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Three parallel lines without official backing, attendants lacking credentials, and a tense atmosphere that had already led to an attempt to force open the door of the establishment characterized the scene in the municipality of San Luis, in Santiago de Cuba, where residents were vying for the right to purchase a mobile phone line from the state-run and sole telecommunications company in Cuba (Etecsa).
Thus documented the independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, who this Friday, through his Facebook profile, reported on the chaos that erupted around the company's offices in the area.
According to the explanation, there are two lines operating in Dos Caminos and another one in the municipality of San Luis itself, each with its own independent list and its own "person in charge," without any official accreditation.
"This is no longer a line. It’s a pressure cooker ready to explode," warned Mayeta Labrada, who documented how the lack of organization and institutional presence has turned the purchase of a simple telephone line into a source of conflict among neighbors.
It's not the first time the situation has escalated. Just a few months ago, residents of Santiago de Cuba staged protests outside Etecsa offices after the available lines ran out in record time.
The context does not favor a quick solution either. Amid the energy crisis that the country is facing, the telecommunications monopoly on the island has implemented adjustments in its customer service channels that have reduced the operational capacity of its offices, which has led to a buildup of demand at the few locations that remain open.
Citizen discontent has also become evident on social media. Following the company's recent announcements, a wave of complaints from users emerged, reflecting the growing frustration with a service that fails to meet the population's needs.
Criticism is not limited to the queues. Recently, the state-owned company announced international roaming in dollars, with rates of up to three dollars per megabyte, a decision that sparked discontent among many Cubans.
On social media, a user labeled the sale of data that cannot be used as “the biggest deception that can be done to a human being”, in a post that quickly went viral.
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