The Havana municipality of Plaza de la Revolución opened a public bidding this Wednesday to create the network "Barrio Market," a pilot initiative aimed at selling essential goods under a mixed management model between state entities and private actors, as reported by official media outlets such as Radio Reloj and Tribuna de La Habana.
The call, launched by the Municipal Administration Council, aims to integrate existing establishments—grocery stores, butcher shops, and ideal markets—under a neighborhood-based commercial scheme with a community focus, according to what was published by the state media Radio Reloj.
Among the prioritized food products are powdered milk, ground meat, hamburgers, chicken, sausages, eggs, oil, rice, sugar, flour, and coffee.
The list of non-food items includes detergent, soap, toilet paper, deodorant, and toothpaste—basic hygiene products that are chronically scarce on the Island.
According to Tribuna de La Habana, both individuals and legal entities residing in the country may participate, with preference given to those who reside in the municipality itself.
Interested parties have 10 business days to submit their technical and pricing proposals to the Municipal Labor Office, located on B Street between 21 and 23.
The project also requires the restoration of the physical appearance of the premises and the use of alternative energy sources, two conditions that reflect the deterioration of commercial infrastructure and the energy crisis that Cuba is experiencing.
The citizens' reaction to the announcement was one of skepticism: many Cubans referred to it as "another experiment" by the government, alluding to the long history of measures attempted by the regime that have not resolved the supply shortages.
This initiative is based on the Decree-Law 114/2025, published in the Official Gazette on March 3, 2026, which established for the first time a legal framework for partnerships between state-owned enterprises and non-state actors through the figure of the Mixed Limited Liability Company (S.R.L. mixta), which allows a state-owned enterprise to partner with private micro, small, and medium enterprises or cooperatives.
On that same day, Prime Minister Marrero announced that municipalities will be able to approve all types of economic actors as part of a decentralization process.
In June 2026, the regime presented a package of 176 economic measures that formally incorporate non-state actors into national planning, acknowledging that the market must play a larger role in the economy.
The "Barrio Market" in Plaza de la Revolución would be the first known municipal pilot to apply this model to neighborhood retail, but the history of announcements without tangible results explains why a substantial portion of the population receives the news with more skepticism than hope.
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