The ice trade has become an increasingly visible business in Santiago de Cuba, driven by the prolonged blackouts that make it difficult to keep food and drinks cold, and by the ability of some individuals to keep freezers and refrigerators running through backup electrical systems.
Two residents of Santiago de Cuba explained to this outlet that business has skyrocketed in the city over the past few months, amidst an energy crisis that has worsened the challenges of maintaining refrigeration in homes.
At the same time, individuals who have made private investments, including the installation of photovoltaic systems, have found an opportunity to produce and sell ice even during power outages.
One of the testimonies comes from the Los Pinos neighborhood, where, as explained by a resident, it is common to see very young boys and even children walking the streets selling ice.
"Very young boys, even children, pass by my house selling things; sometimes two or three of them walk together, and on a very rustic wheelbarrow, they carry some tanks that I imagine have some kind of insulation, and inside, they hold several thousand pesos in ice," he recounted.
According to the explanation, the blocks prepared in containers known as "five-pound jugs" are sold for around 200 pesos, while the so-called "balitas," made in 1.5-liter soda bottles, cost about 100 pesos.
Vendors walk the streets, offering the product directly to the neighbors, a method that delivers ice to areas where families spend long hours without electricity and cannot produce it in their own homes.
Another resident of Santiago explained to this outlet that he sells ice from his home. In his case, the five-pound containers cost between 70 and 100 pesos, while the ice buckets are sold for 120 pesos.
"The pots set at 120 for chilling and cooling beer or whatever people may want," he explained about some of the uses his customers give to the product.
"I know some people use it to drink. I explain to them that the water isn't treated, because boiling it or purifying it with sodium hypochlorite would be much more expensive, but they tell me that drinking cold water is currently one of the luxuries that have been lost in Cuba. And that's exactly how they drink it: they defrost the ice and drink that very cold water," he emphasized.
The offer has also been extended to buy and sell groups on social media, where various quantities, formats, and prices can be found.
In the group 360 Compra Venta Santiago de Cuba, a user offered ice for 300 and 100 pesos, depending on the packaging.
Another seller announced in the 360 Ventas group in Santiago de Cuba the sale of "blocks of ice" weighing approximately four kilograms for 200 pesos each.
"Blocks of ice (Approx. 4KG). Price: 200 each," was indicated in the post.
A particularly appealing offer appeared in the group Compra y venta Santiago de Cuba, where an anonymous post was offering a five-liter bucket of ice for 400 pesos and individual cups for 20 pesos.
"Ice is for sale, the 5-liter cube for 400 pesos and glasses for 20 pesos for interested parties," states the ad.
The sale of ice by the glass demonstrates the extent to which ice has gained commercial value, even in small quantities intended merely to chill a drink or have a cold water.
The sale of ice has found fertile ground in a reality that Cubans themselves have been documenting for months: getting a refrigerator to cool for long enough has become a small triumph amidst the power outages.
At the beginning of August, a young Cuban celebrated on social media that she had managed to freeze a bottle of water and humorously summarized a situation that has become part of the routine for many families.
"The water bottle froze on me. I had to share this with you because no one would believe that a bottle would freeze here today between power outages," he said.
Although it may seem incredible, this is not the first time someone has experienced immense happiness from freezing water in Cuba.
In June, another Cuban also celebrated having managed to freeze a "little ball" of water and presented the event with irony as her "first achievement of June unlocked."
The post generated thousands of reactions, largely because many users identified with the difficulty of producing ice during the extended power outages.
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