Cubans continue to face a shortage of salt due to lack of transportation.

The Cuban regime attributed the shortage of salt experienced by the population of the island to the transportation crisis.

The general director of the Geominero Salinero Business Group (Geominsal), Fabio José Raimundo Paz, stated on the official program Mesa Redonda that the shortage of salt in Cuba continues to be a persistent problem due to logistical difficulties and resource limitations.

Raimundo Paz pointed out that, despite having "tens of thousands of tons of salt ready for distribution", the lack of transportation has prevented this essential product from reaching the population.

He said that the case of salt "is often complicated by the difficulties of getting the product to the town".

"We have had tens of thousands of tons that have not been delivered due to logistical complexities and limited resources," emphasized Raimundo Paz.

This problem adds to other challenges facing the country in terms of infrastructure and distribution of essential goods, justified the executive.

The production of salt in Cuba requires a high amount of energy, which is mainly obtained through the use of solar radiation. The saltworks in the country are primarily located in the eastern region, taking advantage of favorable climatic conditions, with low rainfall and stable temperatures throughout the year, which accelerates the evaporation of water.

However, he said that there have been adverse weather conditions that have severely affected salt production in some regions such as Matanzas.

In Matanzas, we have one of these production centers, but in the last 30 years, hurricanes have destroyed it five times. This is an example that explains why we must have these facilities in safer and more climate-efficient locations," he explained.

Since last year, the government has been blaming the transportation system for Cubans not having salt to cook with.

The Minister of Energy and Mines of Cuba, Vicente de la O Levy, reported in February 2023 that there were delays in the delivery of the salt quota for the population due to transportation issues with the product.

"We have over nine thousand tons of salt in the salt flats," but there is no way to distribute it due to technical issues with the rail carriages that transport this important product," he explained at the time.

Last April, issues with the freight transport prevented the production of the saltworks in the municipality of Puerto Padre, in the province of Las Tunas, from reaching territories other than its usual market in the provinces of Las Tunas, Holguín, and Villa Clara.

In Las Tunas, a province with several active salt flats, bread production was halted last March due to lack of salt.

Cubans, for their part, complain that salt can only be obtained for more than 500 pesos at the very expensive stores of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

"There is not even salt left! An island surrounded by the sea. I can't remember the last time it was sold in the 'basic basket'. But if that were the only thing we suffer from...!" complained Havana resident Inés Casal, mother of activist and visual artist Julio Llópiz-Casal, last January.