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A Commercial, Agricultural, and Gastronomic Fair organized this Saturday in Camagüey in celebration of Mother's Day has sparked a wave of citizen criticism on social media, where comments have condemned exorbitant prices, power outages, and the perception that quality products do not reach the public.
The event took place starting at 7:00 a.m. at the Cándido González stadium, the INRA Trocha, La Libertad Avenue, and the surrounding areas of CopaCabana, with over 240 participating establishments, specified the official broadcaster's Facebook page, Radio Cadena Agramonte.
According to Reinaldo Aguilar Cruz, coordinator of Programs and Goals of the Provincial Government, 22 commercial facilities, 27 economic actors, and 143 productive bases intervened, offering meals, vegetables, grains, charcoal, and meat products.
Walter Simón Noris, first secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party, and Jorge Enrique Sutil Sarabia, governor of the province, toured the facilities and acknowledged that "the demands of the people are still not being met," although they highlighted the effort made amid economic and fuel constraints, the source reported.
The public reaction in the comments on official publications was strong and contrasted sharply with the regime's narrative.
Alfredo Pozo summed up the feelings of many with a phrase that became the most shared: "And it's just food for the people, the meat is for the leaders."
Idalberto Olivares questioned the notion of affordable prices proposed by the organizers. "What do they mean by affordable prices, three sweet potatoes for 60 pesos a pound and sometimes they turn out bad?" he asked.
Milka Milanés Saldaña described the situation of Cuban mothers in stark terms. "Today, in complete blackout, there is nowhere to store food, refrigerators are disconnected, there is not a working or retired mother whose salary or pension can cover the cost of a gift, food, or other basic needs... the banks have no cash," she said.
Ángel Luis Gracia Gonzales was more direct. "What celebration, when they are killing all the mothers and other human beings with the prices and scarcity, and above all the massive blackouts that only the people suffer?" he argued.
For his part, Oscar Gamboa added sarcastically that "the joy of the people is clearly visible behind four plantains; they should be ashamed to publish that."
Loraine Borroto summed up the fair in two words that many Cubans agreed with: "The circus."
The Camagüey fair is not an isolated case. This week, the Arte para Mamá fair in Sancti Spíritus also faced criticism for unaffordable prices, being labeled as "art for the wealthy moms."
In April, a woman from Cienfuegos documented that with 2,500 pesos she was unable to buy meat at an agricultural fair, where steak cost 1,000 pesos per pound.
The situation in Camagüey further worsens the outlook. In February, the province suspended interprovincial transportation and the sale of gasoline due to a shortage of diesel, maintaining only one bus per day to Havana.
Additionally, the second secretary of the provincial PCC was dismissed for diverting fuel intended for hospitals and polyclinics, in a corruption scandal that shook the local party leadership.
On a national level, the average salary is around 6,930 pesos (about 15 dollars at unofficial exchange rates), while survival requires over 50,000 pesos per month. The survey En Cuba Hay Hambre 2025 revealed that nearly 34% of households have at least one member who goes to bed without eating.
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