Havana Cuba. – Last Friday night, hundreds of people gathered on the outskirts of the emblematic Plaza de Marianao hoping to buy pork the next day.
Until there came the cameras of CubaNet to document the anguishing process of Cubans who wanted to buy this product, essential in New Year’s Eve dinners. Since very few manage to buy the meat each day (only 20 pieces are sold daily), the delay exacerbates tempers in the queue.
“You have to be here, you have to sleep here, if you want to take your piece of pork because tomorrow the molotera of people is worse than what you see today and the relaxation is formed,” explained one of those present in the place.
It also transpired that the list is confirmed every day at 8:00 in the morning and at 8:00 at night.
After the news broke that the Cuban government would put pork for sale in the capital, the people of Havana rushed in crowds to the establishments chosen by the authorities in each municipality for these purposes.
Although the sale of meat is not free, people can buy one piece per family nucleus for a maximum value of 250 pesos per pound, a much more affordable offer for ordinary Cubans when compared to the prices of meat from pork in the private sector: 450 pesos per pound.
“The meat that the State is selling cannot be said to be good, it has a large amount (fat) but it is cheaper than that of individuals,” he told CubaNet one of the neighbors who was waiting his turn to buy.
However, some Cubans prefer to buy the meat in the private sector so as not to have to submit to the endless queues, which often last several days.
“When I have money, I buy it at (private) kiosks, where I don’t have to queue, the meat is there sata and I choose what I want; and it’s fresh meat. It’s humiliating to be sleeping in a queue to buy a piece of meat without knowing if you’ll have enough, because I have neighbors who have been dialing for days and there isn’t much meat coming either”.
“They don’t have enough to give to everyone and they bring a little here, another there,” said another Cuban.
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