El Toque
Cuban diaspora outlet whose informal exchange-rate index is the de facto USD-CUP benchmark
Last refreshed: 27 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why does an exile media outlet's dollar rate matter more to Cubans than the official one?
Timeline for El Toque
Tracked informal USD/CUP rate reaching 530 CUP from 22 April
Cuba Dispatch: CADECA reform fails as informal USD hits 530- What is El Toque's dollar rate for Cuba?
- El Toque publishes a daily informal USD-CUP rate derived from peer-to-peer currency transactions. In April 2026 it stood at approximately 530 CUP per dollar, compared to the official CADECA test rate of around 310-320 CUP.Source: event
- Why does Cuba have two different exchange rates?
- Cuba maintains an official rate through CADECA but cannot control informal peer-to-peer transactions. El Toque tracks the informal rate, which reflects actual supply and demand for hard currency. In April 2026 the gap was over 200 CUP per dollar, indicating that the CADECA reform trial had failed to close it.Source: event
Background
El Toque is an independent Cuban digital media outlet founded by members of the Cuban diaspora, primarily operating from abroad. In addition to its news coverage, it publishes a daily informal US dollar to Cuban peso (CUP) exchange rate derived from tracking peer-to-peer currency transactions on social media and messaging platforms. This informal rate has become the most widely cited reference point for Cuba's real exchange rate, consistently diverging sharply from the official CADECA rate. El Toque's dollar index is used by Cuban households, economists, and foreign analysts as the primary indicator of monetary stress in the Cuban economy. Its data is regularly cited in international coverage of Cuba's economic crisis. The outlet also provides general news coverage of Cuban politics, the diaspora, and the Cuban economy.
In April 2026, El Toque's informal dollar index hit 530 CUP per USD, reflecting a continued collapse in confidence in Cuban monetary policy and the failure of the CADECA parallel-market reform trial. The official CADECA test rate was reportedly around 310-320 CUP, meaning the gap between official and informal rates stood at over 200 CUP per dollar. El Toque's figure was the primary public evidence that CADECA's intervention had failed to move the informal market.
