as in the payment of tariffs and services related to foreign trade. This measure reflects the increasing influence of the dollar in the country and aims to attract more foreign currency.

How does this measure affect Cubans who only have MLC?

The measure significantly impacts Cubans who only have MLC, as many state-run stores have stopped accepting this currency, limiting their purchasing options. This situation could exacerbate economic inequality by excluding those without access to dollars or international cards.

What impact has this strategy had on the informal currency market in Cuba?

The strategy of partial dollarization has maintained a relative stability in foreign exchange prices in the informal Cuban market. Despite this recent stability, the economic crisis and shortages of basic goods continue to impact the purchasing power of Cubans.

HAVANA – Cubans have stopped wondering if this crisis is worse than that of the 1990s. The blackouts, food shortages and lack of fuel for public transport during the Special Period — in the 1990s, after the fall of the Soviet Union and the loss of its subsidies to Cuba — have now been surpassed in duration, severity and limitations. The breeding of animals at home like chickens and pigs for eggs and meat has also returned.

On Monte Street, one of the most populated and poor arteries in Havana, no one is surprised anymore if they see a couple of chickens on a balcony, guarded by a cat ready to meow an alert against any attempted robbery. Separated from the abyss by the rusty irons of a fence, the birds look down at the traffic, peck some grains of rice and are unconscious of the casserole that awaits them. The smell of the improvised chicken coop spreads through the nearby houses and gives the neighborhood a certain rural touch.

“We’re back in that time when they sold chicks so you could raise them for food,” remembered a seller of matchboxes, instant glue and other paraphernalia. From her strategic position in a doorway on the central street, the woman knows everyone’s business in the area. “In that house they were raising a pig in the bathroom,” she explains and points to a tiny room, with just a small window to the street, on the first floor. “You could hear it and smell it.”

“Even if I’m starving, I won’t do that for anything in the world,” said a potential customer who looked at some shoelaces for sale, asked the price of some plumbing pieces and checked the flavors of the instant soda packages. “My family and I raised a pig 30 years ago and in the end got attached to the animal and couldn’t kill it,” he explains. “It escaped from the bathroom where we had it locked up and went to sleep in our bed. Finally, we had to sell the pig to a cousin because we didn’t have the heart to sacrifice it.”

With their white plumage, blackened by the soot that rises from the street, the two chickens on the balcony continue to peck stubbornly at the floor and in the cracks of the unpainted facade. “In addition, fattening an animal requires food, and if it’s hard now to get food for humans what is left for them? At least in the 90s you could find something to feed them,” said the man, who in the end leaves without buying anything. Comparisons with current times have ended up turning the 1990s Special Period into a longed-for time for Cubans. Better to avoid parallels.

Trump has pledged a vast immigration crackdown, aiming to deport record numbers of immigrants, an operation that his running mate JD Vance estimated could remove 1 million people a year.

Wednesday's comments by Carlos Fernandez de Cossio followed routine migration talks in Havana with counterparts from the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden.

Any such deportation proposal must be vetted within the bounds of existing migration agreements between the United States and Cuba, he told reporters.

"In that context, it's not realistic to think that there could be mass deportations from the United States to Cuba," de Cossio said.

Under existing accords, Cuba has accepted small numbers of deportations from the U.S. by air and by sea during the Biden administration.

Trump's incoming border czar Tom Homan has said deportations would focus on criminals and those given final deportation orders, but has not committed to exemptions for specific groups or nationalities.

The Trump deportation proposal was not discussed with Biden officials during Wednesday's two-way migration talks, de Cossio said.

A U.S. delegation had met Cuban officials in Havana to review the U.S.-Cuba Migration Accords, which date back to 1984, Brian Nichols, the top U.S. diplomat for Latin America, said on X.

"(The delegation) highlighted our success curbing irregular Cuban maritime and land-based migration," Nichols said.

It was unclear whether Trump would abide by existing accords with Cuba or seek to renegotiate them, as he has in other circumstances.

For decades, Cuba has blamed the U.S. Cold War-era trade embargo for decimating its economy and encouraging the mass migration of Cubans to the United States.

But a large-scale deportation to send them back home would be drastic and unfair, de Cossio said.

"Trying to deport tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of Cubans to Cuba ... would be uprooting people who have already made their lives in the United States," he added.

Trump struggled to ramp up deportations during his first term, from 2017 to 2021.

When counting both immigration removals and faster “returns” to Mexico by U.S. border officials, Biden deported more immigrants in fiscal 2023 than in any Trump year, government data shows.

Immigrant advocates warn that a broader Trump deportation effort would be costly, divisive and inhumane, leading to family separations and devastating communities.