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The Cuban activist Amelia Calzadilla published a reflection on social media this week in which she outlines a symbolic circle: her political struggle began by demanding gas for cooking, and today that same gas is now available for sale on digital platforms at 29 dollars per cylinder, out of reach for the vast majority of Cubans.
"Recently, it has become relevant that my struggle began over something as fundamental as demanding a way to cook food for our families," wrote Calzadilla, who has been living in Madrid since November 2023 after going into exile with her husband and three children.
The platforms Katapulk and Supermarket launched the sale of gas canisters to Cubans on the island after months of total absence of the product in the domestic market.
The price of 29 USD is unattainable for those who earn in Cuban pesos: the average salary in Cuba is 2,100 CUP, which amounts to only a few dollars. According to the infographic published by Calzadilla, a Cuban would need to work approximately five months to afford a single gas cylinder.
"My place is alongside the people who are indignant and concerned today," the activist emphasized, adding: "There is nothing more political than needs... to talk about politics is also to talk about a gas canister for a desperate mother who needs to be defended."
Calzadilla also responded to those who attempt to delegitimize his political participation by arguing that everyday hardships are not valid reasons to engage in public life. "They have tried to invalidate my right to participate in politics by stating that the hardships of millions are not valid reasons to get involved in the political life of their nation," he wrote.
The journey of Calzadilla from a dissatisfied neighbor to an active opponent began in January 2021, when she reported on Facebook that 58 families in the Havana municipality of Cerro had been without manufactured gas for eight years, forced to cook with electricity just as the "Tarea Ordenamiento" was skyrocketing electricity rates.
The State Security responded with campaigns of discredit and defamation. Calzadilla explained that these pressures "pushed" her to become an activist and opponent, a process that culminated on April 27 with the founding of the Cuban Orthodox Liberal Party (PLOC), a center-right liberal party inspired by Marti's ideals and free market principles.
The liquefied gas crisis in Cuba is structural. Of the 1.7 million liquefied gas customers on the island, approximately 834,000 —almost half— were unable to purchase the product in the latest distributions of April 2026.
In January 2025, provinces such as Las Tunas, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Camagüey, Isla de la Juventud, and Pinar del Río suspended sales "until further notice" due to "low availability." The government attempted to alleviate the situation by expanding manufactured gas services in Havana, aiming for 25,000 new customers, although only 16% of the capital's population has potential access to this network.
Sales on digital platforms in dollars represent a new phase of the crisis: the regime is unable to guarantee subsidized supply, and the product reappears on the market in foreign currency, inaccessible to those who earn in pesos.
Calzadilla, who revealed the reasons behind the founding of PLOC at the end of April, concluded her post with a phrase that summarizes her journey: “I intend to take my place with my head held high and with great pride.”
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