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The Ministry of Domestic Trade of Cuba announced this week the distribution of part of the regulated basic food basket for April in Santiago de Cuba with a "quantity" of products that "makes one cringe," as is often said on the Island: One pound of sugar per consumer and a package of 500 grams of short pasta exclusively for children aged zero to 13 years.
The announcement was published on the official account of the Business Group of Commerce in the eastern province (Geci Santiago de Cuba) of MINCIN and by MINCIN itself on Facebook, sparking a wave of reactions that ranged from indignation to mockery and desperation. The situation is reminiscent of what has happened in other provinces, where distributing just a pound of sugar per month per person became the norm rather than the exception.
The collapse of the Cuban sugar industry partly explains this scarcity. The country's production has fallen to the worst figure in over 125 years, even lower than that of 1899, a statistic that illustrates the magnitude of the disaster. To understand the decline, it is enough to remember that Cuba produced more than eight million tons of sugar in 1970, a figure that is unimaginable today.
The comments on the MINCIN publication left no doubt about the mood of the population. "Hahaha what misery, two products and in meager amounts. And they still call that a basic basket?" wrote one user, reflecting the general sentiment among those who responded to the announcement with a mix of bitter humor and despair.
Others inquired about missing products from previous months, such as "the 0-1 milk that hasn't arrived," according to some locals, who have been in debt since February. In a similar situation, there were mentions of the "rice and oil module" owed to pregnant women and seniors over 65 in certain areas, and even "the cans of sardines" meant for donation: "Not to mention: they disappeared."
The irony bordering on sarcasm was not missing among the forum participants: "Thanks to the revolution for so much, always demonstrating the government's achievements. Long live President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez. Long live the victorious revolution," someone wrote. And another netizen replied, "Now I know that one can live on sugar and spaghetti and without rice."
Moreover, some comments clearly reflected the desperation of mothers and fathers facing the severe food shortages in the country: "We no longer know what to sell to buy food for our children, and now they send out a small package of pasta for kids aged 0 to 13 [...] as if that would help at all," noted an internet user. "What a shame. I won't even publish that, what a lack of respect this government has for the people," wrote another forum participant.
Caught in a multidimensional crisis that seems endless, the nation is experiencing some of the worst moments in recent decades. International organizations such as the UN has spoken of a humanitarian situation, for which multilateral cooperation is urgently needed.
The regime, for its part, has ruled out making political changes in the country and continues to fail to provide a viable strategy to address the essential hardships faced by its citizens.
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