US sanctions deepen Cuba's crisis, but resilience endures

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US sanctions deepen Cuba's crisis, but resilience endures

2026-10-15 16:27 Last Updated At：18:09

U.S. sanctions have pushed Cuba into a profound economic crisis, triggering soaring inflation and a severe energy shortage, but some Cubans insist their resilience will keep the country moving forward.

The U.S. sanctions imposed on Cuba in 2026, especially the severe escalation over the past several months, have proven catastrophic. Food prices keep rising due to skyrocketing inflation, which climbed above 25 percent year on year in August. Meanwhile, Cubans face shortages of cooking gas, medicines, and crucial services.

Orlando Ruiz, a columnist with the Cuban News Agency (CAN), said the sanctions have severely affected daily life.

"Cooking our meals has become a terrible problem, no cooking fuel, no power. So, I have turned into a woodcutter to get firewood. And at times, over 20-hour power cuts, plus unstable internet connection hinder my remote journalistic work," said Ruiz, a senior photojournalist.

Yet, he said, the hardships inflicted by tough U.S. sanctions have not yet broken the Cuban people's resistance. Cubans have shown strong resilience and developed creative ways to survive. Orlando has set up a firewood stove in his backyard to cook. His family also grows vegetables at home to supplement their diets.

In June, the Cuban government passed a package of reforms encouraging foreign investment and expanding the private sector to help lift the country out of its current crisis. Orlando hopes Cuba's economic and social conditions will improve.

"The country keeps going forward. Over the years, the Cuban revolution has always overcome the worst adversities, the U.S. blockade, and aggressions. I'm fully convinced that our people's resilience will take the country forward," Ruiz said.

Cuban authorities have condemned U.S. policies, describing them as a collective punishment against the Cuban people. Officials in the country say they expect such cruelty to be roundly condemned by the international community later this month at the United Nations General Assembly.

US consumer prices accelerate in September as energy costs weigh

The U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) accelerated in September as surging energy costs drove inflation up 3.7 percent from a year earlier, according to official data released Wednesday.

U.S. CPI grew 0.6 percent month on month and 3.7 percent year on year in September, up from 0.4 percent and 3.4 percent in August, respectively.

Headline inflation increased by 0.6 percent month on month, driven primarily by a 9.1 percent surge in gasoline prices, according to the data. Meanwhile, the food price index rose 0.1 percent month-over-month in September, matching the increase in August.

Core CPI, which strips out volatile food and energy costs, also ticked up 0.3 percent over the previous month, climbing 2.6 percent year on year.

Price increases for shelter, car repairs, education, airline fares, medical services and apparel rose at a time when Americans have been reeling from price hikes since inflation took hold in 2021.

The news caused markets to drop Wednesday on fears that a rate cut is even further off than investors had expected. Some experts said the Fed would have to raise rates to get inflation down.