In a heartbreaking scene that highlights the deep crisis in Cuba, several citizens were seen picking up pieces of cassava from the ground on the road in the Altamira neighborhood of Santiago de Cuba, as reported by local journalist Yosmany Mayeta on Facebook.
The image adds to a series of similar events occurring on the island, where shortages and difficult living conditions force citizens to resort to desperate measures to access food.
Recently, a disturbing video showed elderly individuals picking up spilled powdered milk on a street in Santiago de Cuba.
In the brief video shared by Mayeta on social media, people could be seen crouched down, carefully gathering milk with their hands and placing it into plastic bags. "It breaks the heart to see our elders doing this; the hunger and need are so great that it forces them to do it," commented one user on the post.
These incidents are not isolated. In recent months, images have emerged of Cubans, including children, collecting oil, eggs, and other products that have accidentally fallen off distribution trucks in various parts of the country.
The ongoing scarcity has left many families without the essential basic products, forcing them to seize any opportunity, even if it means picking up food from the ground.
The crisis has also sparked reactions of frustration and desperation among the population. During the carnival in Santiago de Cuba, amid reports of acts of violence, people were seen taking pieces of public bathrooms set up for the event, apparently to use them in their homes.
A video published by Mayeta shows a man taking part of a wooden bathroom to repair his home.
In Havana, another distressing scene was reported when a group of people gathered rice and beans confiscated from a vendor in the Río Verde neighborhood of Boyeros municipality.
According to the Facebook profile "Con el otro filo," the product was thrown to the ground by the seller in protest after inspectors and the National Revolutionary Police confiscated it for allegedly violating price limits.
Instead of showing solidarity, several people bent down to pick up the grains from the ground amid the desperation felt on the island.
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