The sale of food in Cuban pesos has lasted three days at the Fress store in Plaza de Carlos III, in Havana. This Monday, the brand new business, which opened its doors on friday With great anticipation, it was closed.
To the question of a client who was surprised, an employee of the place explained that he was without service “temporarily” due to “technical problems”. The same was warned by a sign behind her windows. And indeed, inside it could be seen how an operator was messing around in a display refrigerator.
The employee also said that they would open tomorrow, Tuesday, but “only the food area”, that is, the cafeteria to consume already prepared products on the premises. This newspaper was able to verify that almost all the canned foods and also the dairy products that filled the shelves and refrigerators for sale to the public had disappeared.
According to what two workers from the Plaza assured 14ymedio, “They held an emergency meeting here in Carlos III due to criticism on social networks, and starting tomorrow they can only sell processed food.”
Another worker asserted that “they had ordered to close from above, from the Government”, due to criticism of the resale of products such as condensed milk, which was sold for 250 pesos in the premises a few meters from the Plaza supermarket where it costs 35
Another worker asserted that “they had ordered to close from above, from the Government”, due to criticism of the resale of products such as condensed milk, which was sold for 250 pesos in the premises a few meters from the Plaza supermarket where it costs 35 but the queues to access can take long hours. same cheese gouda at 4,000 pesos a wheel of three kilograms, which is only found in foreign currency stores.
The opening of the store caused outrage among its first customers, who left dismayed by the extremely high prices of products that are much cheaper in state stores in the same shopping center.
Sources from Carlos III had confirmed to this newspaper that the state premises were rented to a Spaniard, something unusual in Cuba for a private establishment of this type. He himself welcomed the opening day. Until now, Fress provided his services through various shopping sites on-line to deliver at home and with payment from abroad.
“If the only thing that is going to remain here is the hot table, This doesn’t last even a week, because the food was bad, bad,” commented a young man this Monday upon learning of the sudden turnaround in business.
“But of course, if people here are persecuted for that when they do it at the door of their house, or in their cafeteria, in their palate,” a woman replied. “I have nothing against the private ones, but the problem is not that it is particular, but that it was cheeky. Why do some yes and others not?”
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