Youtuber shows supermarkets in foreign currency in Cuba: "More expensive than in Spain"

The Cuban youtuberAnita Matthew, a resident of Spain, was visiting the island and was able to show his followers what the hard currency supermarkets in Cuba are like, those that are supposed to be stocked with good products.

Mateu's family lives in Sancti Spíritus and the young woman took them shopping in the supposed "best stores" in their capital city, thestores in Freely Convertible Currency (MLC).

The surprise of the YouTuber, who has not lived in Cuba for only a year, was tremendous. He found supermarkets completely out of stock, and the few food products that were available were mostly from Spain.

"Here you can see the empty refrigerators. On the shelves there are the same products repeated over and over again. There is zero variety," said the young woman in a video published on herYouTube channel.

He reminded his followers that these items for sale in the supermarket, theCubans cannot acquire them with his salary. They are only sold in foreign currency and for a very high price.

"I think those who supply the supermarkets in dollars here in Cuba are companies from Spain," said Mateu, who did not even find bags to put his few expensive purchases.

"Two packages of cookies, two packages of spaghetti, two packages of gelatin, a whole chicken, two packages of ground beef, shampoo, conditioner, two packages of coffee, two custards and a cocoa cream, a cocktail sauce, a cologne and a piece of cheese. All this cost me 80 euros," he said.Anita alarmed.

These are the stores in Freely Convertible Currency, created byMiguel Diaz-Caneland the deposed Minister of Economy and Planning, Alejandro Gil. They said that with them thegovernment would raise money to maintain food in the population's basic basket and the supply in other stores in national currency.

"We do not have to feel any shame for talking about the stores in MLC. It is a decision of social justice. From there we get the dollars to guarantee children's milk, bread, rice and chicken in the middle of a complex scenario" , Gil said in 2022 and ended up a year and a half later under investigation for corruption.

The stores in MLC began in 2019. Time has passed and the Cuban State demonstrated that it is not only incapable of guaranteeing basic foodstuffs to the population such as milk and bread. They also cannot supply the stores that they themselves created.