The Cuban doctor Daniel Del Toro González resorted to something as ordinary as a corn fritter to illustrate the vast gap that, as he points out, has emerged between prices and wages in Cuba.
In a post made this Wednesday on Facebook, Del Toro presented what he called an explanation of inflation "for elementary level and preschool" by comparing the price of corn snacks before the Ordering and their current value.
«Before the reorganization - reordering - and again reorganization corn fritters cost 1 peso... 2 at most,» wrote the doctor from the Pediatric Hospital of Las Tunas.
The doctor pointed out that at that time his basic salary was approximately 1,400 CUP, whereas currently, according to his own testimony, he receives 8,400 CUP.
In contrast, it was noted that the fried foods that used to cost one peso are now sold for 30 CUP.
Fried foods have increased in price by 30 times... and my salary by about 6 times, he summarized.
Del Toro ended the comparison by asking, “Do you see the difference, dear swamp catfish?” in a jab directed straight at the official voices that are often referred to as "ciberclarias."
He also explained why he specifically chose fried foods for his calculations: "And I decided to talk about fried foods to avoid discussing rice, meat, or oil, which then gives me a headache."
The post sparked numerous reactions from Cubans who shared their own comparisons regarding the rise in prices.
Go and explain it nicely... if there's no one to eat a fritter, imagine a pound of meat, commented a user.
From Camagüey, another person claimed that the price is even higher: «Dr., here in Camagüey they cost 50, so you underestimated it, what can we say about the other jjj».
Another comment pointed directly to the income of healthcare personnel: "I loved it, better said impossible, we studied, specialized, and they don't pay us."
A user added another difference compared to previous years: "You forgot to mention that now the fried snacks cost 30 pesos and are smaller than when they were one peso."
There were also responses filled with sarcasm. "There will be inflation, dear Dr., but the president has a radio show and everything, so Cuba is moving forward," wrote another internet user.
The comparison made by Del Toro comes just a few weeks after the implementation of the new salary scale for Cuban doctors.
Since July, a recently graduated doctor has a set basic salary of 7,045 CUP, while a first-degree specialist officially receives 8,500 CUP and a second-degree specialist, 8,880 CUP.
Del Toro had previously turned to household accounts to illustrate the decline in purchasing power of healthcare professionals.
In August, he compared his salary as a specialist with the price of a chicken package, a liter of oil, and a carton of eggs.
In that post, he concluded: «The utopia has always been to think that we would be able to live on our salary».
The doctor from the Pediatric Hospital of Las Tunas has also used his networks to discuss the challenges faced by the Cuban healthcare staff and the lack of available resources in the system.
In July, he also reported that a man had shown up at his home with the intention of assaulting him several days after he treated his son during a medical consultation.
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