The Minister of Domestic Trade, Betsy Díaz Velázquez, shared images on social media of the manual packaging process of oil intended for the stores in Havana, which has sparked significant outrage.
Díaz posted on social media images showing a group of workers from the Ministry of Domestic Trade (MINCIN) manually packaging oil using jars and funnels, without adhering to any hygiene or food safety measures.
"Workers from MINCIN are engaged in the packaging of oil intended for the regulated family basket in Havana," noted the minister.
In another publication, the responsible official indicated that the packaging of the oil was part of a volunteer effort "at the Territorial Wholesale Company of Food Products in Havana, aimed at packaging some of the oil for the regulated family basket."
The images showing the manual packaging of oil, violating all hygiene regulations, have sparked outrage on the social media platform X.
@VoltusVCuba commented: “At least five hygiene fines for each of them, and for you, removal from your position, since it’s clear that you have no idea how food should be handled. The Minister says... Feed the pigs, the order has been given. How disgusting, I don't even want oil in case it fries a hair.”
For his part, the user @KipsineO remarked: “A minister showcasing how Cuba is progressing. That photo is a poem about misery, without addressing hygiene issues. What a disaster Cuba is captured in one image.”
"Without a buccal-nasal mask, laughing and talking over the product. Do they know about the safety of food?” pointed out @andy_sv1986.
This opinion was echoed by @eulogiosorio, who remarked, "Canel is still going on about food security, circular economy, blah, blah, blah."
On his part, @Blancoy48488239 stated: "Normalizing communist misery, you should be ashamed of such repulsiveness."
"In any part of the world, you would be arrested for this, but since you are so clueless, you don't even realize it," said @ReinaldoEchev11.
"Betsy, delete the post before they call you in the middle of the night to say you're going off the air like Bejarano," mocked the user @Camaguey1514.
Recently, the Cuban government confirmed the ongoing issues with the distribution of the products in the regulated food basket sold to the population, which for years has either not been delivered in full or has faced constant delays.
"2023 concluded with impacts on beans, sugar, oil, coffee, chicken, meat products, eggs, and domestic fuels, which continued into the first quarter of 2024," stated a report from the official media outlet Cubadebate, which presented the "accountability" of MINCIN to the National Assembly of People's Power.
Reports of delays and shortages in the standard food basket continue to be seen on social media.
It is worth noting that at the beginning of July, the residents of Holguín received the rice that the government owed them from June. A similar situation occurred throughout the eastern region of the island.
Since 2022, the dependence on imports has increased to ensure the availability of products due to the decline in domestic production of rice, beans, eggs, milk, and other food items.
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