The municipal government of Guantánamo has set the reference price for the retail sale of oil at 2,200 pesos per unit, but denied that the measure constitutes a new ceiling, despite announcing sanctions against those who fail to comply with the regulations.
The Guantánamo Municipal Administration Council reported that the decision came after analyzing the complaints from the population regarding the "indiscriminate" increase in prices and studying the costs and expenses related to the marketing of the product.
"It is clarified that this is not a capped price (although it is being capped!), but rather the result of the economic evaluation carried out on marketing costs and expenses," the statement indicated.
The official note does not specify the presentation, volume, type, or brand of oil to which the price of 2,200 pesos per "unit" corresponds.
However, refined soybean oil, sold in containers ranging from 900 milliliters to one liter, is the most common in the informal market.
Additionally, the lack of precision leaves an evident contradiction: if the 2,200 pesos are merely a reference and not a mandatory maximum price, it is unclear under what criteria the authorities will determine that a merchant has violated the measure.
For example, the 900-milliliter bottle would cost 2,200, or would it be the one-liter bottle?
The Council alerted that it will strengthen enforcement actions and that offenders may face fines, the seizure and forced sale of the product, or experience temporary closure of their establishments for a period of up to three months.
This announcement reveals a second evident contradiction. The municipal decision to "not set price caps" comes after the Ministry of Finance and Prices formally eliminated the maximum retail prices for edible oils, except for olive oil, through Resolution 150/2026.
That regulation repealed resolutions 225 and 310 of 2024, which had established limits on oil, cut chicken, powdered milk, pasta, and sausages.
The reform package approved by the government also aimed to decentralize certain powers regarding prices to companies and local administrations.
However, the Guantánamo measure again relies on a cost and expense assessment and, while it presents the 2,200 pesos as a reference price, warns that sanctions will be imposed on those who fail to comply with the provisions.
In practice, a price presented as a guideline could act as a ceiling if businesses that exceed it are subjected to fines, confiscations, or closures.
On the other hand, the statement does not clarify what leeway the sellers will have to reflect differences between their acquisition and marketing costs.
Furthermore, the new measure contrasts with the speech delivered by Miguel Díaz-Canel prior to the removal of the general controls.
The leader acknowledged that the caps had not succeeded in containing inflation and that they led to the disappearance of products, shifts towards the illegal market, and administrative decisions unable to keep pace with actual prices.
"That's why we are not going to continue setting prices in a general manner," Díaz-Canel asserted.
The statement from the municipal government of Guantánamo seems to contradict the declarations of Díaz-Canel himself and, due to its inaccuracies, leaves plenty of room for interpretation.
Lastly, the decision could also set a precedent and be replicated by other local administrations to curb the uncontrollable rise in the price of cooking oil in Cuba.
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