The 32nd International Book Fair, which concludes this Sunday in Santiago de Cuba, once again left a bitter taste due to the high prices of books, as many parents lamented that a single copy costs the equivalent of a monthly salary.
The communicator Yosmany Mayeta Labrada shared a message expressing the frustration of a mother who, upon taking her son to the stands of the literary event, chose not to buy any copies due to the high prices.
"This message is just to inform you that these are the prices per unit for the Children's Book Fair. The salary of a month's work for us parents is roughly equivalent to the cost of one book," the woman reported.
The images show that the prices of the texts range from 1,000 to 2,000 and even up to 5,000 pesos. Moreover, most of them are printed copies from foreign publishers.
"It's madness that a book costs as much as what I earn in 24 days of work. How crazy is that! It makes my hair stand on end," commented a person named Ana María Rosabal Hernández.
Yasmani Miranda jokingly remarked, "But wait a minute, those characters know how to cook, clean, and even patch up jars to manage that kind of expense."
"I remember when I was a child, during the Book Fair, how much joy it brought to the children at the Heredia Theater. With the 100 pesos my parents would give me, I could come home with several books to read and color," reflected user Gema Jlo.
Laura Valdez replied, “That's right, and it hurts to take the kids and not be able to buy them one because of the high prices.”
"Sincerely, right now I have my doubts that this is the book fair here in Cuba," said Lizandra Lozano Amador. "It's just that it's the first time I've seen books of such quality and with those themes that can be appreciated in the photos. Books like The Little Prince, which as a librarian, I've only seen in a very small format with very poor illustrations."
Mayelin Revilla Sánchez also stated, "If we buy books, we won't have breakfast, not to mention we won't eat anything at all."
“Ah, but no way, I didn’t see the wonderful Mafalda book for 9,000 pesos there. All thanks to our marvelous leaders, our gods with brilliant ideas that only harm the people,” commented Anara Gondin Rodríguez.
During the Havana chapter of the Book Fair, Cuban YouTuber Rosy Wanderlust also denounced the high prices of publishing productions and office supplies, as well as the shortages evidenced by empty shelves and long lines.
But the sad reality of book prices is not new. In 2023, Cuban mothers warned that the prices at the Havana Book Fair seemed like those in Dubai, as copies reached costs of over 2,500 pesos.
That same year, disappointed Cubans at the cultural event noted that works by the popular British author J. K. Rowling were sold for the exorbitant price of 5,000 pesos, and a deluxe edition of Harry Potter was priced at 9,600 pesos.
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