The Ministry of Domestic Trade of Cuba stated that the information circulating on social media about the alleged sale in foreign currency stores of products donated by the government of Mexico is false.
The official entity stated in a statement that the food sent as humanitarian aid continues to be distributed free of charge to the population through the country's network of stores.
"The Ministry of Domestic Trade reports that the news circulating on digital social media about the sale of products donated by the brotherly people and government of Mexico in the foreign currency stores is false," the institution stated.
The pronouncement comes after a report from the Mexican channel TV Azteca denounced that products sent as humanitarian aid to Cuba were being sold in state-controlled stores that operate in dollars.
The investigation presented by journalist Rodrigo Lema claims that donated food items, including the so-called "bean of welfare," are being sold through distributors linked to military structures.
According to the report, 30-kilogram bundles of beans are being offered for $43, while in some state-run stores, the product is sold for $2.97 per half kilogram.
The report also includes testimonies from citizens who claim they have not received those food supplies despite the arrival of ships with donations to the Bay of Havana.
Following the spread of these allegations, Cuban-American Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar reacted on social media, asserting that for years she has denounced that international aid intended for the Cuban people ends up in the hands of the ruling elite or is turned into a business.
"While Cubans suffer from hunger, the dictatorship turns international naivety into a business for the military and the regime's elite," the lawmaker wrote on X.
Salazar concluded his message with a warning to the Cuban government: “They will fall. And they will be held accountable. Very soon.”
For its part, the Ministry of Internal Trade insisted that the products donated by Mexico continue to be distributed free of charge to the population through the established distribution mechanisms.
"As has been reported on the institution's official profiles, the distribution and free delivery of products to the population in the warehouses continues," the entity stated.
The authorities also urged the public to stay informed only through the official channels of the organization.
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