Operation against illegal drug sales raises questions on social media: “So what are we going to buy now?”

A post by the Cuban police about an operation in Morón aimed at dismantling an alleged illegal drug sales point sparked a wave of indignation and frustration among users on social media, many of whom questioned the effectiveness of the state in ensuring access to basic medications amid the deep health crisis the country is experiencing.

The official report states that "significant quantities" of medications were seized and that drugs allegedly stolen from a local pharmacy were recovered. It was also reported that a woman presumed to be linked to the incident was arrested. The statement emphasizes the "protection of the population" and the importance of combating the diversion of resources.

But the public's reaction was very different. Under the official post, dozens of Cubans expressed their frustration, recalling that pharmacies have been practically empty for years and that, in the absence of alternatives, the population relies on the informal buying and selling to obtain everything from pain relievers to antibiotics.

Many users expressed regret that the fight against illegal vendors overlooks the underlying problem, which is the scarcity that forces patients and their families to turn to the informal market to treat fevers, infections, or chronic illnesses.

Others wondered what will happen to the seized medications and demanded that they truly reach hospitals and pharmacies, and not get lost along the way.

In the comments, some recalled that in broad daylight, medications are sold at various locations in Havana and other provinces without any action from the authorities, denouncing a selective "turning of a blind eye" that is only broken during specific operations.

It was also questioned why the names of suppliers within pharmacies and hospitals are never revealed, as many consider them to be the true source of the diversion.

The operation, far from instilling confidence, reignited the accumulated discontent of a population desperate to obtain basic medicines for their children, parents, or grandparents. Many comments agreed that if the authorities "collect" the medications circulating in the street but fail to supply the pharmacies, Cuban families are left even more helpless.

The police publication, intended to showcase efficiency, ended up highlighting the reality that the State is unable to resolve: in Cuba, falling ill has become a luxury that relies more on an improvised street vendor than on a healthcare system in crisis.