In the midst of scarcity and prices on an unrestrained escalation, the Cuban government inaugurated on Tuesday the fourth International Food Fair in Havana.
At the event, which will take place until Thursday, May 23 at the Pabexpo venue, more than a hundred companies from 20 countries are participating, including some from the Cuban private sector.
The regime promoted the International Fair of Food, Beverages, Packaging, and Food Technology as an opportunity to promote foreign investment, increase productive capacities, and create projects to strengthen the weakened national industry.
The Minister of Food Industry, Alberto López Díaz, said that the current context is "more complex," and pointed out that it is "urgent" to be less dependent on imports for national productions.
The abundance displayed by state-owned companies at the fair contrasts with the empty shelves in supermarkets, at a time when inflation and the depreciation of the Cuban peso have eroded the purchasing power of the people.
While the citizens struggle to put food on the table, the government showcases at the Fair products mainly intended for export or with prices unattainable for Cubans.
The EFE agency visited the booth of the state-owned Cuban Bread Company, where sweets, cakes, and bread made with raw materials imported due to the lack of national flour are on display.
For the quality specialist of the company, Julia María Babastro, the Alimentos Cuba 2024 fair is "an opportunity to show what we do, despite the difficult situation."
In addition to joint ventures with foreign capital, the government is trying to attract Cubans residing abroad to seek higher income to acquire raw materials and fuels.
The lack of basic food items such as milk, bread, rice, meat, sugar, or coffee is the daily reality for the majority of Cubans, along with power outages and the deterioration of essential services such as healthcare and transportation.
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