A young Cuban documented her visit to La Candonga on TikTok, a well-known informal market located in the hospital area of Santa Clara, in the province of Villa Clara. The place is one of the most active non-state commercial spaces in the central part of the country and attracts people from nearby areas such as Cienfuegos and Sancti Spíritus.
The tiktoker, identified as @kary_y_jony, showcased in her video the various stalls that make up this fair, where everything from food, hygiene products, and household items to footwear, appliances, and parts for cars and motorcycles are sold. She explained that the area consists of two large fairs located near healthcare institutions.
However, beyond the variety of products, the creator denounced the conditions of the environment: "Prices, like in all businesses in Cuba, do not align with the salary of a worker." She also criticized the lack of cleanliness in the place, especially given its proximity to health centers.
"There are also various food outlets such as cafes and street stalls, but what stands out is the lack of cleanliness in the place," he expressed in the clip.
Reactions and previous posts
This is not the first time this user has made an impact on social media with such content. Just a few days ago, she shared a video about her visit to La Cuevita, a popular informal market in Havana, where she also questioned the high prices and the lack of hygiene in the urban environment.
"The streets are broken, filled with trash, there are no visible bins, and there is even less awareness of maintaining good hygiene," he commented on that occasion.
Market Background
La Candonga de Santa Clara has previously garnered attention on social media. In September 2023, the influencer known as “matrioshkacubana” described it as “the Amazon of Cuba”, referring to the variety of goods brought by Cubans from abroad for resale.
"In general, it is low-quality merchandise sold at low prices in other countries, but here it is marketed at exorbitant prices," he stated, and he denounced the instability of prices: "One week there is a price, and the next week everything could be more expensive."
In 2020, the market became the epicenter of a protest led by local self-employed workers demanding authorization from the regime to import products directly. The demonstration, which reached the headquarters of the Communist Party in Santa Clara, reflected the pressure from entrepreneurs to operate under fairer and more legal conditions.
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