A young Cuban documented on TikTok how much he could buy with 5,000 pesos in Ciego de Ávila, and his video went viral for reflecting the deep economic crisis affecting families on the island. Among the products he purchased were jam, rice, spaghetti, tomato puree, cookies, and a package of chicken, which he referred to as "the national bird of Cuba."
A Cuban content creator identified as @luismi_ibuprofeno shared a video on TikTok that quickly went viral, showing what he was able to buy with 5,000 Cuban pesos at a market in Ciego de Ávila.
"I went out with my grandmother to guide me on what I need to buy because I'm a mess," comments the young man at the beginning of the video, while showing the prices of food in the province, one of the areas most affected by inflation and scarcity.
The purchases include a guava jam (700 CUP), three pounds of rice (540 CUP), a packet of cookies (350 CUP), spaghetti (260 CUP), tomato puree (350 CUP), and a package of chicken (1,800 CUP), along with some candy and ice cream. "Chicken is the national bird of Cuba because it's the most abundant and the cheapest," the young man jokes humorously.
At the end of the tour, Luismi displays the products on the table and points out that after spending 5,000 pesos, he has 700 CUP left, with which he claims he will have to get by for the rest of the month. “All this food plus these 700 pesos must last for an entire month,” he says before saying goodbye.
The video, recorded in the streets of downtown Ciego de Ávila, has generated hundreds of comments from Cubans who relate to the situation and decry the high prices of basic foods. “Not even with 10,000 pesos can you fill a refrigerator,” wrote one user.
The influencer's testimony reflects the harsh reality faced by most Cubans, whose state salaries are insufficient to cover even the most basic expenses amid an unprecedented economic crisis characterized by inflation, shortages, and a loss of purchasing power.
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