Related videos:
At the market of 3rd and 70, in Miramar, Havana, imported beef from the United States is sold at luxury prices.
A piece of beef sirloin is being offered for 330 dollars, as confirmed by Carlos Herrera Rodríguez on his personal profile on Facebook.
Herrera shared some images showing a clear river farms beef loin cut, stamped with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) seal, along with a label indicating a total price of $330.00 and a unit price of $480 per unit.
In the comments of his post, Herrera detailed that the figure equals more than 155,000 Cuban pesos at the current informal exchange rate.
“330 × 470 = 155,100 pesos, you can draw your own conclusions,” wrote the internet user, reflecting the magnitude of the price compared to the actual income of the population.
The sale of imported products in the 3rd and 70th market —one of the most exclusive shopping centers in Havana, and the first created in dollars— highlights the gap between Cubans who have access to foreign currency and the majority who survive on state salaries.
The average salary in Cuba exceeds 6,000 pesos, which means that a single cut of beef is equivalent to more than two years of work for a state employee.
The American beef loin is one of the most valued cuts for its texture and flavor, but its presence on the shelves at 3rd and 70 does not signify an improvement in the national food supply; rather, it reflects a profoundly unequal economy, where essential products are dollarized while the Cuban peso continues to decline.
In a country where beef is practically absent from the popular diet, seeing a piece sold for 330 dollars has become a symbol of the contrast between the scarcity experienced by the people and the abundance reserved for a select few with access to foreign currency.
Filed under: