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Somos un Programa de Monitoreo y denuncia de la (in)seguridad alimentaria en Cuba Investigamos el impacto socioeconómico de las políticas alimentaria en contextos autoritarios Monitoreamos la inseguridad alimentaria y nutricional Evidenciamos el uso de la alimentación como una forma de control político Opinión Abril 30 de 2026 Buscar leña en el monte, la prioridad de los niños cubanos en zonas rurales “Cuando no encuentro leña en el río, tengo que meterme en las fincas de las personas que viven cerca de la rivera. A veces me ven y tengo que salir corriendo por que a nadie le gusta que le cojan los palos, pero yo no estoy haciendo mal a nadie..." Persona Protegida,FMP Abril 24 de 2026 Mercado Paralelo del agua en La Habana. Agua a precio de oro “Como cada vez más personas utilizan los ladrones, la fuerza del agua en las tuberías ha bajado más, en mi casa hace un mes que no entra ni una gota. Yo no tengo instalado este sistema, pero tendré que hacerlo... Persona Protegida, FMP Abril 16 de 2026 Campesinos al límite: sin diésel no hay comida Si la mecanización agrícola se paraliza por falta de combustible, disminuye la capacidad de preparación de tierras, de transporte de cosechas y de procesamiento inicial de productos.La escasez no solo limita la mecanización agrícola, sino que obliga a productores a depender de mercados informales. Persona Protegida, FMP Abril 09 de 2026 La alimentación caritativa de la Iglesia en Cuba, entre crisis y coerción Cuando la escasez vuelve los pocos recursos en baluartes de “defensa nacional” y las gestiones de alivio se politizan, la Iglesia encuentra mínimas posibilidades de gestionar de forma independiente los donativos... Persona Protegida,FMP MAPA DE H A MB RE Monitoreamos la (in)seguridad aliementaria en Cuba Read All Testimonios Hago una sola comida fuerte al día, para así reunir la cantidad de alimentos posibles en una comida nutritiva. Carmen Desde que comenzaron los apagones tras el paso del ciclón el agua está llegando con mal olor y mal sabor Diana Actualmente vivo de los productos de la canasta familiar normada, el resto del tiempo de la caridad de los vecinos. José Luis Alfonso Sanabria La actual situación alimentaria en el país me ha afectado mucho, no hay nada que comer a veces Antonio Escuesta de SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA A partir de la disponibilidad , acceso , utilización y estabilidad de los alimentos en Cuba El Precio de comer en Cuba En los últimos dos años el agravamiento en el acceso a los alimentos, la inflación monetaria y la especulación sobre productos de primera necesidad se han profundizado. Ante la falta de datos confiables sobre el hambre en Cuba y la poca objetividad de los medios oficiales, Food Monitor Program selecciona alimentos básicos en la dieta cubana para analizar su comportamiento en el mercado, su calidad y frecuencia en la distribución, en diferentes provincias del país. 1/3 La Acera de ENFRENTE Recorrido fotográfico por la segregación alimentaria en Cuba Read All Informes de Derechos Humanos Leer más Leer más Leer más

Ante la compleja situación alimentaria y sociopolítica que atraviesa el país, a nivel local se han implementado una serie de medidas de carácter especial, que comprenden la micro asignación de recursos como mecanismo de control y contención del descontento social... The abundance of scarcity For: German Quintero January 04, 2022 precariousness for the Cuban population. For December 31 of last year, the government distributed rum and cigarettes to the entire population, assuming that rum and cigarettes would alleviate the situation of discontent. The government did not take into account that an important part of the population, not only children and pregnant mothers, does not consume rum or cigarettes, either because they are not part of their consumption habits, or simply because the products are of poor quality. . These state courtesies, obtained in the warehouse through the Booklet, were resold at more than five times the value established by the regime. Last week, independent media denounced the fines imposed on citizens who wanted to resell products that they did not consume in order to complement a fragile basic basket, lacking eggs and milk, but full of cigarettes and poor quality rum. The year 2021 will be remembered as one of the most difficult for Cuban citizens in terms of consumption, after the Special Period. Tourism income and remittances were strongly affected by the tightening of some of the embargo measures, of the health measures to mitigate the pandemic and, above all, by the spectacular failure of the regime's administrative management, which since the implementation of the Ordering Task at the beginning of that year, where in addition to not promoting domestic production, unifying the Cuban peso with the CUC, promoting the MLC and ignoring the situation of the international market, it was unable to meet the import quota and implemented sufficient measures to maintain or increase internal production. Cuba's economic crisis and the scarcity of goods is largely due to this implementation, which also had the misfortune of coinciding with the rise in international prices of consumer goods and a spiral of prices that shot up and moved away out of reach many foods that were obtained in foreign currency. For the sample, a button: the levels of fishing -affirmed government officials- would not return to those of three decades ago . The fishing laws of 1996 and the most recent of 2020 still do not have the necessary tools to be able to bring fish to the tables of Cubans. How is it possible that on an island, which has not only the sea but also important river sources, it is not easy to procure fish? How is it explained that there is an overexploitation of fishing resources on the island, but there is a shortage of this food? According to official sources, the annual per capita consumption of fish was 16 kg; today it barely reaches 3.8 kg. In short, following official data, each person in Cuba eats about 300 grams of fish per month. This year's forecast is no better than 2021: Going into 2022, essential foods continue to be in short supply and the prices of inputs such as beef, pork, rice, milk, butter and beans are rising. The concern among the population is widespread: some people seek solutions through the rituals of "feeding the land" of the Santeros, while others prepare social mobilizations that echo the cries of "we are hungry" and "freedom" of the 11J demonstrations. Added to this is the massive migration of many of the political dissidents who have been forced to leave the country due to the pressures to which the political regime has subjected them. The panorama of economic crisis in Cuba and the consequent food crisis will be one of the greatest challenges to be faced for this year. The 13% drop in the Gross Domestic Product during 2020 and 2021, as well as the reduction in tourism issues, will be important burdens that will make a dent in the food supply. For now, ordinary Cubans will continue to have to trade rum and cigarettes for basic necessities. AND AND he year 2021 has ended with a situation of extreme 1/1 The article only came to make "official" a reality that  was already evident at the popular level, months ago self-employed workers have had difficulty accessing the purchase of wheat flour, for what bread and other derivatives  have become luxury products.  One of the main issues aired in street debates is the difficulty of mothers to provide their children  at least two loaves a day, one at breakfast  and another at snack time, an equation that is complicated for those who have more than one child at school age.  These  families, who usually supplemented the scarce supply of standardized bread, with what they could purchase through the network of state or private bakeries, have been limited  by the price increase. Today a bag of eight or ten loaves oscillates  between 180 and 350 cups without the supply remaining stable. Although the price in state bakeries is lower, the stability of the product is subject to scheduled power cuts and the supply of flour. In addition, the lines to buy this product   can reach up to five hours, an unthinkable time for people who have to comply with work hours. Teresa is an 80-year-old retiree, lives alone and ensures that her diet basically consists of bread and milk, two products that are currently difficult to access. Until recently, he bought bread at the bakery near his home, but  according to him, the queues have become  unbearable and some end up with the intervention of the police due to to violent fights. On some occasions, he waited for the resellers and bought the same bread for a slightly higher price, still affordable to his checkbook, however, with the shortages of the last few days and the inspectors' stalking, the price has skyrocketed and now he barely survives with the bread from the cellar. 1/1 One loaf a day was the minimum food that low-income people on the island could aspire to. It was also the rationality to which each member of the family nucleus “had the right”, which is popularly “played by the winery”. Since the monetary rearrangement policy, regulated bread ceased to be a product subsidized by the State and its price increased ten times, without this implying an improvement in quality. This condition has placed a wide range of population in greater vulnerability, increasingly deprived of economic resources. According to figures  revealed in the 2021 Statistical Yearbook, published  by the National Statistics Office  the number of beneficiaries and information (ONEI) of social assistance shot up in 2021 by 111% [two] , which means that more Cubans have joined the list of extreme poverty and completely depend on the State to survive.  This can be verified  when walking the streets of Havana , where the number of people begging in the doorways or "diving" in the garbage tanks in search of food and other necessary supplies is increasing. 1/1 The repeated power cuts that occur throughout the country show other damage caused by this energy crisis. Some time ago, the quality of the food that arrives at state outlets, smaller than normal, acidic or simply  absent, has further diminished. Although the issue is not new, the fuel crisis also affects the transfer to the points of sale, an action that is often carried out without the minimum hygienic-sanitary conditions, so the bread is transferred and stored in dirty spaces, exposed to insects. and humidity.    Contrasted with all this is the existence of a functional market that gains more space in the lives of those with relatives abroad. In online mode and offering a wide range of products that are scarce in the rest of the freely convertible currency (MLC) stores or in the almost extinct stores in Cuban pesos (CUP), there are hypermarkets such asSupermarket23 eitherMallHavana , where they offer a way to acquire quality bread, in the variety that the customer wants and without quantity limitations. Accessing these products on a regular basis is unthinkable for ordinary Cubans, however some self-employed workers, owners of paladares, restaurants or rental houses report that on occasions they have been forced to access this market in search of bread. as the only alternative to scarcity and to avoid having to close their businesses permanently. 1/3 La trilogía pollo, perrito y picadillo ha sido avalada por los gobernantes cubanos, como el único alimento proteico que podemos consumir los cubanos de a pie, sin más trabas que las colas y la burocracia que enrola el acceso a estas compras. No es un secreto que la carne de res en los mercados en moneda libremente convertible (MLC) es inalcanzable para quienes no reciben remesas, mientras que el mercado negro es una opción demasiado riesgosa. La carne de cerdo se ha posicionado en el mercado como un producto de lujo, con precios extremadamente caros, a los que tampoco se acceden con facilidad; por su parte el pescado, hace años dejó de ser una opción para la media de los habitantes de esta isla. Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

Ante la compleja situación alimentaria y sociopolítica que atraviesa el país, a nivel local se han implementado una serie de medidas de carácter especial, que comprenden la micro asignación de recursos como mecanismo de control y contención del descontento social... The abundance of scarcity For: German Quintero January 04, 2022 precariousness for the Cuban population. For December 31 of last year, the government distributed rum and cigarettes to the entire population, assuming that rum and cigarettes would alleviate the situation of discontent. The government did not take into account that an important part of the population, not only children and pregnant mothers, does not consume rum or cigarettes, either because they are not part of their consumption habits, or simply because the products are of poor quality. . These state courtesies, obtained in the warehouse through the Booklet, were resold at more than five times the value established by the regime. Last week, independent media denounced the fines imposed on citizens who wanted to resell products that they did not consume in order to complement a fragile basic basket, lacking eggs and milk, but full of cigarettes and poor quality rum. The year 2021 will be remembered as one of the most difficult for Cuban citizens in terms of consumption, after the Special Period. Tourism income and remittances were strongly affected by the tightening of some of the embargo measures, of the health measures to mitigate the pandemic and, above all, by the spectacular failure of the regime's administrative management, which since the implementation of the Ordering Task at the beginning of that year, where in addition to not promoting domestic production, unifying the Cuban peso with the CUC, promoting the MLC and ignoring the situation of the international market, it was unable to meet the import quota and implemented sufficient measures to maintain or increase internal production. Cuba's economic crisis and the scarcity of goods is largely due to this implementation, which also had the misfortune of coinciding with the rise in international prices of consumer goods and a spiral of prices that shot up and moved away out of reach many foods that were obtained in foreign currency. For the sample, a button: the levels of fishing -affirmed government officials- would not return to those of three decades ago . The fishing laws of 1996 and the most recent of 2020 still do not have the necessary tools to be able to bring fish to the tables of Cubans. How is it possible that on an island, which has not only the sea but also important river sources, it is not easy to procure fish? How is it explained that there is an overexploitation of fishing resources on the island, but there is a shortage of this food? According to official sources, the annual per capita consumption of fish was 16 kg; today it barely reaches 3.8 kg. In short, following official data, each person in Cuba eats about 300 grams of fish per month. This year's forecast is no better than 2021: Going into 2022, essential foods continue to be in short supply and the prices of inputs such as beef, pork, rice, milk, butter and beans are rising. The concern among the population is widespread: some people seek solutions through the rituals of "feeding the land" of the Santeros, while others prepare social mobilizations that echo the cries of "we are hungry" and "freedom" of the 11J demonstrations. Added to this is the massive migration of many of the political dissidents who have been forced to leave the country due to the pressures to which the political regime has subjected them. The panorama of economic crisis in Cuba and the consequent food crisis will be one of the greatest challenges to be faced for this year. The 13% drop in the Gross Domestic Product during 2020 and 2021, as well as the reduction in tourism issues, will be important burdens that will make a dent in the food supply. For now, ordinary Cubans will continue to have to trade rum and cigarettes for basic necessities. AND AND he year 2021 has ended with a situation of extreme 1/2 The article only came to make "official" a reality that  was already evident at the popular level, months ago self-employed workers have had difficulty accessing the purchase of wheat flour, for what bread and other derivatives  have become luxury products.  One of the main issues aired in street debates is the difficulty of mothers to provide their children  at least two loaves a day, one at breakfast  and another at snack time, an equation that is complicated for those who have more than one child at school age.  These  families, who usually supplemented the scarce supply of standardized bread, with what they could purchase through the network of state or private bakeries, have been limited  by the price increase. Today a bag of eight or ten loaves oscillates  between 180 and 350 cups without the supply remaining stable. Although the price in state bakeries is lower, the stability of the product is subject to scheduled power cuts and the supply of flour. In addition, the lines to buy this product   can reach up to five hours, an unthinkable time for people who have to comply with work hours. Teresa is an 80-year-old retiree, lives alone and ensures that her diet basically consists of bread and milk, two products that are currently difficult to access. Until recently, he bought bread at the bakery near his home, but  according to him, the queues have become  unbearable and some end up with the intervention of the police due to to violent fights. On some occasions, he waited for the resellers and bought the same bread for a slightly higher price, still affordable to his checkbook, however, with the shortages of the last few days and the inspectors' stalking, the price has skyrocketed and now he barely survives with the bread from the cellar. 1/2 One loaf a day was the minimum food that low-income people on the island could aspire to. It was also the rationality to which each member of the family nucleus “had the right”, which is popularly “played by the winery”. Since the monetary rearrangement policy, regulated bread ceased to be a product subsidized by the State and its price increased ten times, without this implying an improvement in quality. This condition has placed a wide range of population in greater vulnerability, increasingly deprived of economic resources. According to figures  revealed in the 2021 Statistical Yearbook, published  by the National Statistics Office  the number of beneficiaries and information (ONEI) of social assistance shot up in 2021 by 111% [two] , which means that more Cubans have joined the list of extreme poverty and completely depend on the State to survive.  This can be verified  when walking the streets of Havana , where the number of people begging in the doorways or "diving" in the garbage tanks in search of food and other necessary supplies is increasing. 1/3 The repeated power cuts that occur throughout the country show other damage caused by this energy crisis. Some time ago, the quality of the food that arrives at state outlets, smaller than normal, acidic or simply  absent, has further diminished. Although the issue is not new, the fuel crisis also affects the transfer to the points of sale, an action that is often carried out without the minimum hygienic-sanitary conditions, so the bread is transferred and stored in dirty spaces, exposed to insects. and humidity.    Contrasted with all this is the existence of a functional market that gains more space in the lives of those with relatives abroad. In online mode and offering a wide range of products that are scarce in the rest of the freely convertible currency (MLC) stores or in the almost extinct stores in Cuban pesos (CUP), there are hypermarkets such asSupermarket23 eitherMallHavana , where they offer a way to acquire quality bread, in the variety that the customer wants and without quantity limitations. Accessing these products on a regular basis is unthinkable for ordinary Cubans, however some self-employed workers, owners of paladares, restaurants or rental houses report that on occasions they have been forced to access this market in search of bread. as the only alternative to scarcity and to avoid having to close their businesses permanently. 1/4 Esta opción de ordenar desde casa, aunque reservada para un mínimo de la sociedad, parece ser la más recomendable a juzgar por las advertencias de todos: no andar solo de noche, tomar por calles transitadas e iluminadas, no sacar el celular en la calle, nada de joyería que llame la atención, si estás solo no le abras la puerta a ningún extraño aunque se identifique como cobrador, fumigador, etc. Todo este orden de cosas imposibilita otros aspectos de la vida más allá de buscar productos básicos para la subsistencia. Un amigo al que no veía hacía tiempo postergó su visita durante todo un día por estar en trámites y colas inaplazables (una vez que llega un producto refrigerado a un punto de venta que no tiene las condiciones para mantenerlo la compra debe ser inmediata). Al final, cuando pudo liberarse de sus ocupaciones, decidió esperar al día siguiente porque “ya se había hecho tarde y no era seguro andar por estas fechas y a esta hora solo en la calle”. Tanto la elevada criminalidad, los precios inaccesibles y las ocupaciones diarias para conseguir comida más barata son las razones de mayor peso por las cuales las calles de La Habana en estas fechas, siempre llenas de personas festejando, estén desiertas. Con las excepciones de las personas en diferentes modos de espera y colas, incluso los puntos de recreación más frecuentados en el Vedado o la Habana Vieja resultan más solitarios que de costumbre. Aún cuando existen ofertas culturales durante los fines de semana estas tienen una concurrencia ridícula. Justo antes de Navidad, un sábado a las 10:00 pm un DJ “pinchaba” frente a la Casa de las Américas con tres policías como únicos espectadores. El fin de semana siguiente, en pleno curso del Aquelarre, un festival nacional del humor bastante popular, el cine Yara tenía solo sus seis primeras filas ocupadas. Los asistentes se reían de los temas en boga: el racionamiento, la moneda “dura”, “los volcanes” y los diferentes ritos religiosos para lograr “hacer la travesía”. 1/3 La Habana es la capital de un país donde la realidad toca todos los resortes plausibles del sentido común, del orden social, del imaginario popular. Un día un bodeguero vende los mandados de sus vecinos y se va del país con lo recaudado, dejando a sus clientes sin la cuota del mes. Otro día el Ministerio de Salud Pública admite que dos trabajadores de un hospital en Santiago de Cuba han estado vendiendo órganos de procedencia humana, sustraídos de la morgue, presuntamente para venderlos como comida o como artículos religiosos; ya el objetivo final no importa ante las especulaciones de un horror cotidiano que se normaliza. En este año que finalizó más de cuatro bebés han sido abandonados en diferentes provincias del país, algunos corriendo suertes lamentables. Pero esos son solo los casos que trascienden en las redes. Como sea, la sociedad cubana parece vivir en un estado de alarma perpetuo, naturalizando precariedades y alegrándose por mínimos derechos que reciben como milagros. Ni siquiera los chistes resultan subversivos cuando el contexto cotidiano supera la ficción. La Habana no se ha vuelto repentinamente tranquila; si en un año se han ido más de 300 000 cubanos solo por Estados Unidos, según la demografía habanera al menos una persona de cada diez ya no está, esto puede variar según los grupos etarios. La gente joven se va, los mayores se atrincheran, muchas familias contemplan eventualmente un viaje que depare un futuro menos desgastante. A los que no pueden aspirar a ese cambio les espera envejecer a un ritmo cotidiano donde prima el hastío y la incertidumbre. 1/2 Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

Aunque ha existido cierta estabilidad en esa oferta racionada, la calidad del producto ha disminuido considerablemente y eso se debe a las carencias de materias primas para elaborar el pan y a los incontables casos de malversación, que han sido sistemáticamente denunciados por la población sin que se logre cambiar la situación para beneficio del consumidor... The abundance of scarcity For: German Quintero January 04, 2022 precariousness for the Cuban population. For December 31 of last year, the government distributed rum and cigarettes to the entire population, assuming that rum and cigarettes would alleviate the situation of discontent. The government did not take into account that an important part of the population, not only children and pregnant mothers, does not consume rum or cigarettes, either because they are not part of their consumption habits, or simply because the products are of poor quality. . These state courtesies, obtained in the warehouse through the Booklet, were resold at more than five times the value established by the regime. Last week, independent media denounced the fines imposed on citizens who wanted to resell products that they did not consume in order to complement a fragile basic basket, lacking eggs and milk, but full of cigarettes and poor quality rum. The year 2021 will be remembered as one of the most difficult for Cuban citizens in terms of consumption, after the Special Period. Tourism income and remittances were strongly affected by the tightening of some of the embargo measures, of the health measures to mitigate the pandemic and, above all, by the spectacular failure of the regime's administrative management, which since the implementation of the Ordering Task at the beginning of that year, where in addition to not promoting domestic production, unifying the Cuban peso with the CUC, promoting the MLC and ignoring the situation of the international market, it was unable to meet the import quota and implemented sufficient measures to maintain or increase internal production. Cuba's economic crisis and the scarcity of goods is largely due to this implementation, which also had the misfortune of coinciding with the rise in international prices of consumer goods and a spiral of prices that shot up and moved away out of reach many foods that were obtained in foreign currency. For the sample, a button: the levels of fishing -affirmed government officials- would not return to those of three decades ago . The fishing laws of 1996 and the most recent of 2020 still do not have the necessary tools to be able to bring fish to the tables of Cubans. How is it possible that on an island, which has not only the sea but also important river sources, it is not easy to procure fish? How is it explained that there is an overexploitation of fishing resources on the island, but there is a shortage of this food? According to official sources, the annual per capita consumption of fish was 16 kg; today it barely reaches 3.8 kg. In short, following official data, each person in Cuba eats about 300 grams of fish per month. This year's forecast is no better than 2021: Going into 2022, essential foods continue to be in short supply and the prices of inputs such as beef, pork, rice, milk, butter and beans are rising. The concern among the population is widespread: some people seek solutions through the rituals of "feeding the land" of the Santeros, while others prepare social mobilizations that echo the cries of "we are hungry" and "freedom" of the 11J demonstrations. Added to this is the massive migration of many of the political dissidents who have been forced to leave the country due to the pressures to which the political regime has subjected them. The panorama of economic crisis in Cuba and the consequent food crisis will be one of the greatest challenges to be faced for this year. The 13% drop in the Gross Domestic Product during 2020 and 2021, as well as the reduction in tourism issues, will be important burdens that will make a dent in the food supply. For now, ordinary Cubans will continue to have to trade rum and cigarettes for basic necessities. AND AND he year 2021 has ended with a situation of extreme 1/1 The article only came to make "official" a reality that  was already evident at the popular level, months ago self-employed workers have had difficulty accessing the purchase of wheat flour, for what bread and other derivatives  have become luxury products.  One of the main issues aired in street debates is the difficulty of mothers to provide their children  at least two loaves a day, one at breakfast  and another at snack time, an equation that is complicated for those who have more than one child at school age.  These  families, who usually supplemented the scarce supply of standardized bread, with what they could purchase through the network of state or private bakeries, have been limited  by the price increase. Today a bag of eight or ten loaves oscillates  between 180 and 350 cups without the supply remaining stable. Although the price in state bakeries is lower, the stability of the product is subject to scheduled power cuts and the supply of flour. In addition, the lines to buy this product   can reach up to five hours, an unthinkable time for people who have to comply with work hours. Teresa is an 80-year-old retiree, lives alone and ensures that her diet basically consists of bread and milk, two products that are currently difficult to access. Until recently, he bought bread at the bakery near his home, but  according to him, the queues have become  unbearable and some end up with the intervention of the police due to to violent fights. On some occasions, he waited for the resellers and bought the same bread for a slightly higher price, still affordable to his checkbook, however, with the shortages of the last few days and the inspectors' stalking, the price has skyrocketed and now he barely survives with the bread from the cellar. 1/1 One loaf a day was the minimum food that low-income people on the island could aspire to. It was also the rationality to which each member of the family nucleus “had the right”, which is popularly “played by the winery”. Since the monetary rearrangement policy, regulated bread ceased to be a product subsidized by the State and its price increased ten times, without this implying an improvement in quality. This condition has placed a wide range of population in greater vulnerability, increasingly deprived of economic resources. According to figures  revealed in the 2021 Statistical Yearbook, published  by the National Statistics Office  the number of beneficiaries and information (ONEI) of social assistance shot up in 2021 by 111% [two] , which means that more Cubans have joined the list of extreme poverty and completely depend on the State to survive.  This can be verified  when walking the streets of Havana , where the number of people begging in the doorways or "diving" in the garbage tanks in search of food and other necessary supplies is increasing. Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

El derecho a la alimentación se reconoce como derecho humano en el artículo 25 de la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos... From “material stimulus” to “food blackmail” For: claudia gonzalez January 18, 2022 00:00 / 05:05 D D ince the 1960s there has been discussion in Cuba about the relevance of labor stimulation. Initially, it was committed to the validity within Marxism, of accounting autonomy, self-financing and the system of material incentives. A staunch critic of this trend was Ernesto Guevara, who strongly discouraged the use of methods that he considered inherited from the past. Instead, Guevara promoted moral encouragement, the mere satisfaction of duty fulfilled before the construction of Socialism. The ethical value of the stimulus was circumscribed in the rigorous and trench atmosphere, which called for exemplary production, for the sake of "decisive effort". After the failure of the Ten Million Zafra, however, the Soviet system was adopted, which already used binding calculations between workers' remuneration and the quantity and quality of their work . First it was the delivery of Soviet-made household appliances (TVs, fans, irons), then Chinese (like bicycles in the 1990s). From the trade with the ALBA governments and, above all, from the export of medical, technical and sports services, the labor stimulus consisted of a percent of what the workplace earned in foreign currency. These incentives were not granted to all positions, but depended on the capacities of each ministry. In this way, they had more presence in those self-funded centers that generated profits (from the production or export of products and services), as well as in "strategic" centers linked to the upper echelons of the Communist Party of Cuba and the Government. In recent years, however, we have seen the gradual disappearance of material products, for others of food, consisting of chicken boxes, sausages, eggs or cooking oil, among other basic consumer products. Food is nowadays the most common stimuli to reward the work of the state worker, especially among medical, technical, sports personnel, etc. For example, Cuban athletes who received decorations at the Pan American qualifying event, held in Guadalajara, Mexico in 2021, were received in Cuba by representatives of the local government, with food combos that included cakes, cooking oil, sausages and vegetables. . If the stimuli are actions to promote the potential of the individual, food deliveries in Cuba have been the slow transition towards the impoverishment of this social mechanism, to the point of being almost a government survival device. The food has happened like this, to try to fit a salary system that does not fulfill the role that it responds to; Due to the real value of its content, it would be, perhaps, closer to the conception of the Guevarian moral stimulus. So, if the stimuli are intended to raise the worker's self-esteem, it is unfortunate that basic consumer products are proposed as such, and are even desired by their recipients. At a time of chronic shortages, the partial state delivery of food also creates an important social differentiation for citizens who are prevented from this access. The government is aware of the existing food insecurity, and part of this to control and condition militancy in key sectors "stimulating" with products that should be common, daily to all its citizens. Read all the columns of Claudia González in Food Monitor Program HERE

supply book Noviembre, 2021 In 1962, the Supply Book was created by decree in Cuba and, since then, few Cubans imagine the food performance of their household without this document. So, it presented a basic food basket as part of the central and planned economy. Although, initially, it had a direct monetary and product subsidy from the Soviet Union, after the dissolution of the latter, the contents of the passbook were drastically reduced. Over the years, the notebook continued to lose prominence in its essential supplies, for example, in 2009 it again suffered a cut in grains, salt and tubers, and a year later the quota of cigarettes was definitively eliminated, which went to a regulated free sale. Currently there are around 3,809,000 family units registered in the booklet system, grouping more than 11 million Cubans. The products of the notebook are variable according to geographical area and may be subject to administrative, production and transportation errors of their products, as well as the actual availability and import capacity of the country. Despite this, during the last two years the notebook has been not only a management document for the delivery of regulated food, but also for the regulation of donations and other controlled, but not subsidized, products within the emergency policies by the COVID-19. As the economic crisis has worsened, Cuban households have once again become more dependent on this document, showing an increase in its registration, as an instrument of surveillance and social regulation, as well as the normalization of food insecurity. The Food Monitor Program conducted semi-structured interviews to obtain information on the food experiences of Cuban citizens around the supply book, their purchasing power, dependence on subsidies, perception of well-being and food security, bartering and survival dynamics, among others. EVERYTHING IS SO EXPENSIVE THAT THE SUBSIDY IS A RELIEF Leandro Fernandez* "If there are elderly people or children, it is impossible to survive without the notebook since most of the month you have to buy products on the street"... Read more... HERE IS EVERYTHING Diana Sanchez* "I consider that the family diet cannot survive without the notebook, at least, even if it is that little bit, a few days helps"... Read more... I DON'T MAKE LUNCH AND DINNER LIKE I BEFORE Glory Morales* "The products of the notebook are missing because there is nowhere to get rice, sugar, or coffee, oil is scarce". Read more... WE GET EVERYTHING FROM THE BLACK BAG Richard Gonzalez* "The State does not have or deliver any released product, all the acquisition is in the black bag, which thus makes life more expensive"... Read more... I HAVE SOLD THINGS FROM THE HOUSE TO EAT Read more... "For everything you have to show the notebook because, in addition to not being able to buy in any store"... Mireya Lopez* I CAN'T REACH Yaima Reyes* "I've only had access to a combo once from abroad, for a donation through a friend"... Read more...

Poor people who have to access the products through the queues because I see that the fastest queue is 6 hours. There is nothing to decide, you buy what there is Ismael Fajardo, fifty-seven years old, unemployed, lives in Havana with his wife, a health professional. Approximately how much do you spend in a month to guarantee your family's diet? How much of your income does it represent? The spend of the month varies, but I can say, for example, that I received 400 MLC on July 26 and on October 6 I reached zero. In general more or less 200 MLC. How much of your income does it represent? My income is variable, I cannot record it well, because my children support and cover my food needs. It's been almost two years since we left home due to the pandemic. My wife, the person with an employment relationship in the household, earns 4460 CUP. How do you access food and in what percentage? (grocery markets, organic farms and fairs, black market, shipment of combos from abroad, purchase in MLC stores, labor incentives, others) I access food through the black bag and the combos that my children send me from abroad. How many hours do you spend searching for and buying these foods? I don't queue. Poor people who have to access the products through the queues because I see that the fastest queue is 6 hours. Do you use social networks to find out about supplies and prices in your area, for example, via Facebook or Telegram or WhatsApp groups? Yes, I use the networks, because combos don't always bring everything. If you had to divide your diet, how would you describe your intake of animal protein, vegetable protein, carbohydrates? For example, how many times a week do you consume: fish, red meat, white meat, dairy products, eggs, vegetables? Consumption is very difficult. I haven't eaten fish for more than 5 months, the last time because it came in a combo that was sent to me from abroad with a string of 8 little fish. Red meat the same situation: 2½ kg that came in the same combo. Of white meat there is only chicken for Cubans, who have already given it the distinction of national bird, hehehe. Dairy products are only available in the black bag and are very expensive: a 1-kg bag of powdered milk costs between 300 and 350 MN pesos, 1½ kg of yogurt costs around 90 MN and eggs are delivered between 10 and 15 per month per person. The vegetables? it same as the other products: the huge queues, and in private businesses the prices are sky high: 1 avocado today costs 30 MN, 1 bunch of beans that does not reach ½ lb costs 25 MN and so on, chard, quimbobo, chili. A pot of ice cream that I cannot calculate the weight of, you can only imagine the amount [referring to 10L containers], around 30 MN, all of this in private businesses, resellers, etc. Of white meat there is only chicken for Cubans, who have already given it the distinction of national bird What are, in your opinion, aggravating factors that you face daily when it comes to ensuring cooking? I'm thinking about the affectations for basic service of water, gas and electricity. I have no affectations of that type, but there are problems with the spices for the elaboration. Who do you think is today guaranteeing the right to food in Cuba, the State or the family? In my family, my children are the ones who sustain and cover those needs. Do you consider that, when shopping, you must decide between one basic food or another? Do you think you are buying food at a fair price? There is nothing to decide, you buy what there is because there is no other option. The prices are not fair and they go up more every day. Read all interviews on Food Monitor Program HERE

Aquí encontrarás los libros que los investigadores de Food Monitor Program han escrito sobre inseguridad alimentaria en la Isla. Libros Las políticas alimentarias bajo regímenes autoritarios: los casos de Cuba y Venezuela Ver más detalles Vocabulario cubano de crisis y cocina Ver más detalles Cultura, Comida, y Poder Diálogos con artistas e intelectuales cubanos Ver más detalles ¿Cómo se come en Cuba? Diálogos sobre seguridad alimentaria Ver más detalles

"The products in the book are missing because there is nowhere to get rice, sugar, or coffee, oil is scarce" I don't do lunch and dinner like before Gloria Morales is in her fifties, works for the State, lives with her 80-year-old mother and her adult son in Santiago de Cuba. Who in your family usually does the shopping at the grocery store? The purchases are made by my son. Do you buy other “controlled”, “regulated” or “regulated” products? for this system? No. The rest that I need to live I acquire through other means outside of the supply book. What products from the supply book do you consume most frequently? Do you leave any without removing in the month? The products of the notebook after the monetary ordering are no longer subsidized, except diets of any kind, but in my case I don't have any. I eat almost all of them except the soy mincemeat, but I take them all out, I give the mincemeat away. How much of your formal income does the monthly purchase of the products in the notebook represent? Do you consider that your ability to acquire them has been affected since the monetary reform? It represents less than 10% of my current salary. My ability to purchase has not been affected because there are very few products and in small quantities. How many days of the month would you say that the basic products of the notebook are enough for the family? It depends. Beans last 3 or 4 times, meat 2 meals, rice about 10 days, sugar, coffee, salt depending on how you save it. I no longer make lunch and dinner as before, because the rice is not enough, but we have anything for lunch, let's say viands, eggs, I don't know, to leave the rice for lunch. I no longer make lunch and dinner as before, because the rice is not enough, but we have anything for lunch, let's say viands, eggs, I don't know, to leave the rice for lunch Do you exchange, buy, resell or give away any of the products assigned to you? No. I only give away the soy mincemeat, I have given things to the most needy people, but not because I have too many, because then I lack them. Mostly I buy from people who sell products from the notebook such as milk, everything else that is needed for example eggs, chicken, oil I buy from resellers. Do you think that the family diet could survive without the notebook? The products in the book are lacking because there is nowhere to get rice, or sugar, or coffee, oil is scarce, so having those products in the book in national currency is very necessary, I don't think anyone can do without that, or even those with the greatest access to the MLC. If they delivered more released products, do you think you could pay for them with your income and that it would be a positive change or would you prefer more subsidies? It would be good to increase the offer, you could acquire some depending on the prices, the state sells just as expensive as the private ones. It would be good if there were more products, acquiring them more or less depends on my salary, mostly not on the existence of the products, because inflation is very high. I do not receive subsidies because I do not have children, or malnourished, or vulnerable people in my family nucleus. It would be good if there were more products, acquiring them more or less depends on my salary, mostly not on the existence of the products, because inflation is very high. Do you consider that the products assigned by the supply book condition the way you prepare food? No. In the elaboration it depends what you have to cook, species, seasonings, and none of that is given by the notebook. Have you received any donation or external product at subsidized prices during the Covid19 period for the passbook? Can you describe it, as well as its origin? The only thing received is the two free modules after July 11, which had 3 kilos of rice, 6 kilos of pasta, 2 kilos of Chinese beans (horrible) and one kilo of white sugar. It was not like that for everyone, it varied according to the products, but the weight of all was more or less the same. Read all interviews on Food Monitor Program HERE

Desde 1975 se conmemora cada 8 de marzo el Día Internacional de la Mujer como un día para el reconocimiento y la reflexión sobre los derechos de las mujeres y las brechas que, en diferentes ámbitos, aún no se logran reducir... The crisis does not distinguish species For: Nastassja Rojas January 25, 2022 It is a titanic task, considering that the needs and suffering are innumerable. And we are not only talking about crises sustained over time, such as those that occur in contexts with depressed economies such as the misnamed "Special Period in times of war" in Cuba in the 1990s, but also health crises with economic and social impacts such as the COVID-19 in the year 2020 in almost every country in the world. But crises are not experienced the same in all countries and even more so if one takes into account that the pandemic arrived in contexts where structural difficulties were already being experienced, in such a way that a "crisis within the crisis" was experienced. A fact that led to truly dramatic situations for the population of countries like Cuba, which, forced by circumstances, had to ration food, even more than what they had been rationing for years, but what about other species? especially in a context of isolation in which they become emotional support and main company. And it is that in contexts where the scarcity of products is common, human beings are not the only ones who suffer the ravages of the lack of food and medicines, but other sentient beings also live this situation in a really dramatic way. If the animals in the midst of crises ate the leftovers from the house; what are they going to eat when there are no leftovers and when food is limited even for humans. Certainly, their place goes into the background and therefore their food and health situation is even more critical. Even so, in the midst of the difficulties in which Cuba lives, there are many who assume these other species as members of the family, and therefore seek to feed them at the expense of their own well-being. But when the situation reaches extremes, some find it necessary to let them go out to look for their food or to abandon them to reduce the mouths of the house, which exposes them to being collected by the State and that in accordance with the provisions for "control of street populations" can be sacrificed. In addition to this, several cases have been documented about the sacrifice of animals or their use for rituals, so this outing, in addition to being critical, is dramatic. This is how animal supporters in Cuba have understood it, who have faced the inaction of the regime and the recalcitrant positions of an anachronistic party, which privileges the interests of the political class and fails to identify true progressivism in the defense of the rights of animals and equality of species. The surreptitious approval of the Animal Welfare Decree-Law published by the Council of State on April 10, 2021 is not enough, if one takes into account that the advances continue to maintain the businesses of the party bosses and justice is selective with those who do not agree with the regime. Although fines are established there "for animal welfare violations", animal activists have stated that State security has poisoned their animals as an inhuman action of reprimand and no person has received any type of sanction, in addition, the Law itself is insufficient because it excludes the rites associated with the cultural heritage of Cuba from what is punishable within violence against animals. In this sense, a context of crisis in which the Law is selective and fails to authentically guarantee the rights of all species, their lack of protection is total and their vulnerability grows with the needs of the population. It is difficult to blame or point a finger at a family for not feeding their animals, while children or older adults must also suffer from serious limitations and often have to skip meals to be able to eat. Here the responsibility lies with an indolent regimen that puts a choice between the members of a family, regardless of species, who should be fed. P P prioritize problems and the population in the midst of crises Read all the columns of Nastassja Rojas in Food Monitor Program HERE

"They gave a module whose origin I do not know, that was immediately after the July 11 demonstrations." Everything is so expensive that the subsidy is a relief Leandro Fernández is 39 years old, lives with his partner, his father Who in your family usually does the shopping at the grocery store? We have hired someone who does the courier service for us. He is a self-employed neighbor who provides this service. Do you buy other “controlled”, “regulated” or “regulated” products by this system? We received a donation module that they delivered. Outside of that, we look for everything in MLC stores or in buy-sell groups on social networks. What products from the supply book do you consume most frequently? Do you leave any without removing in the month? The products that we consume the most are rice, eggs, oil. I don't normally take out the soy mincemeat and the like. How much of your formal income does the monthly purchase of the products in the notebook represent? Do you consider that your ability to acquire them has been affected since the monetary reform? My income is irregular because it depends on the management I do, I am self-employed. Even so, I am not affected by the cost of regulated products, but the majority of the country is affected a lot, especially pensioners, elderly people. Even so, I am not affected by the cost of regulated products, but the majority of the country is affected a lot, especially pensioners, elderly people. How many days of the month would you say that the basic products of the notebook are enough for the family? I would say between a week and 10 days approximately. Do you exchange, buy, resell or give away any of the products assigned to you? Usually not. Do you think that the family diet could survive without the notebook? If they delivered more released products, do you think you could pay for them with your income and that it would be a positive change or would you prefer more subsidies? It depends on the people who make up the nucleus. If there are elderly people or children it is impossible to survive without the passbook since most of the month you have to buy products on the street and they are so expensive that buying them subsidized is a relief, example: toilet paper cost 20 CUP, now in the market black costs from 120 to 150 CUP. If there are elderly people or children, it is impossible to survive without the book, since most of the month you have to buy the products on the street and they are so expensive that buying them subsidized is a relief Do you consider that the products assigned by the supply book condition the way you prepare food? In my case, I don't think it conditions the cooking of the food I eat. Have you received any donation or external product at subsidized prices during the Covid19 period for the passbook? Can you describe it, as well as its origin? They gave a module whose origin I do not know, that was immediately after the July 11 demonstrations. The content varied from region to region. We receive rice, lentils, pasta, oil. Some people were given milk, others wheat flour, or chicken. Read all interviews on Food Monitor Program HERE

Food Monitor Program realizó entrevistas semi-estructuradas para obtener información sobre las experiencias alimentarias de ciudadanos cubanos. CONVERSACIONES Expertos Sociedad Civil