The Ministry of Domestic Trade (MINCIN) announced this week on its official channels the start of the distribution of three pounds of donated rice in Ciego de Ávila, beginning with the municipality of Baraguá. However, the announcement triggered a wave of criticism and accusations of dishonesty from Cubans who have been waiting for promised deliveries for months that never arrived.
According to the official announcement from MINCIN on Facebook, the third round of donations for vulnerable cases and pregnant women continues, with four kilograms of rice per capita and a census closing on May 31.
Far from providing relief, the post became a space for collective grievances. Dozens of users inquired about when rice would arrive in their municipalities or provinces, while others reported that previous announcements never came to fruition.
"How about Morón, in Ciego de Ávila... when?" wrote one user. "And when for Ciego de Ávila?" asked another. Responses from other provinces came quickly: "What about Villa Clara?" and "In Camagüey, nothing at all, they don't even publish."
The most serious complaints pointed to the inequality in distribution and the hunger that has built up. "In the municipality of San Germán, they haven't distributed even the six pounds that were announced a while ago... people are dying of hunger," wrote a citizen.
Another one questioned, "Why in the municipality of Florencia are they going to give three pounds, and why is there a difference if we live in the same province?"
There were also complaints from Holguín: "When will the eight pounds of rice announced for the entire population be distributed?" Distrust towards official announcements was summarized in phrases like "They already announced the other shipment and never delivered it. Will it be the same this time?" or simply: "Lies."
Discontent is rooted in a history of unmet obligations. As of July 11, Ciego de Ávila was one of five provinces—alongside Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus, and Camagüey—with delays in the distribution of rice donated by China, while Las Tunas, Holguín, and Granma had already received eight pounds per capita.
The rice that the regime distributes comes from a Chinese donation of 90,000 tons committed for 2026, of which the first 15,000 tons were announced in May.
However, in the informal market, the grain reached between 360 and over 400 Cuban pesos (CUP) per pound in July, compared to an average state salary of about 7,000 CUP monthly.
The situation is even more serious considering that on July 16, the government eliminated the maximum retail price of rice—set at 155 CUP per pound—through Decree 156, without publishing a new official replacement price, according to americateve.com.
The crisis of the ration book is not limited to rice. In June, regime officials admitted that by 2026 oil, chicken, and yogurt had not been distributed, and that only one round of coffee had been delivered in Havana.
The situation has worsened because on June 18, Díaz-Canel announced that the ration book will no longer be universal and will be reserved for retirees, chronically ill individuals, and vulnerable people, as part of a package of 176 economic measures that represents the largest cut to the rationing system since its establishment in 1962.
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