A resident of Isla de la Juventud reported on Monday that the price of a package of chicken in that special municipality soared from 3,130 pesos to more than 7,000 pesos in cash within days, an escalation that reflects the direct impact of the price liberalization decreed by the Cuban regime.
Ramón Leyva Morales shared the complaint through the Facebook page Faro Piñero (Carapachibey Pinero), where he also posted a screenshot from the group Mi Isla Q' Bola showing a vendor offering 10-pound packages of chicken —Holly Farms brand, thighs— for 6,700 pesos in cash or 6,500 pesos per box.
"That's how we are in Dubai, I mean, in the Isle of Youth. And also in seven thousand and something more, in cash. Only for the upper class of our society. The price was 3,130 per package," Leyva wrote sarcastically.
The author pointed directly to the regime as responsible: "The Cuban State and Government eliminated the price cap on this food, and now eating is no longer essential for survival but a luxury for a few. This measure adds more mistakes and distortions, affecting the quality of life of the majority of the inhabitants of the country, including workers, technicians, healthcare personnel, and educators."
Leyva concluded his publication with a phrase that encapsulates the mood of thousands of Cubans: "We continue for our homeland and for death as well, but from hunger."
The trigger for this escalation is the Resolution 150/2026 of the Ministry of Finance and Prices published last June.
The regulation removed the price caps on chopped chicken, edible oils, powdered milk, pasta, and sausages, repealing previous resolutions that set a maximum of 680 Cuban pesos per kilogram of chicken.
The situation is worsening because chicken is not being distributed through the supply ration book: the Minister of Food Industry, Alberto López Díaz, admitted in June that chicken, oil, or yogurt had not been distributed through that channel, leaving the informal market as the only means of access for most Cubans.
The same dynamic affects other basic goods. The liter of vegetable oil increased from 2,000 to 3,000 pesos in less than 24 hours in Sancti Spíritus, and just days earlier it was reported at 2,800 pesos on the Island of Youth.
Independent estimates indicate that a Cuban family needs around 96,000 pesos per month to cover basic needs, of which more than 70,000 are solely for food.
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