UNIPA News(Havana) 05 April, 2026-he informal foreign exchange market in Cuba registered a new milestone this Sunday, April 5, 2026, as the U.S. Dollar rose to 520 Cuban Pesos (CUP), setting a historic record on the island.
The U.S. currency has broken the stability it maintained for nearly two weeks around 515 CUP, consolidating a bullish trend that once again puts pressure on the Cuban peso. In the previous session, the dollar was trading at 518 CUP, representing an increase of 2 pesos in the last 24 hours.
Informal Exchange Rate in Cuba
Sunday, April 5, 2026 – 06:00 AM
| Currency | Exchange Rate (CUP) |
|---|---|
| U.S. Dollar (USD) | 520 CUP |
| Euro (EUR) | 585 CUP |
| Freely Convertible Currency (MLC) | 395 CUP |
| The Euro (EUR) remains at 585 CUP, also very close to its highest levels, while the Freely Convertible Currency (MLC) dropped slightly to 395 CUP, reflecting its more volatile behavior linked to domestic consumption. | |
| Economic Context | |
| This new peak for the dollar occurs in a context marked by the recent issuance of 2,000 and 5,000 peso banknotes by the Central Bank of Cuba (BCC). This measure has reinforced the population’s perception of the national currency’s loss of value. | |
| Evolution of the Exchange Rate | |
| In parallel, the BCC’s “floating” rate remains stagnant, with the official dollar fixed at 480 CUP. This further widens the gap with the informal market and confirms the state system’s loss of capacity to set the real exchange rate. | |
| The rise of the dollar to this new record is not only a response to economic factors—such as inflation and the scarcity of foreign currency—but also to a context of growing uncertainty that drives the demand for hard currencies as a safe haven. | |
| In practice, the informal market continues to function as the primary reference for the value of the Cuban peso, while the national currency continues to lose ground against the dollar, which has now reached a new historic high in Cuba. | |
| GLUVER ALEXANDER ZALDÍVAR GONZÁLEZ HAVANA, CUBA |
