A citizen reported that the price of a liquefied gas cylinder, which some Cubans buy from abroad for family members in the Isle of Youth, has increased from 50 to 89 dollars at the sales points of Micro 70 and La Fe.
The user identified as Mae Mae described the increase as "a complete disrespect to the Cuban people" and "an excessive disdain and an unjustifiable abuse towards us" in a text shared this Friday on the profile of Facebook Carapachibey Pinero, the public social media profile of the broadcaster Ramón Leyva Morales.
The complainant described the exhaustion and frustration of those who feel that their claims go unanswered. "It's the feeling that you scream and no one hears you; that you report something and everything remains the same. And that, that wears you down. It tires you out. It hurts," she wrote.
He also questioned the indifference towards a situation that, as he expressed, seems to have no solution. "Because one can endure scarcity, but it is much harder to endure indifference," he added.
The comments supported the complaint and reflected the discontent of neighbors who believe that liquefied gas has become a luxury item, out of reach for those receiving their income in Cuban pesos.
The increase adds to a price surge that is affecting various provinces. In June, the cylinders were already being resold for 50 dollars in the informal market.
In August, a Cuban paid 99 dollars for a cylinder weighing just eight kilograms through a shipping company based in Florida.
That same month, in Santiago de Cuba, private offers of up to 65,000 pesos for filling and 75,000 with the container included were reported. In October, a seven-kilogram cylinder was offered for 109 dollars.
In July, the government set an official price of 350 Cuban pesos for a 10-kilogram cylinder through a resolution from the Ministry of Finance and Prices. However, the measure has limited scope due to the virtually nonexistent state distribution of the product, while private operations in dollars fill the gap left by the official system.
The gap between prices and the population's income exacerbates the problem. Year-on-year inflation reached 28.44% in September, with food accounting for 73.39% of the monthly change in the price index. The monthly minimum wage is only 3,210 Cuban pesos, while some economists estimate that 96,000 pesos are needed each month to meet the basic needs of an individual.
Complaints about prices and business practices are also echoed in other regions. In Holguín, a writer reported this Friday that merchants hide essential products like soap to later resell them at higher prices.
It was also reported that in the slaughterhouse city of Cárdenas, a neighborhood market raised the prices of four products in less than 20 days.
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