Cuba’s Economic Crisis Deepens: The Impact of Fuel Shortages and Food Rationing

Cuba’s Minister of Economy and Planning, Alejandro Gil Fernández, has acknowledged the “complex” economic situation in the country. The crisis is exacerbated by long-standing issues such as the reliance on imports for basic necessities and worsened by soaring fuel costs and shortages. One concerning example for the population is the substitution of milk for children and the sick with syrup. Additionally, there has been a reduction in the ration of sugar, with consumers now receiving three pounds instead of the usual four, although it remains unclear why the decrease occurred. Cuba’s dire situation is further highlighted by the near-zero production of beans, leaving the country heavily dependent on imports. Efforts to find local alternatives have so far been unsuccessful, according to Betsy Díaz Velázquez, the Minister of Internal Trade. The decline in the quantity of certain products in the monthly basket, such as sugar, has been refuted by MINCIN, while coffee and proteins continue to be the most difficult products to obtain. Cuba currently requires 600,000 to 700,000 tons of sugar each year for domestic consumption, but meeting these targets has become increasingly impossible in recent years.