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The government of Miguel Díaz-Canel announced the definitive elimination of the supply booklet, the food rationing system that had been in place for more than six decades and which, for many, served as both a safety net and a symbol of the country's ongoing economic crisis.
This announcement marks the end of an era, but it also deepens concerns about access to food in a context of inflation, scarcity, devaluation of the national currency, precarious wages, and the strengthening of repressive mechanisms in a violent and totalitarian regime.
Implemented by the dictator Fidel Castro in 1962, the ration book was conceived as a tool to ensure the equitable distribution of basic goods in the wake of a newly imposed American embargo.
Over the years, the system provided rations of basic foods such as rice, meats, sugar, dairy products, coffee, tobacco, oil, and beans. However, its scope and effectiveness decreased sharply over time due to the deterioration of the Cuban economy and the communist regime's inability to maintain the supply.
In its early decades, the ration book was seen as a temporary solution, but it soon became an essential mechanism for most Cubans. However, starting in the 1990s, with the collapse of the socialist bloc, the system experienced a significant decrease in both the quantity and quality of the products offered.
In the last decade, deliveries have been further restricted, while official calls to "modernize" the economy and eliminate "excessive subsidies and undue gratuities" have increased.
Official contradictions
Since 2018, high-ranking Cuban officials had indicated the intention to dismantle the ration book, but always under the premise that this would happen only when favorable economic conditions were present.
In 2020, the then head of the Guidelines, Marino Murillo Jorge, stated that "the dismantling of the rationing system will happen when the economy allows it." However, the elimination of the system in 2024 contradicts these statements and occurs in the midst of a severe economic crisis, characterized by rampant inflation and the collapse of the Cuban peso.
In recent years, several provinces have experienced cuts in the rationed products, ranging from the removal of milk for certain groups to the replacement of essential foods with alternatives like syrup and chocolate mixes.
These changes already foreshadowed the end of rationing as an organized system, leaving Cuban families dependent on informal markets and stores that accept dollars.
Over the years, official statements have been inconsistent. For instance, in 2023, state-run media denied rumors about the elimination of the ration book, claiming it was an "essential tool for food security." However, months later, significant cuts began to be implemented, revealing a lack of a coherent plan.
In 2023, the Minister of Domestic Trade, Betsy Díaz Velázquez, stated that "the ration book will not disappear as long as it is needed," a statement that contrasts with the current decision of the regime.
Even the daughter of General Raúl Castro, official Mariela Castro Espín, referred to the ration book as "essential" for ensuring food security amid the crisis.
"It was very stigmatized, and there was always a lot of criticism regarding the ration book. And suddenly, in those meetings (...) we all started to defend the ration book, even calculating how much the lowest-paid worker earns and how much they spend to buy this... 'No, no, there's no way they can take the ration book away from us!'," she stated in September 2021.
Impact on the population
The disappearance of the ration book exacerbates an already critical situation for millions of Cubans.
For many, subsidized rations were the only way to ensure a minimum food intake in a country where salaries are insufficient to cover prices in the informal market. The gradual dollarization of trade has created an insurmountable gap between those who have access to foreign currency and those who do not.
"It was little, but it was certain," commented citizens on social media, where reactions of outrage quickly followed. "They are taking away the only thing that guaranteed some food each month," wrote one user.
The complaints also highlight the lack of a clear plan to replace the system and address the needs of "vulnerable individuals." Without the ration book, many families are confronted with the challenge of obtaining food at exorbitant prices or finding it nonexistent in state markets.
Goodbye to Rationing: A Step Towards the Market?
The government has justified the elimination of the rationing book as part of a strategy to "modernize" the economy and reduce state expenses. However, experts point out that this measure is more a reflection of the regime's inability to sustain the system than a true structural reform.
The decision also appears to align with a gradual policy of opening up to market models, although without the necessary social protections to safeguard the most vulnerable sectors.
Since Díaz-Canel's appointment as the ruler of Cuba, the authorities have advocated for the idea of a "necessary change," but the implementation of these policies has revealed a disconnect between official objectives and the needs of the population.
The end of rationing signifies the conclusion of a system that, although imperfect, served as a safety net amidst an unprecedented economic crisis.
An uncertain future
The end of the ration book not only signifies the disappearance of a distribution system, but also the symbolic abandonment of a "revolutionary promise": the guarantee of basic food for all.
While the government insists that the elimination of rationing is a step toward efficiency, millions of Cubans face an uncertain future, where survival will depend more than ever on access to dollars and ingenuity to navigate the challenges of an increasingly unequal economy.
Upheavals and unfulfilled promises
Since 2010, the Cuban government has oscillated between defending the ration book as an essential tool and identifying its elimination as a goal for economic modernization.
At that time, officials stated that "the dismantling will be gradual and will depend on the strengthening of the economy," a promise that was never fulfilled.
In 2018, during a period of relative stability, authorities insisted that "there were no conditions" to eliminate the system, but cuts in the availability of products were already noticeable.
By 2020, the rhetoric shifted once again, suggesting that the ration book would be replaced by a regulated market model, a promise that was not realized due to the economic collapse exacerbated by the pandemic.
In 2023, while rumors about its disappearance were being denied, restrictions began to emerge that foreshadowed its end. Rice, oil, and milk—cornerstones of the system—became increasingly scarce, as Cubans relied more on dollar stores, which were inaccessible to a large part of the population.
The elimination of the ration book marks a turning point in the economic and social history of Cuba. Beyond official justifications, the end of this system highlights the regime's inability to ensure food security for its population.
Without a clear plan for its replacement, Cubans face a future filled with uncertainty, where access to food and basic goods will depend on their ability to adapt to an increasingly unequal market.
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