The ration book, that "fossil" of the distribution of regulated products in Cuba dating back to 1962, refuses to die.
Although diminished, with many blank pages and almost decorative functions, judging by how little it regulates and distributes, the rationing booklet continues to "breathe," at least in the discourse of the Island's officials, who have declared the disappearance of its subsidized items, yet the imperative to manage poverty has prevented them from eliminating it entirely.
The Minister of Domestic Trade, Betsy Díaz Velázquez, stated that the ration booklet continues to be the main mechanism used by the Cuban state to distribute regulated products and international donations to the population. During an appearance on the government program Mesa Redonda, the official claimed that this system “has been until today and will continue to be,” while explaining the procedures for delivering aid received from abroad.
According to the details provided, products are recorded in the ledger and, in specific cases, are supplemented with separate lists to prioritize groups such as pregnant women, children, or people on medical diets.
In the same space, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Débora Rivas Saavedra, affirmed that the distribution is carried out in an “orderly” manner, respecting the wishes of the donors and through mechanisms for territorial monitoring and impact assessment.
According to the explanation, these controls allow for the maintenance of international cooperation towards Cuba and ensure compliance with the monitoring and tracking mechanisms employed by individuals, institutions, or donor countries.
Díaz Velázquez added that the process also includes what he called "popular control," through which citizens confirm the receipt of products in their communities as part of the delivery verification.
However, in the country, there are no established citizen mechanisms through which the public and transparent tracking of the volumes of donations received, their storage, and their distribution until they reach each recipient can be carried out.
It is also vox populi that, based on the outdated expiration dates sometimes found by consumers on certain products, these belong to old military reserves that may have been replenished with fresh donations entering the country.
The statements from the officials come amid increasing scrutiny regarding the destination of international aid. A report from the Mexican channel TV Azteca denounced recently that donated food, such as the so-called “well-being bean,” is being sold in state-run stores that operate in dollars, with prices reaching $2.97 per half kilogram and up to $43 for 30-kilogram bags.
In response to these accusations, government representatives, beginning with President Miguel Díaz-Canel, have consistently denied any diversion or commercialization of donations, asserting that the products intended for the population have "never been charged" and that the system has institutional audits in place to ensure their proper use.
Despite these statements, testimonials gathered from journalistic investigations indicate that part of the population has not received products advertised as donations, while some items have appeared in commercial circuits for foreign currency, which has sparked debate about the transparency and effectiveness of the state distribution model.
In this scenario, amidst an economic crisis marked by shortages of food, fuel, and basic products, when it most needs and requests international donations, the government of the Island insists on showcasing the meager ration book as the central axis of the distribution system.
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