"These are the prices on online platforms for Cuba," wrote the young Cuban Alianis Leyva in the description of a video posted on her TikTok account, where she revealed the alarming reality of the cost of living on the island.
"With 170 dollars, this is what my mom was able to buy," the young woman remarked, before listing the products purchased: three kilograms of sausage, a box of 40-pound chicken, two legs for traditional snacks, one kilogram of cheese, another type of snack dough, two cans of fruit cuts, two kilograms of corn flour, one kilogram of green peas and one of yellow peas, five cans of sweet corn, four mortadellas, four bottles of 900-milliliter oil, three chicken minced meats, five bars of bath soap, a carton of eggs, three packs of elbow macaroni, one packet of yeast, three packs of spaghetti, a case of olives, two bottles of liquid soap, and as a "gift," a butter.
Additionally, the shipping of the purchase to your municipality incurred an additional cost of 20 dollars, he noted.
"Tell me what you think about the prices," the young woman wrote at the end of the video, reflecting the indignation of thousands of Cubans facing exorbitant prices in a country where the average state salary does not exceed 20 dollars a month.
The clip, which quickly went viral, has sparked a wide debate on social media about the high cost of food in virtual stores operating in Cuba, where Cubans are increasingly reliant on remittances from relatives abroad to access basic products.
Amid a deep economic crisis, with soaring inflation and a devalued national currency, many Cubans report that prices on online platforms have become exorbitant, while the regime offers no real solutions to alleviate the scarcity and hunger affecting the population.
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