Comparative images published on Saturday in the Facebook group Revolico Guantánamo Plus sparked a wave of outrage among residents of Guantánamo, who reported the dramatic deterioration of the bread from the basic food basket they receive in their neighborhoods.
The post, signed by Katherine Sago, displayed two loaves: one from two days ago, white and made with refined flour, and another recent one that she herself described as "horror movie bread, not to mention the weight."
"I wonder if the relatives, the children of the people who make those breads, eat them. Cubans have lost their love for their neighbors, their empathy. They don't care about the children who are going to eat that garbage," Sago wrote.
Dozens of residents responded with comments confirming that the problem affects the entire province, not just an isolated point of sale.
An internet user remarked that "any bread you buy is pure garbage, and no one checks the weight or quality; everything is just mediocre." Another pointed out the recipe: "When it sits on the counter and the manager has to pay, they’ll realize that a recipe without sugar, without oil, etc., will never produce bread."
The complaints shared several details: the bread arrives with high acidity, lacking both fat and salt, and if left until the afternoon, black spots appear on its surface. One resident summed it up this way: "The bread being sold through the basic basket is disgusting; not even the dogs will eat it. It's our daily bread, not our daily poison."
Neighbors from Reparto Obrero confirmed that the situation is the same in their area, and one citizen demanded to know where the authorities responsible for overseeing the production at the bakery of Pedro A. Pérez, located on streets 2 and 3 Sur, are. "No state authority monitors its quality. That’s how things are," summarized another internet user.
Some comments reflected resignation towards what is perceived as a structural problem: "But nothing happens, we continue to endure this and more, because that's how Cubans were programmed. SOS CUBA."
The deterioration reported this weekend is neither new nor exclusive to Guantánamo. Since May 2025, the province has restricted the regulated bread exclusively to children aged zero to 13 and prioritized institutions, leaving the majority of the adult population without access.
The weight had already been reduced from 80 to 60 grams in September 2024. The official formula from the Ministry of Food Industry requires wheat flour, oil, sugar, and yeast, but in practice, those ingredients are not available: the flour is mixed with cassava pulp, sweet potato, or corn, resulting in a sour bread that deteriorates quickly.
The wheat mill in Guantánamo is inactive and the province depends on sporadic shipments from Havana. Nationally, only one of the six wheat vessels contracted for 2026 has arrived in the country, and the only active mill —in Cienfuegos— produces 250 tons daily compared to the 700 tons needed.
Guantánamo ranks among the five provinces with critical levels of food insecurity in 2026, with nearly 79% of its households reporting hunger. In light of this crisis, the local government's response has been to promote the movement "From the neighborhood, cultivate your little piece", shifting the responsibility of food production onto families.
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