The official news outlet CentroVisión Yayabo published a video on Facebook celebrating the completion of the distribution of the basic basket for April in Sancti Spíritus, with four pounds of rice per consumer distributed free of charge. The reaction from Cubans in the comments was one of widespread outrage: dozens of people questioned the portrayal of what they describe as "misery at its highest expression" as an achievement.
The director of the wholesale food products company in the province, Helios Bel Martínez Hernández, reported that the special donation —which includes sugar, peas, and baby food— has already arrived in Cabaiguán, Yaguajay, and Trinidad, while the remaining municipalities are expected to receive it in the coming days.
In the provincial capital, the delivery was delayed due to the updating of the social assistance networks, although the lists were received on Thursday at the wholesale entity to complete the distribution across the entire territory.
The differentiated donations include oil, tuna, sardines, vegetable salad, and cookies for social assistance centers; sardines and cookies for children aged zero to 13 years; an additional kilogram of beans for infants aged two to six years; beans, lentils, cookies, and vegetable salad for underweight minors; tuna, sardines, and vegetable salad for pregnant women; and only vegetable salad for seniors over 65 years old.
This last allocation unleashed one of the harshest criticisms: "A can of vegetables for seniors over 65, what a shame," wrote one commenter.
The mention of baby food in the video generated immediate skepticism. "Baby food, you said? Where? Come on!" replied another user, summarizing what many residents are reporting: that despite the official announcement, the product has not reached them.
The closure of canneries and the shortage of containers have impacted the regular delivery of baby food since at least 2023, and in 2026 its distribution relies on donations or occasional availability.
Several commentators also noted that the rice being distributed is not domestically produced but rather a donation from China, and that in markets such as Olivos 2 in the city of Sancti Spíritus, rice had not been sold through the rationing system since December 2025. "They haven't sold rice through the basic basket since December. How dare they provide such information? If it's not for China's donation, we wouldn't see it at all. And only 4 pounds," wrote a resident.
Another user reported that the rice delivered expires in just seven days at some warehouses: "It takes months to provide something, and in only 7 days, the products expire in the warehouses, for example, Olivos 3 market."
The outrage also highlighted the visible inequality between the scarcity in the state stores and the abundance in other sectors: “Meanwhile, the Mipymes are full of products, and the dollar stores are also stocked with goods. Where is the supposed blockade? And they present this news as something extraordinary when it is misery at its highest expression.”
The context is that of an acute food crisis in Cuba that shows no signs of relief. According to the Food Monitor Program, 96.91% of the population lacks adequate access to food, and 33.9% of households had at least one member who went to bed hungry in the last 30 days. Five provinces—Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Guantanamo, and Santiago de Cuba—are experiencing critical levels of food survival.
The price of rice in the informal market exceeds 400 pesos per pound in June 2026, while the official supply provides only four pounds per consumer sporadically. "What a shame they have, always deceiving not only the Cuban people but the world as well. As if 8 jars of baby food could solve the problem. Oh regime, how long will this continue?" concluded another commentator.
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