The reopening of the cookie factory popularly known as «La Chichi» —the Yumurí Combine in Matanzas— was celebrated with widespread official media coverage after being shut down for nine months due to the energy crisis. However, what actually reached the neighborhoods was very different from what was promised, and the people of Matanzas quickly took to social media to express their indignation.
The internet user Juana Sánchez posted on Facebook a photograph of the distributed product: a small bag of irregularly shaped cookies, several pieces broken, sold for 500 Cuban pesos.
“With great fanfare, they announced the reopening of the La Chichi cookie factory in the city of Matanzas, which brought us joy because this high-demand product could be acquired,” wrote Sanchez, before revealing the reality: “Here’s what they sold yesterday in the Armando Mestre neighborhood, 1 bag per card at 500 CUP.”
The plant had ceased operations on December 26, 2025, due to prolonged blackouts and the shortage of diesel affecting Cuba. Its reopening was made possible by the installation of a photovoltaic solar system with 256 solar panels, 260 kWh batteries, and four 50 kW inverters, carried out by the Enerza Villa Clara Local Development Project in conjunction with Copextel Matanzas.
The official media —TV Yumurí, Radio 26, Juventud Rebelde, and Girón— presented the return of production as a success of local development, with a declared goal of two tons of salt cookies daily and an estimated savings of 18,000 liters of oil per month. The officially announced prices were 500 CUP for 500 grams and 1,000 CUP for one kilogram.
In a country where the minimum wage as of July 2026 is 3,210 CUP and the official average salary closed at 6,930 CUP in 2025, a bag of cookies priced at 500 pesos represents between 7% and 15% of a worker's monthly income.
Sanchez's reaction was straightforward: "Is this the fault of the blockade? Who is responsible for this?" he asked, describing the situation as a "disrespect to the population" and accusing those in charge of "exploiting the hunger and needs of the people."
The comments at the bottom of the post pointed to a systemic issue: "In state factories, there is no quality because they steal raw materials like oil and yeast. When there is competition, there is quality," wrote one user. Another added, "Surely they steal the fat, which is the most important for all products, from candy and bakery items."
The episode adds to a series of shortages that Matanzas has been facing since 2025: recurrent suspensions of regulated bread due to a lack of wheat flour, rice distributions delayed by months, and a widespread shortage of basic products. In March 2025, a local official publicly admitted that there was only bread for one day in Matanzas.
The question that Sanchez raised in his post encapsulates the feelings of many residents of Matanzas: who is responsible when the official announcement and the reality of the neighborhood are worlds apart?
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