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After weeks of uncertainty, the Liquefied Gas Company announced the resumption of the distribution of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the provinces of Havana, Artemisa, and Mayabeque.
The service, essential for the daily lives of thousands of families, had been suspended until a ship finally offloaded fuel at the Ñico López refinery port.
The entity explained in an informational note that “once the liquefied petroleum gas has been received at the port of Havana, commercial operations will commence immediately.”
However, the announcement, more than a definitive solution, reveals the extent of the country's dependence on each specific arrival of vessels and the fragility of the supply of an essential resource.
Restrictive measures for an unsatisfied demand
The state-owned company announced the implementation of a series of measures aimed at "achieving an equitable distribution of the product."
The provisions established by the company focus on controlling the distribution of the little gas available and not on ensuring stability for the population
Limited territorial coverage: Although it is assured that “there will be an impact in all municipalities of the three provinces, with daily planning,” the measure is more a response to a rationing strategy than to a true stable availability.
Customer exclusion: During the first five days, only those who were pending since February and were unable to purchase in June will be allowed to buy. This means that a delayed group is prioritized, while many others will have to continue waiting.
Fragmented information: The company itself acknowledges that only after those five days "will it be announced how the sales process will continue," leaving many customers in a state of uncertainty.
One cylinder per core: The restriction of selling only one cylinder per customer reflects the scarcity. For large families or those with special needs, this measure is clearly insufficient.
"Equitable distribution" or management of scarcity
The General Director of the Liquefied Gas Company, Iván Agustín Lora Alfredo, stated in an interview with Granma that the planning aims to ensure "an equitable distribution."
However, in practice, the term amounts to distributing scarcity and prolonging the tension among the population that relies on this service.
Amid daily blackouts, access to liquefied gas becomes the only reliable way to cook.
The limited and conditional sale does not reflect the magnitude of the accumulated demand, but rather highlights the lack of structural solutions.
Complaint channels, but without structural response
The company reminded that complaints can be communicated to the Customer Service Group by phone, email, or in person in Centro Habana.
However, these contact avenues are little more than a formal outlet for issues that have no short-term solution, as they depend on external factors such as the arrival of new ships and the availability of foreign currency for imports.
The resumption of LPG distribution is undoubtedly a relief for those who have been waiting for weeks in the three benefiting provinces, but the overall outlook remains bleak.
As long as the country fails to ensure a stable and predictable supply, each announcement from the company will merely be a temporary fix, inadequate in the face of the magnitude of the energy crisis that directly impacts the tables and daily lives of Cuban households.
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