The Cuban government has announced the opening of a new mega store in the Mariel Special Development Zone, located just west of Havana. On May 6, Tiendas Caribe —a retail chain controlled by the military-run GAESA conglomerate— launched a wholesale mega store similar to a warehouse that operates exclusively in U.S. dollars.
👉👉 If you believe in independent reporting, subscribe today to the YouTube channel. Thank you for your support.
But access isn’t for everyone. The store is aimed at supplying Cuba’s emerging private small and medium-sized businesses (often referred to as Mypimes), self-employed workers, as well as state enterprises and diplomatic missions. According to official announcements, Caribe-Mariel offers a wide range of products, including food, beverages, fresh and frozen produce, hardware, household appliances, hygiene items, and cleaning supplies —items that are scarce across the island nation.
Buyers must first register with the Mariel business office, show proof of their legal business category—whether self-employed, cooperative, or corporate—and sign a formal sales contract. Orders are placed in advance and picked up 48 hours later. All payments must be made in dollars, using either national or international debit cards linked to hard currency accounts. No credit is extended, and cash isn’t accepted. People on social media have criticized the lack of a functional system to sell U.S. dollars to the population. Those who want to buy dollars through official channels must register in advance, and after waiting several months—some report waiting up to a year—they’re allowed to purchase a maximum of $100 per month. In contrast, on the black market, which is the only readily available option, the U.S. dollar is currently trading at 370 pesos. That means the average monthly salary in Cuba amounts to just about $16.
While the store caters to private workers, those same workers are still prohibited from charging their own clients in dollars. The opening of this store also comes in the context of new restrictions from Cuba’s Interior Trade Ministry. Resolution #5/2024 established tighter controls on non-state wholesale and retail activity. Under this regulation, private businesses are only allowed to engage in wholesale trade if it is their primary activity, and even then, they must do so exclusively through the state. According to entrepreneurs and economists, these limitations significantly hinder the autonomy and growth potential of Cuba’s private sector.