Eighty percent of Cubans view the current crisis as worse than the Special Period, according to a report

The perception of economic and social deterioration in Cuba has reached critical levels, with a majority of citizens believing that the current situation is more severe than that experienced during the Special Period in the 1990s.

The information was released by the organization Food Monitor Program (FMP) in a recent report on food security on the island, which analyzes the conditions of access to food and the impact of the crisis on Cuban households.

According to the report from the organization dedicated to monitoring food security in Cuba, 80% of those surveyed perceive that the current situation is worse than during the toughest phase following the fall of the Soviet bloc.

The study links this perception to the sustained increase in prices, the partial dollarization of the economy, and the decline in agricultural production.

The report warns that Cuba imports between 70 and 80% of the food it consumes, reflecting the low productivity of the agricultural sector after decades of state control and limited incentives for producers.

It also cites data from the World Food Program indicating that more than 70% of households have had to reduce the quantity or quality of food, while around 36% of the population experiences levels of food insecurity.

FMP argues that, although international cooperation is necessary in the face of the emergency, it does not correct the structural distortions of the productive model nor does it guarantee a sustainable recovery.

The organization concludes that the current food crisis is the result of problems accumulated over the years and not a temporary situation.

In this regard, the prolonged blackouts and fuel shortages have forced many Cubans to revisit solutions from the past, old specters that some thought would never return. 

In Trinidad, Yudit Vidal Faife dusted off a solar oven brought to the island in the 1990s and put it back into operation to cook amid the current energy crisis.

Through a series of videos posted on social media, the woman demonstrated how she used the device to soften red beans using only the energy of the sun.