A Cuban woman showcased the prices of certain products from a small and medium-sized enterprise in Cuba, where a tube of toothpaste is sold for 1,150 CUP, a price that has sparked a wave of outrage among Cubans who point out the impossibility of affording these products with their salaries.
The video was shared on Facebook by Milenis García. The young woman tours the establishment and describes it as filled with products: candies, coffee, baking soda, detergent, fabric softener, and even a children's bicycle.
García describes the prices as competitive compared to state-run stores and concludes that "it's more effective to send money to the family than to be sending food through the apps."
However, the reaction from followers contrasts sharply with that assessment. Some users put the price of the toothpaste into perspective: a state worker earns barely 3,500 pesos a month and a retiree, 1,700 pesos, making that tube an expense that represents between one third and the entirety of the monthly income of many Cuban families.
The context is even more serious considering that the average state salary does not reach 7,000 pesos, while the minimum pension, raised to 4,000 pesos in September 2025, remains insufficient to cover basic living costs.
The 100 ml Colgate toothpaste is sold in other small and medium enterprises for up to 1,680 pesos, a figure that illustrates the extent of the problem for those who rely solely on income in local currency.
The shortage of this basic product is not a new issue. The people of Havana went up to six months without receiving this product through the supply book, which has led the population to depend on small and medium enterprises and the black market to access basic hygiene items.
The price crisis is compounded by the degradation of the quality of available products. In some cases, buyers have reported having purchased false toothpaste tubes that contained a stick inside, highlighting the level of fraud that is rampant in an unregulated market.
"The prices are a disrespect to those living in Cuba on a salary; this is absolutely not okay, and it shouldn't be normalized," wrote a user, summarizing the feelings of those who see how basic hygiene items become unreachable luxuries in Cuba.
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