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In a recent recognition event, students from the 104 Accounting Group of the Agrarian Polytechnic Institute (IPA) Mártires de Pino III were awarded four pounds of coffee and an induction stove.
The incentive was part of the emulation of school duties, a program aimed at stimulating academic performance and student commitment.
“As part of the school duty emulation, Group 104 of Accounting at our Ipa Mártires De Pino III is gifted four pounds of coffee and an induction stove for the enjoyment of Cuban tradition,” published the educational institution on its social media.
Apparently, concerned about improving the academic performance of their students, the teaching authorities at IPA Mártires de Pino III decided to reward their most diligent students with a survival kit for exam periods, consisting of a stovetop and four pounds of coffee to fend off the drowsiness that accompanies the accounting exercises of the Cuban agricultural sector.
The delivery of these incentives is part of a series of similar initiatives that have taken place in a country where food shortages and widespread poverty present images of award ceremonies filled with food or personal care products.
The awards given by those responsible for the scarcity
In previous occasions, workers from ETECSA have been awarded with products such as bananas, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes, according to reports from local media. Similarly, in the province of Guantánamo, teachers were rewarded with a bunch of bananas.
Cases have also been reported such as the delivery of food and personal care product combos to Cuban boxers, as well as the awarding of a taekwondo athlete with tomatoes and onions in Guantánamo.
A food combo was the prize awarded to a Cuban baseball player for not deserting the Cuba Under-23 baseball team in Mexico.
The Olympic champion Julio César La Cruz received similar gifts, and the judoka Idalys Ortiz, Olympic champion and silver medalist in Tokyo 2020, was honored with similar gestures from neighbors and authorities.
A short video circulated showing the moment when Idalys shyly walked down a hallway created by the residents of the mentioned community, who waved scarves and welcomed the Olympic champion with a table that displayed a couple of cakes and some bread.
Criticism of this type of incentive has emerged on social media and independent outlets, while some government-friendly journalists have defended these actions as a demonstration of the State's effort to acknowledge the achievements of its citizens.
The coffee shortage in Cuba
The distribution of coffee as an incentive for students in Cuba occurs in a context of significant scarcity of this product in the country.
For several years, Cubans have faced difficulties in acquiring coffee, even through the regulated basic basket. In December 2021, residents of Havana expressed their discontent with the lack of coffee, which was officially attributed to a shortage of containers, although many citizens questioned this explanation.
The situation has worsened over time. In September 2023, it was reported that the Villa Clara roasting plant had been unable to produce coffee for weeks due to a lack of raw materials, which impacted the distribution of the product in several provinces.
In October 2023, the renowned Italian company Lavazza launched an exclusive range of premium coffee made from Cuban beans in Madrid, while on the island, the population had gone months without receiving coffee through the ration book, according to a report by CiberCuba.
This scarcity has led to products like coffee becoming valuable incentives. The provision of four pounds of coffee to outstanding students reflects the reality of a country where basic goods are used as stimuli due to their limited availability in the national market.
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