Cubans "cannot afford to eat a tomato salad" due to high prices

A report published in the Facebook group Revolico Amancio starkly summarizes the food crisis that Cuba is experiencing: a pound of tomatoes is sold for 850 Cuban pesos (CUP) in Amancio, Las Tunas, a price that puts even a basic salad out of reach for workers, retirees, and pensioners.

"Nowadays, an everyday person, a wage earner, a pensioner, a retiree, elderly individuals living alone, or a mother with three or more children cannot afford a tomato salad. 850 per pound," the author of the post wrote, opening his text with irony directed at Fidel Castro and Miguel Díaz-Canel: "Thank you, Fidel... Thank you, Canel... thank you all."

The price of tomatoes, however, is higher in other Cuban provinces. From Camagüey, a user replied: "Well, in your town it's 850.00 because in mine it's 1500.00 per pound." In Boyeros, Havana, another commentator reported 1,200 CUP per pound, while in Alamar the price reached 1,300 CUP. In Nuevitas, in addition to tomatoes at 1,000 CUP, onions reached 1,500 CUP per pound.

In Pinar del Río, the reported price was 1,300 CUP. The most extreme figure in recent days came from Santiago de Cuba, where the pound of tomatoes reached 2,000 CUP at the beginning of this week.

Several commentators ironically linked the price increases to the package of 176 economic transformations presented by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero in June 2026, which includes the end of generalized subsidies and the liberalization of prices for certain foods. "The achievements of the 176 measures are already becoming apparent," wrote one of them.

The most heartbreaking indignation came from someone who thought of the elderly: "How long will this madness last? I think of the elderly who are starving because their pensions are not enough, and they are more than abandoned. Growing old while dying of hunger and dealing with illnesses without access to medicine is more than torture; it's a horror."

These prices are devastating in light of the real purchasing power of Cubans. The official minimum wage is 3,210 CUP per month since July 2026, and the minimum pension for retirees is around 3,056 CUP per month. The regime itself acknowledged in July 2026 that the 3,210 pesos "still do not cover the basic basket".