A Cuban identified as Daudy posted this week a video on TikTok expressing his outrage over having paid 18,000 pesos for just three liters of gasoline in the informal market, but the response from internet users took an unexpected turn: instead of commenting on the price of fuel, everyone focused on his gold teeth.
In the 39-second clip, Daudy showcases the three liters he just bought, not hiding his astonishment: "Gentlemen, incredible, look at this, look, three liters, three liters, I just bought them now. three liters at six thousand pesos per liter, eighteen thousand pesos. I just paid eighteen thousand pesos for these."
To prove that he is not exaggerating, the man turns to his own son as a witness. "To the tank on the hill, because neither children nor drunk people tell lies," he explains, while asking the little boy how much his dad paid and the child confirms the amount.
As if the price weren't enough reason for outrage, Daudy adds another alarming detail about the quality of the product: "This smells more like lubricant than gasoline," suggesting that the fuel could be contaminated.
However, what captured the attention of those who watched the video was neither the price nor the possible adulteration, but the striking style of the protagonist. Internet users noticed his gold teeth and posed the question that became the real topic of conversation: "And how much for the teeth?"
Golden teeth are a deeply rooted cultural symbol in Cuba, especially among the working class, where they represent social status and economic success. Their cost ranges between 200 and 500 dollars, primarily accessible through remittances or the informal economy. The irony of the contrast—complaining about paying nearly three minimum monthly salaries for three liters of fuel while sporting a dental jewel of that value—has not gone unnoticed.
The price paid by Daudy reflects the brutal surge in fuel costs in the Cuban informal market during the early months of 2026. in January, the liter was sold for between 700 and 1,500 pesos depending on the province; by April, it had reached between 4,000 and 6,000 pesos, a fourfold increase in just three months.
The crisis has structural causes: the interruption of shipments of Venezuelan oil since December 2025, the suspension of supplies from Pemex in January 2026, and the pressures from the Trump administration on countries supplying Cuba. In Havana, only three state-owned gas stations are operating, with wait times of up to 15 hours and a limit of twenty liters per person.
The average salary in Cuba hovers around 3,000 to 4,000 pesos per month, which means that the 18,000 pesos Daudy paid for three liters is equivalent to nearly three full minimum salaries. another Cuban paid 50,000 pesos for ten liters on March 26, illustrating just how far the collapse of the fuel distribution system on the island has reached.
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