The comments of the readers in the official Cuban press are becoming the sounding board of the general malaise in a country corroded by inflation and scarcity. Faced with the inability of the authorities to manage the economy, citizens scoffed this Thursday at the parliamentary debate on price controls, which cubadebate describes it as a “complex but decisive battle for the future of the Revolution”.
“It is no longer possible to continue justifying what was wrongly done with the blocking and some becoming millionaires at the expense of the sweat of those who work, if we don’t do that this socialist revolution will have very little left”, says a reader with the pseudonym pjodalr. Like him, dozens of users express their frustrations.
It was not for less, in the case of one of the most delicate issues for Cubans, the voluntarist perspective of the leaders and the absence of solutions caused the flood of disagreements to explode. Vladimir Regueiro, Minister of Finance and Prices, acknowledged before the deputies the lack of control of inflation, but immediately afterwards he hid behind the international scene to justify himself.
The price index grew by 39% at the end of 2022, while since the beginning of 2023 they have grown by 18%
The price index, he explained, grew by 39% at the end of 2022, while since the beginning of 2023 they have grown by 18%. If the percentage is compared with that of the first half of 2022, prices have increased by an alarming 45%. The minister indicated that there is a “lack of objectivity” by the government when it comes to capping prices and recognized that legislation is often passed without even knowing if the fixed cost is “real.”
After Regueiro’s intervention, the president of the Parliament, Esteban Lazo, returned to situate the problem –as he did during the opening of the sessions– structurally: “If there is no supply and production, we will not achieve effective price control,” he stressed.
Parliament also discussed on Wednesday the unfortunate state of the agri-food sector. The situation can be summed up in two words: “non-compliances and decreases”, indicates the report presented to the deputies. Without fuels, fertilizers or insecticides, agricultural production for the semester has been catastrophic: 68% compliance with the plan. The production of meat, milk and eggs also failed.
For the readers, the leaders live in a “futuristic” world, a “utopia” that never considers the present reality. “The unstoppable dollar and galloping inflation,” summarizes the user Gilberto Reyes. “What is the State’s solution for the wage earner who does not have enough money at all, or for retirees?”
“Pork meat at almost 500 pesos; a pound of rice at 200 pesos; a liter of oil, 700 and 800 pesos; what price control are we talking about then?”
“Pork meat at almost 500 pesos; a pound of rice at 200 pesos; a liter of oil, 700 and 800 pesos; what price control are we talking about then?”, Exposed the reader identified as R. Meanwhile, the user José Antonio Ruiz takes boredom to the limit: “Much ado about nothing. The same issues, the same reasons for non-compliance, the same explanations to try to alleviate the dissatisfaction of the population, the same justification tions to the problems… without even being able to speak of expectations in the short term that give way to hope”.
“The only thing that has gone down in price is beer and it has been achieved by the MSMEsnot the State”, mocked reader Pepe, while another described the situation of the informal market as one of “total anarchy”. Some readers complained about the censorship of cubadebate to his comments, such as Selma González, who reflected on the uselessness of the Police in the face of crime in shops in a “correct and adjusted to the topic” comment that the outlet deleted.
The conclusion, which rounds off several days of parliamentary discussion, is clear: “How much wear! How much uncertainty!”
Cuban economist Pedro Monreal, who has closely followed the talks in Parliament, critical the “foolishness” represented by the criteria and omissions of the deputies.
And he finished: “It could be the way the press reports, but what is read today about the ‘discussions’ in the National Assembly commissions reminds a comedy of entanglements. It is not clear if it is a problem of technical incapacity or of ‘directives’ that have been given. “
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio He is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for accompanying us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time becoming a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
