A Cuban took to social media to highlight the severe impact of inflation in the country by revealing that the cost of making an ajiaco at home exceeds 8,000 pesos.
Manuel Viera, a resident of Havana, shared on Facebook his experience of trying to cook this traditional dish, and the amount he had to spend reflects the harsh economic reality faced by Cubans.
"Today we woke up at home with a craving for ajiaco," Viera noted, pointing out that it had been a while since she last made the dish; however, she reported that the most surprising aspect was the exorbitant cost of the ingredients.
She decided to take advantage of the "fair" day to buy food, but despite it being a market for agricultural products, she had difficulties finding what she needed.
At the end of his search, Viera detailed the prices: 3 pounds of meat for 4,200 pesos, cilantro for 100, corn for 250, onions for 1,000, malanga for 490, a mixed assortment of root vegetables cut for 390, one cassava for 70, a small bunch of plantains for 100, and four tiny green plantains also for 100.
Additionally, a can of tomato puree cost him 500 pesos, as did the cumin and the complete seasoning, which added another 500 pesos, further increasing the cost of the preparation.
In total, the cost came to 8,270 pesos, a shocking amount for a dish that is part of Cuban tradition.
“Today, making an ajiaco in this 'tourist' paradise costs over 8,000 pesos,” wrote Viera, reflecting on how in a household with two professionals, such as doctors, teachers, or engineers, it would be impossible to afford this dish even once a month.
Worse still, for retirees and pensioners, access to these basic foods seems like an unattainable goal, it was reported.
Viera concluded his publication with a strong critique of the country's economic situation: "This is how we Cubans live, or rather, this is how we do not live," reflecting the growing frustration with high prices and the challenging reality facing the average Cuban.
Cuba closed the month of May with a year-on-year inflation increase of 31% compared to the same month last year, according to data shared by Finance Minister Lourdes Rodríguez with a group of representatives from Mipymes.
According to Rodríguez, prices are "stable" given the severity of the situation, considering that the accumulated increase from January to May is 15%.
"We are in a trend that is not advancing at a faster pace than in 2023, but it is also not halting its growth," he warned.
That same "hopeful" trend was confirmed last June when the Cuban regime stated that the economic situation "remains very tense," but that prices were continuing to rise at a slower pace.
"Monthly inflation showed a slight slowdown in April, dropping from 4.07 in March to 2.13. In comparison to March 2023, the year-on-year inflation rate, which reached 46.4%, has been decreasing," stated Joaquín Alonso Vázquez, the Minister of Economy and Planning, during a meeting of the Council of Ministers.
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