The crisis does not distinguish species
October 05 of 2022
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Argarita is a 72-year-old lady residing in the municipality
San Cristóbal, in the Artemisa province. 15 years ago he was diagnosed with diabetes, news that came along with his retirement from work and the well-known violation of his economic income. Margarita lives with her grandson, a pre-university student, in the so-called cuarterías in front of the municipal park. The total income of the household does not greatly exceed Margarita's retirement, the result of her entire economic life's work in a sugar mill.
In San Cristóbal it has been more than two years since the stores in national currency disappeared and it has been approximately a year since the municipality of Artemisa did not receive the special diet of milk and meat for people with diabetes. In this way, Margarita and her grandson feed on the products available through the supply book and the sporadic sales of chicken or hash in national currency, which is done at least once a month in San Cristóbal.
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- I remember that in previous cyclones there were sales in the square, where you could buy food at low prices, because logically we were going to be several days without electricity or water services. I remember that we bought bread and cookies for several days and spending the savings we bought some canned goods in the stores in CUC, but none of that is left.
Margarita tells us.


The urban area of San Cristóbal was partially affected by the passage of Hurricane Ian, the external winds and heavy rains felled some trees that slightly affected the power lines, this has resulted in the suspension of electricity as a measure to facilitate repairs relevant. In the same way, the water supply service has been suspended "because there is no electricity to pump the water" according to the municipal authorities. In this way, after the passage of the hurricane, in the town of Artemisathere is no water or electricity.
The suspension of these services does not take Margarita by surprise, since she has been suffering the calls for several monthsalumbrones, with power cuts of up to 15 hours a day and with this the consequent stoppage of aqueduct services. This is why, despite the fact that Margarita has several household appliances for cooking, some time ago she rescued her old stove, repurposed into an electric stove casing. This rustic kitchen that he feeds with fuel bought on the black market, since they have not received fuel regulated by the supply book for a long time, serves to illuminate his house and cook the little food that is left of the monthly quota received in the month of Septemberandin the winery.
Daisy flower:
-In October they have not distributed any of the errands because there is no fuel to bring them, I don't even expect chicken anymore and there is nothing to buy on the street either, everyone is saving what they have for their house. The mincemeat raised its price the day before the hurricane, from 180 to 250 pesos and I can't afford that. It has been more than 5 days in a row that we have not had electricity and my refrigerator is very old, everything that I have been able to save in these months was rotting.


-I try to save a little piece of meat every month for any emergency like this, but it's rotting because of this I marinated and salted all the meat I had left, hoping to keep it for several more days. I can't eat it all because maybe the light comes on suddenly and gives me time to put it away. I really don't know when I'll buy chicken or mincemeat again in national currency and I have no hope that it will be soon. Since Monday we only eat rice and chicken or eggs, one meal a day because we have to save food and fuel. I don't have money to buy more so when this is over, if I haven't received the withdrawal, we're left in the dark.


A week after Ian's passage and without the event having particularly affected the municipality of Artemisa, San Cristóbal still does not have electricity or water supply service. In this way, the few foods that Margarita has managed to stretch out until the end of the month are decomposing. The authorities do not give a date for the restoration of services, nor do they give any indication of any type of sale special supply of food to shovel the days of special shortages suffered by the inhabitants of San Cristóbal. In these conditions and without a fix date, the month of October begins and after its first days there is no hope of improvement.


Los actuales precios de los huevos, de la carne de pollo, de cerdo o carnero, hacen valer cualquier tipo de riesgo con tal de ahorrar dinero. Ello ha conducido a numerosas familias a habilitar un pedacito de balcón, patio, garaje, terraza, placa o cualquier otro espacio en común para hacer un pequeño corralito. Comprar el saco de pienso de contrabando, cuyo precio ronda los 4 mil pesos, vigilar y sobornar a los inspectores, limpiar excrementos, compartir olores de corral dentro de la vivienda familiar, arriesgar la salud, recolectar sobras por las casas del barrio e incluso por los latones de basura y montar guardias nocturnas para cuidar los animales de los ladrones; son algunas de las prácticas comunes que asumen las personas que deciden tomar el camino de criar animales en sus domicilios. Estas prácticas no facilitan la vida directamente, pero pueden asegurar la pieza proteica que tan ausente está en los mercados, también ayudar a la economía familiar. Como nos comentaba un criador, “tener un animalito ayuda a la economía y a la dieta familiar; realmente frente al panorama que muestran las autoridades gubernamentales en este momento es para muchos la mejor opción, o mejor dicho, el menor de los males”.