Infographic: Cuba’s economic crisis

Thousands of Cubans joined street protests in one of the largest anti-government demonstrations on the Communist-run island in memory, with many calling for an end to communism and chanting “Freedom,” “Enough,” and “Unite.”

Continuing US sanctions tightened under former US President Donald Trump, and the pandemic has exacerbated shortages of food and medicine, as well as power outages.

Hospitals and pharmacies are running out of medicines as fundamental as aspirin and penicillin. Cubans lucky enough to have foreign currency wait for hours for staples like beans and rice.