AGP Executive Report

Power Crisis: Cuba suffered another nationwide blackout on Friday, with the National Electric System “totally disconnected,” blamed on transmission-line failures in the west plus “unstable” weather; by evening, only about 5% of Havana users had power and “micro-islands” were set up for hospitals and key services, underscoring how fuel shortages and aging infrastructure are crushing daily life. Energy & Investment Fallout: A CNN report revisits the ruined Juraguá nuclear plant—once meant to cut oil dependence—now a symbol of stalled energy ambitions. Currency & Markets: Cuba’s first private currency exchange house opened in Santa Clara (ADT 64), quoting the dollar at 710 buy / 730 sell, far above the official Cadeca rate, highlighting widening gaps in the exchange market. Diplomacy: Cuba accused Costa Rica’s foreign minister of acting under U.S. influence after Costa Rica said diplomatic relations were ruptured; MINREX says Cuba was never formally notified. Sanctions Pressure: Havana and allies renewed criticism of new U.S. sanctions targeting Cuba’s mineral and military sectors, as the grid crisis deepens economic strain.

Power Crisis: Cuba’s national grid suffered another major collapse, leaving millions without electricity as the Ministry of Energy and Mines said it was activating restoration protocols; the Electric Union later reported a total disconnection affecting segments from Pinar del Río to Matanzas and then Matanzas to Guantánamo, with available generation far below projected demand. Sanctions Pressure: Washington escalated its squeeze on Cuba’s military and mining-linked economy, with new U.S. sanctions targeting nickel-sector companies and Revolutionary Armed Forces entities, aiming to cut access to money and deter third-country business. Private Health Market: Holguín’s health directorate says it has received about 15 inquiries to open private pharmacies under Decree 160/2026, but none have started operations yet, reflecting slow rollout despite authorization for non-state providers. Aviation Update: Havana’s José Martí airport clarified that runway and taxiway maintenance will not disrupt normal operations, though specific nighttime restrictions are scheduled around Sept. 21–22. Human Impact: In Camagüey, a 75-year-old caregiver and her bedridden daughter are seeking urgent help amid shortages worsened by frequent blackouts and lost pension paperwork. Diplomatic Move: India appointed Hansraj Singh Verma as its next ambassador to Cuba, expected to take up the Havana post soon. Solidarity Fundraising: Namibia’s leaders and companies raised over N$2.6 million in a Cuba solidarity gala, alongside an announced anonymous N$17 million donation.

US Sanctions: Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new U.S. sanctions on 11 Cuban entities and individuals tied to Cuba’s nickel sector and military research/training, warning foreign firms they could face secondary exposure. Currency Watch: The dollar in Cuba’s informal market pushed above 700 CUP, closing around 703 CUP, widening the gap versus the official rate. Banking & Cash: Cuba began circulating new higher-denomination banknotes (10,000 and 20,000 pesos), alongside steps to advance its banking system. Shipping Pressure: Reports say U.S. sanctions are stranding thousands of shipping containers bound for Cuba, adding to shortages. Energy & Logistics: In Sancti Spíritus, fuel shortages are forcing Correos to use school buses and even medical transport to deliver newspapers. Security & Detention: Abu Zubaydah’s Guantánamo detention review resumed after 20 years without charges, with claims tied to CIA torture. Solidarity Funding: Namibia’s Cuba solidarity campaign raised about N$2.6m, with a “mysterious donor” pledge of N$17m announced during the gala.

US Sanctions Nickel + Military Firms: The US Treasury and State Department imposed sanctions on 11 Cuban entities and individuals tied to nickel reserves and military R&D, including four state mining companies (CEPRONIQUEL, CEDINIQ, SERCONI, PINARES) and four defense-linked firms (CIDAI, SIMPRO, CIDNAV, CIDP GRITO DE BAIRE), plus three army officers—framing the move as targeting resource extraction that enriches a “military elite.” Currency Update: Cuba’s central bank began circulating new 10,000- and 20,000-peso banknotes on Sept. 16 as part of a phased banking modernization plan to better match cash demand and price levels. Private Exchange House Opens: Santa Clara’s first private currency exchange house (ADT64) is already operating, with social media showing its setup and branding—an early sign of how cash exchange is shifting inside Cuba. Embassy Staffing Cut: Cuba reportedly withdrew half its staff from its Seoul embassy, leaving two diplomats, without an explanation. Security Crackdown: In Centro Habana, police detained 13 people in an alleged drug-trafficking operation, seizing synthetic cannabinoids, cocaine, cash, and phones. Energy + Transport Strain: A Havana–Guantánamo train route was disrupted in Las Tunas after a large garbage pile blocked the tracks, forcing an emergency stop.

Cuba’s Cash Overhaul: New 10,000- and 20,000-peso banknotes featuring Haydée Santamaría and Vilma Espín enter circulation this Wednesday, as the Central Bank says it’s finishing a denomination adjustment and modernizing the banking system amid inflation and cash needs. Monetary Reality Check: Economist Pedro Monreal argues the new high-denomination bills don’t solve the core problem—when a note can equal multiple months of pay, the peso stops functioning as a stable unit of value. Healthcare Pay Pressure: A report on the salary of newly graduated Cuban doctors says the official monthly pay barely covers a basic food basket at informal exchange rates, highlighting how reforms collide with living costs. State Media “Participation” Push: Díaz-Canel announces a new radio program promising transparency and citizen participation, aiming to rebuild trust while Cubans face blackouts and shortages. Labor & Sanctions Politics: Cuba’s trade union federation leader Osnay Miguel Colina tells the UK TUC Congress the blockade is intensifying economic hardship, while delegates back motions opposing extraterritorial U.S. sanctions. Diplomacy & Aid: The UN reiterates support for Cuba after meeting Díaz-Canel on disaster risk reduction, with Havana again blaming energy restrictions for worsening emergencies. US Legal Fallout (Indirect): U.S. prosecutors unseal a Russia-linked assassination plot that includes Cuban operatives, underscoring how Cuba-related networks can surface in international security cases.

Currency & Inflation: Cuba’s Central Bank rolled out new 10,000 and 20,000 peso bills on Sept. 16, a move framed as reducing cash-handling costs but widely read as another marker of lost purchasing power. Energy & Local Economy: Guantánamo’s fuel shortage is disrupting health, education, transport, RadioCuba, ETECSA services, and even rice/beans logistics—officials are urging local businesses and MSMEs to help import diesel and gasoline for essential operations. Private Sector Rules: Economist Elías Amor says the regime is tightening wholesale/import rules to push self-employed “mules” out and concentrate trade in Mipymes—arguing this kills competition and worsens shortages. Infrastructure & Security: US prosecutors charged five people tied to Russian intelligence, including two Cuban nationals, alleging a global network financing terrorism and planning murders/sabotage across the US and Europe. Business & Trade: After partners left, Islazul is seeking private investors within Cuba, signaling continued pressure to find new funding channels. Social Services & Jobs: Technical and Vocational Education in Las Tunas opened classrooms for about 7,600 students, with training shaped by fuel and transport constraints. Culture & Economy: Las Tunas’ book fair closed smaller than before but still running despite shortages, underscoring how cultural events survive on limited resources.

Cuba’s Currency & Cash Economy: Cubans are reacting to the rollout of new 10,000 and 20,000 peso bills, with reports of “long lines” and shifting informal-market pricing as people adjust to the change. Tourism & Private Capital: After foreign partners left, Islazul is pushing private investment inside Cuba, putting multiple Santiago de Cuba hotels and venues out for leasing, cooperation, and consignment deals. Sanctions & Monitoring: The U.S. is increasing flights off the Yucatán to track possible oil shipments to Cuba, while analysts say the pattern looks “anomalous” for the area. Energy Reliability: Guantánamo faces power strain after a failure in a 110 kV line, adding to local electricity worries. BRICS Trade Signals: Cuba’s push for deeper BRICS ties continues, with Havana welcoming calls to end the U.S. blockade and discussing future currency/trade cooperation. Security Spillover: A U.S. DOJ case charges a Russian-linked network that allegedly recruited Cuban nationals for surveillance and murder-for-hire plots, underscoring how Cuba-linked people can surface in global investigations.

Cuba Agriculture Overhaul: Cuba published 19 new regulations to update its agricultural legal framework, keeping state land ownership but expanding land usufruct and marketing powers to more economic actors, aiming to push food production and “food sovereignty.” Telecom Payment Dispute: On the Isle of Youth, a Cuban artist says BANDEC blocked cash withdrawal tied to an ETECSA contract, arguing the bank’s refusal based on “not self-employed” status undermines legitimate payments. Health & Supply Strains: A report on Cuba’s shortages argues U.S. sanctions disrupt supply chains, while also pointing to domestic failures—highlighting how medicines and equipment shipments can get stranded. Informal Currency Watch: Cuba’s informal market tightened this Tuesday, with the dollar, euro and MLC rising again. Miami Crash With Gas Leak: A car hit the Cuban restaurant El Palacio de los Jugos in Miami-Dade, sending three people to hospitals after a gas leak was reported. BRICS Spotlight: Coverage of the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi underscores Cuba’s role as a partner country and the bloc’s push for solidarity and trade/financial measures.

BRICS Diplomacy: The 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi wrapped with the New Delhi Declaration, pushing reforms to global institutions and resisting unilateral economic coercion, while keeping the focus on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. Cuba–U.S. Sanctions: Cuba’s foreign minister Bruno Rodríguez says Washington is escalating pressure on Cuba’s foreign trade via tighter energy restrictions and secondary sanctions, blaming fuel shortages for prolonged power outages and knock-on damage to transport, health care, agriculture and water systems. Cuban Energy & Telecom Disruptions: ETECSA restored the main telecommunications network on the Isle of Youth after days of near-total isolation, while Cuba continues to face fuel bottlenecks tied to sanctions. Informal Market FX: In the informal market, the dollar rose to about 698 CUP and the euro to around 794 CUP, widening the gap versus official rates. Cuban Policy Debate: A Harvard working group proposal argues Cuba’s transition should include a general amnesty and legal reforms, including decriminalizing protected protest and repealing restrictive decrees. Local Business & Migration: A Cuban couple opened “Sabor Cubano” in Warner Robins, highlighting diaspora entrepreneurship amid high costs and fuel pressures.

Cuba Sanctions Pressure: BRICS leaders wrapped up in New Delhi with a 140-point declaration calling for an end to unilateral coercive measures and trade protectionism, while explicitly urging the immediate lifting of the economic and energy blockade hurting Cuba. Energy & Reform Watch: Cuba’s government is pushing faster, coherent implementation of agriculture and broader economic transformations, aiming to raise food output and improve purchasing power. Cuban Business Risk: A report says U.S. and EU sanctions are disrupting the global distribution network for Cuban cigars, with at least one major German importer suspending deliveries after frozen bank accounts. Informal Market Snapshot: The dollar and euro continue to move in Cuba’s informal currency market, with the euro rising and the dollar holding steady into the day. Human Impact: A UK-based solidarity piece cites UN figures showing the blockade’s mounting damage to daily life, including electricity shortages and rising infant mortality. Visa Appeal: In Miami, a Cuban family launched an urgent humanitarian visa push for a teen injured in a machete attack, seeking surgery in the U.S.

Cuban Power Crisis & Human Cost: A lineman, Alexander Pantoja Bertot, was found dead in Santiago de Cuba after three days searching following an inspection of power lines supplying the Gota Blanca reservoir, underscoring how fuel shortages and dangerous grid conditions keep turning into tragedy. Electricity & Education Disruptions: Central University “Marta Abreu” of Las Villas (UCLV) pushed in-person classes for second- and third-year students to January 2027, citing the wider economic crisis and fuel constraints that are reshaping schooling nationwide. Sanctions Pressure on Cuban Business: Spain froze Tabacalera’s accounts tied to Habanos’ private partner after EU sanctions on businessman Chen Zhi; the firm reportedly needs Treasury authorization for payments, delaying salaries. Informal Market Signals: In Cuba’s informal market, the dollar and euro rose at week’s end, with the euro climbing to 791 CUP and the dollar to 694 CUP. BRICS Solidarity on Cuba: BRICS’ New Delhi Declaration included a dedicated paragraph on Cuba’s worsening humanitarian impact from unilateral blockade measures, with Global South partners calling for an end to coercive sanctions. Social Strain on the Island: An AP report highlights mounting psychological stress as water, power, fuel and housing shortages deepen, with doctors describing patients “crying” and needing to act as de facto counselors.

BRICS Summit Fallout (Cuba angle): Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said the New Delhi Declaration reflects BRICS “deep concern” over the U.S. blockade’s renewed harm to Cuba’s economy, energy supplies, and human rights, calling for an end to unilateral coercive measures. BRICS Tech & Trade: Leaders backed resilience, innovation, supply chains, health and an “open-source AI ecosystem,” while warning against the “weaponisation” of technology and critical minerals. Currency Watch (Cuba): In the informal market, the dollar held at 693 CUP while the euro climbed to 788 CUP; the MLC also rose to 464 CUP, underscoring continued pressure for foreign currency. Aviation Claims (Cuba): Russian firm ARK Technic filed a second Moscow arbitration lawsuit tied to Cuban state aviation entities, bringing its total claims to about $8.65 million. Local Accountability (Villa Clara): Residents in Manicaragua accused a milk tanker of diverting supplies meant for pregnant women and services, demanding investigations and returns. Energy & Safety: A missing Santiago de Cuba electrical worker was found dead; meanwhile, a cow-caused collision damaged a bus near Ciego de Ávila.

BRICS Summit (India): Leaders wrapped up the 18th BRICS meeting in New Delhi, adopting the “New Delhi Declaration” and pushing themes of resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability. The bloc also flagged growing nuclear risks and condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards, while backing local-currency trade and calling out unilateral tariffs/sanctions. Cuba in BRICS orbit: Cuba is listed among BRICS partner countries attending the summit, and Havana used the platform to highlight infrastructure and international support, including Kuwait Fund backing and talks on a double taxation agreement. Cuban economy at home: In Sancti Spíritus, a small pilot is starting to let private businesses pay pensions in cash where banks can’t—still limited to under 100 retirees. Energy & dollarization: Cuba’s “energy independence” messaging met reality checks: authorities cite plant restarts, but report major generation shortfalls due to fuel shortages; meanwhile, Havana’s Supermarket began selling gasoline/diesel online for pickup, paid from abroad. Cost-of-living pressure: A Havana customer complained about onion price gouging at a local fair versus other vendors. Tourism shock: Canada’s Air Transat says the collapse of Cuba flights is hitting results hard, with large revenue losses tied to fuel and operating costs.

BRICS Summit (New Delhi): Leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026, calling for WTO dispute-settlement restoration, opposing unilateral coercive measures, and urging “maximum restraint” amid West Asia tensions—while the text also flags the U.S. blockade’s impact on Cuba and demands an end to economic, commercial and financial measures. Cuba & Connectivity: ETECSA said the Isle of Youth remains cut off for a fourth day as weather delays repair of a damaged submarine cable, leaving only limited emergency satellite links. Cuba & Daily Life: The informal currency market showed the dollar rising to about 693 CUP, with the euro also up, reflecting ongoing scarcity pressures. Human Impact: A Cuban doctor in Miami received a rechargeable ventilator for her special-needs son after her case went viral. Work & Safety: Five Cuban men were among the dead in a Miami Amazon cargo-plane crash; in Cuba, an electrocution killed a lineman in Cienfuegos while another was hospitalized. Diplomacy: India’s EAM Jaishankar met Cuba’s FM Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla on BRICS sidelines, focusing on South-South cooperation.

BRICS Summit Watch: Leaders gather in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS summit as wars in Ukraine and West Asia keep pressure on energy, trade and inflation; India is pushing a “resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability” agenda while Iran and the UAE clash over how the joint declaration should address the conflict. Cuba’s Dollarization Push: Cuba expanded rules letting private businesses accept payments in foreign currency cash and deposit it in banks, easing earlier limits on foreign-currency operations. Solar Power Tensions: Cuba faces renewed friction over private rooftop solar as officials urge compliance with safety rules amid public debate over regulation and grid connection. Guantánamo Energy Update: Cuba inaugurated the El Algarrobo solar park, but reporting says Chinese technicians left unexpectedly, forcing local specialists to handle programming and adjustments. US-Cuba Immigration Court Fight: A Miami judge ruled she has jurisdiction in a lawsuit that could regularize the status of hundreds of thousands of Cubans who entered with I-220A permits, keeping the Cuban Adjustment Act pathway in play. Connectivity Crisis: Isle of Youth remains cut off after damage to telecom routes, with mobile service down and landlines limited to local calls.

Cuba’s agriculture overhaul: Cuba published a new legal framework for agricultural cooperatives and land use, expanding usufruct rights and allowing cooperatives to do direct exports and receive foreign investment—aimed at boosting food sovereignty. Energy resilience on the ground: Villa Clara added 50 solar “solineras” and charging stations to support families hit by blackouts, showing how private and local actors are filling gaps while the grid struggles. Community pharmacy rules: New regulations set common standards for private and mixed community pharmacies, including CECMED registration and tighter oversight across the supply chain. Local market risks: A Camagüey journalist warned of Revolico scams that steal WhatsApp accounts via fake sales-group links. BRICS and currencies: At the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi, Iran’s president urged wider use of national currencies and local-currency financing through the New Development Bank—an angle that matters for Cuba’s trade and payments reality. Diplomatic spotlight: Cuba’s foreign minister Bruno Rodríguez arrived in New Delhi for the BRICS summit as Cuba also scored a major Human Rights Council win over the U.S. blockade. Human impact of U.S. policy: A Cuban deportation case highlights tightening U.S. enforcement and the uncertainty facing hundreds of thousands of Cubans under the Cuban Adjustment Act.