A Cuban resident in Trinidad, in the province of Sancti Spíritus, summed up the island's food reality in a phrase that thousands of people immediately resonated with: “There is everything, but not for everyone”.
The author of the videos, Mirelis Dapresa, responded to comments on social media that accused Cubans of being "crybabies" for complaining about shortages when the markets show available products.
The first video, recorded on June 13 in front of an informal market next to a karaoke in Trinidad, garnered almost 238,000 views and over 4,600 reactions in just a few days.
"There is everything, but not for everyone; the prices, not just in karaoke, I always say, are overall high, so don’t even think that what you see there, which looks like a lot of food, is for everyone," Dapresa stated in the first video.
In that same market, the prices recorded on June 13 illustrated his argument: white cheese was sold between 400 and 500 Cuban pesos (CUP) per pound, pork was between 750 and 800 CUP —having decreased from 850 CUP the previous week—, rice continued to rise, and malanga had practically vanished.
In a second video published on June 14, Dapresa elaborated on his argument and pointed out who, in practice, can actually buy in that market: “Most of the people who manage to buy there in the karaoke are individuals who receive support from abroad from family, friends, and others who are helping their families here because they know that otherwise, they cannot eat.”
The figures support what is described. The official average salary in Cuba was 6,930 CUP in 2025, equivalent to between 12 and 15 dollars at the informal exchange rate. A study cited in June 2026 estimated that a person needs 96,060 CUP per month to cover their basic needs, which is about 14 times the average salary.
A basic purchase at a Cuban market totaled 21,060 CUP on June 4, more than three times the average monthly salary in the country. The basic basket for two people in Havana exceeds 41,000 CUP per month, whereas the average salary barely covers less than 20% of that amount.
Dapresa also rejected the argument that inequality in access to food is something normal anywhere in the world: "In many parts of the world, there are various options. And those who don't achieve anything almost always do so because they have a terrible mindset," he ironically quoted the reasoning of his critics before dismantling it.
His most direct criticism targeted the official rhetoric of the regime: "The other thing is that they claim they fought against social inequality. They have always said that."
The gap described by Dapresa has widened since the 2021 reforms that legalized small and medium private enterprises. According to an analysis by Cuban sociologists cited by EFE on May 25, 2026, the "policrisis" in Cuba has deepened inequalities across various dimensions: economic, racial, territorial, generational, and gender.
Meanwhile, in Sancti Spíritus —the province where Dapresa lives— donations of rice, sugar, peas, and baby food were reported in June 2026 due to the shortages in state stores, which sparked a bitter reaction among Cubans: “The Mipymes are full of products and the dollar stores are also full of merchandise”, users wrote on social media.
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