About 95,000 people in Villa Clara began receiving this week a monthly food package that includes five pounds of rice, one pound of sugar, and one pound of peas, as part of a program by the Cuban government aimed at households considered most vulnerable.
The rice comes from a donation from China and is provided free of charge, while the sugar and peas must be paid for by the recipients. Authorities expect to continue the distribution at least until January 2027, as reported by the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
However, not all individuals initially identified as vulnerable will receive assistance. A study conducted by social workers identified 125,100 potential beneficiaries, but the number of people currently included in the distribution is about 95,000.
Who can receive the module?
Maraiky León Iglesias, head of the Provincial Department of Prevention, Assistance, and Social Work, explained that the main requirement is that the monthly income per person in the household be less than 4,000 Cuban pesos.
The evaluation also considers situations of particular vulnerability, including elderly individuals living alone, pregnant women, children under five years old, children with low weight or chronic illnesses, and mothers of three or more children who are heads of their households.
Families affected by weather events are also taken into account, as well as those in which a member stops eating to ensure that children or the elderly are fed.
However, the official clarified that belonging to any of these groups does not automatically guarantee receiving the module, as each household must meet the established criteria.
Among the reasons for exclusion, he pointed out the presentation of false information and the presence of individuals who are qualified to work but do not maintain an employment relationship by their own choice.
Social workers continue to review the registry to add new beneficiaries, according to provincial authorities.
A limited assistance in the midst of scarcity
The program is part of the national distribution announced in early October by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, which aims to provide monthly packages to over 883,000 Cubans identified as vulnerable.
The selection of families receiving these food items has already raised questions in other provinces.
In Contramaestre, Santiago de Cuba, an elderly person was excluded from the program, as reported by their family, because they have a daughter living in Brazil, despite the fact that no official provision has been identified that establishes this reason for exclusion.
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