HOLGUÍN, Cuba. – Every third Sunday in July, Children’s Day is celebrated in Cuba, a day that should be filled with laughter, sweets and happiness. However, last Sunday ended up being a bitter odyssey of shortages and frustrations for many Cuban families.
Since dawn, before the sun rose on the horizon, a long line of people already stretched out in front of a state-owned point of sale in the Primero de Enero Park, in the city of Holguin“I’ve been here since 6:00 in the morning to buy cookies for my children and my nephew,” he told CubaNet Rosa González Diéguez, a young mother who, despite her early arrival, was 16th in line.
Several people marked the spot for relatives or neighbors, trying to maximize opportunities in a country where cookies have become a scarce commodity. “I have to take advantage of this opportunity because my son hasn’t eaten cookies for a long time,” said Lina Toledo Fernández, while holding her little boy’s hand tightly.
At 8:30 in the morning, the stand opened its doors and began selling the much-desired bag of cookies for 210 pesos. The vendors, in an attempt to prevent hoarding, established a strict rule: one bag per child. “Bring the kids quickly, I almost have to buy them,” shouted an anxious woman on the phone, afraid of losing the opportunity.
However, hope vanished as quickly as the biscuits. Shortly after the sale began, the food ran out. “We stood in line for fun and the worst thing is that my son waited too and can’t eat biscuits, it’s very sad,” lamented Bárbara Pérez Ochoa, mother of a four-year-old boy.
Ice cream, another of the gastronomic offerings for Children’s Day, also failed to alleviate the dismay. In a country where the average monthly salary is around 4,000 pesos, the prices are prohibitive. “A scoop of ice cream at 50 pesos is very expensive. This place is owned by the government and they themselves criticize the high prices of private vendors,” said Nelson Ávila, a father who was in the queue, indignantly.
The soft drink, another alternative to quench thirst and frustration, was not enough to provide comfort either. “It is watered down, it tastes like nothing,” said Luis Enrique Concepción, from Holguín.
Children’s Day in Cuba, like almost all other days, has become a mirror of the difficulties that Cuban families face in their daily lives. The shortage of basic products, high prices and poor quality of food are only symptoms of a much larger problem that affects the entire society.
Unattainable toys
The bright colors of the toys contrasted with the dull looks of the children. The illusion of being able to play with these toys, priced between 400 and 4,000 pesos, quickly faded when the parents saw the advertisements.
“It hurts to see our children disappointed,” said Yunieska Benitez, a mother of two, as she tried to comfort her young daughter. “We work all year round and still can’t afford these prices. It’s unfair.”
The traders, for their part, defend themselves against criticism by arguing that they too are trapped in a vicious circle of high costs and a shortage of quality products. “We don’t want to sell bad products or at high prices, but that’s what we can get,” said the owner of one of the toy stalls, on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
“It is not fair that our children pay the price for the country’s economic problems,” Rosa María López lamented. “They deserve to be happy and enjoy their childhood without these worries,” she added.
“We only see exorbitant prices and poor quality products,” lamented Antonio Hernández, grandfather of four children, as he watched his children leave empty-handed. “It hurts my soul to see how everything has deteriorated,” he concluded.
While the Government organizes activities, many children on the Island face shortages. Children’s Day, established by the dictator Fidel Castro Ruz Celebrated every third Sunday in July, it is presented as an opportunity for the Cuban regime to show the world an idyllic image of childhood on the island. However, this celebration is also a time when the shortcomings experienced by the entire country become evident.
José Rodríguez, from the El Bosque district, believes that “Children’s Day is a spectacle that the Government uses to make us forget what we are really facing. Children chant slogans, but what about their real needs?” the interviewee asked.
Carlos Fernández, a self-employed worker, analyses the event with a critical eye. “It is clear that the Government uses Children’s Day to create a positive image. However, it cannot be hidden that many children live in deplorable conditions, without access to basic things.”
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