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  • Food Monitor Program | Seguridad Alimentaria en Cuba

    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 Julio 03 de 2025 Restaurante del Jardín Botánico de Cienfuegos: testigo mudo de la decadencia nacional La policrisis cubana tiene muchas caras y esta es una de las más dolorosas: la pérdida paulatina de nuestra identidad, de nuestros lugares y costumbres, de lo que da vida y memoria a la nación. Persona Protegida, FMP Junio 26 de 2024 La opacidad estadística en Cuba: el velo de la ONEI El análisis revela un patrón persistente de opacidad, omisiones y desactualización que entorpece seriamente la comprensión de fenómenos clave como la seguridad alimentaria, el empleo y el costo de vida. German Quintero Junio 17 de 2025 Cuba: Sobrevivir sin electricidad en el siglo XXI No hay forma de preservar nada. La planificación alimentaria se reduce a lo inmediato: lo que se consigue hoy, debe comerse hoy. La carne y los lácteos, para aquellos afortunados que pueden permitírselos... Persona Protegida, FMP Junio 10 de 2025 El abandono estatal acrecienta el hambre en Cuba Mientras las tiendas en divisas exhiben productos que la mayoría no puede comprar y los discursos oficiales prometen una soberanía alimentaria que permanece como una quimera, el pueblo cubano sigue atrapado... 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

  • Columnas | Food Monitor Program

    Todas las columnas de opinión de los investigadores de Food Monitor Program OPINION Julio 03 de 2025 Restaurante del Jardín Botánico de Cienfuegos: testigo mudo de la decadencia nacional La policrisis cubana tiene muchas caras y esta es una de las más dolorosas: la pérdida paulatina de nuestra identidad, de nuestros lugares y costumbres, de lo que da vida y memoria a la nación. Persona Protegida, FMP Junio 26 de 2024 La opacidad estadística en Cuba: el velo de la ONEI El análisis revela un patrón persistente de opacidad, omisiones y desactualización que entorpece seriamente la comprensión de fenómenos clave como la seguridad alimentaria, el empleo y el costo de vida. German Quintero Junio 17 de 2025 Cuba: Sobrevivir sin electricidad en el siglo XXI No hay forma de preservar nada. La planificación alimentaria se reduce a lo inmediato: lo que se consigue hoy, debe comerse hoy. La carne y los lácteos, para aquellos afortunados que pueden permitírselos... Persona Protegida, FMP Junio 10 de 2025 El abandono estatal acrecienta el hambre en Cuba Mientras las tiendas en divisas exhiben productos que la mayoría no puede comprar y los discursos oficiales prometen una soberanía alimentaria que permanece como una quimera, el pueblo cubano sigue atrapado... Persona Protegida, FMP Columnists Nastassja Rojas Executive director Claudia Gonzalez Main researcher German Quintero Academic Coordinator Sergio Angel Project Manager Food Monitor Program Personas Protegidas

  • Columna: Un fin de año en La Habana: breve crónica del hastío de una ciudad | Food Monitor Program

    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

  • Entrevista Eugenio Díaz Bonilla Food Monitor Program

    Por ejemplo, se vende en vez de carne de res, una masa cárnica que nadie sabe qué elementos la constituyen, ni aparecen los componentes ni los nutrientes desglosados... "We never leave anything without taking it out, everything is taken out here, everything is taken out, everything is taken out, nothing is left in the cellar here" HERE IS EVERYTHING Eugenio Diaz Bonilla Who in your family usually does the shopping at the grocery store? Well, my husband does the shopping in my store, he's the one who goes every month to run errands. Do you buy other “controlled”, “regulated” or “regulated” products? for this system? Through this supply book system, we buy products from the warehouse and once a month in the local currency store, which used to be in CUC, now in national currency, we buy chicken, detergent and oil; that's the same for the notebook there once a month. What products from the supply book do you consume most frequently? Do you leave any without removing in the month? From the basic food basket, what we consume the most is rice and beans, and we never leave anything untaken, everything is taken out here, everything is taken out, everything is taken out, nothing is left in the cellar here. Nothing is going to be returned to the State here, in short, that does not return to the State, but hey, you and I know how things are, here nothing is left anywhere, everything for your house. 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? This monthly purchase of products from the supply book represents 6% of our income. And, I do consider that my purchasing power has been affected since the monetary reform, before with less than 100 pesos we used to buy 3 people's errands here, now we need more than 400 pesos. How many days of the month would you say that the basic products of the notebook are enough for the family? We could say that these products last approximately 12 days, that is, they are enough for me for 12 days, an average more or less 12, 15. In my case, the rice lasts for me at the end of the month, because we do not consume that much rice, or be the children eat little rice. Here the one who eats the most is Jose and he doesn't have lunch here, since he works he has lunch at his job. But hey, the beans last a week, the coffee more or less 15 days, because I don't strain in the afternoon, I just do it in the morning, it lasts a little longer for me, there are those who last less. The chicken is 2 to 3 meals, if you distribute it in portions, here the chicken is divided into portions, and well, you distribute it and well, more or less you get 2 to 3 meals. The picadillo per child is enough for 1 meal, the oil for 10 to 12 days because that doesn't last any longer, and it lasts for me from 10 to 12 days, because I don't get cold that much, because Jose doesn't eat fried foods, because we take care of ourselves, because I try not to eat excess fat, anyway, but there are those who don't get it after 12 days, at least it gets to me, but there are those who don't. Does any member of your family receive a special diet? Read all interviews on Food Monitor Program HERE

  • Columna: Fermín, un hombre que entiende de plantas | Food Monitor Program

    El trabajo no ha sido fácil, en los últimos años escasean los bancos de posturas donde conseguir las muestras que desea injertar. La crisis migratoria y los casi nulos incentivos para el cultivo entre los jóvenes ha dejado muchos viveros en desuso... 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. 1/1 Mientras labora es interrumpido sin descanso, a veces por los niños que vienen en búsqueda de una guayaba o chirimoya, un campesino que quiere contratarlo para injertar café u otras plantas , o bien por alguien que necesita un pepino o tomate para acompañar la comida. Con 73 años de edad, antecedentes de hipertensión arterial y diabetes, se incluye en el grupo poblacional de personas vulnerables. Por eso asegura que su mayor inversión sea un huerto donde plantó cúrcuma, jengibre, hierbabuena y una colmena de abejas que instaló en el tronco de una mata de naranja. Con estos productos suple muchas veces la escasez de medicamentos para aliviar gripes, resfriados y otras dolencias inmediatas. Confiesa que las plantas le han salvado la vida, encuetra en ellas su lugar de paz. Se nota en el amor que le pone a cada uno de los trabajos que realiza. Cada injerto se convierte en una especie de hijo que acompaña hasta el momento en que recoge su cosecha. Siempre velando que todo esté bien, le habla como si el árbol le entendiera y este responde dándole aquello que necesita. 1/2 Los injertos son una manera simple de acortar los ciclos de producción de algunas frutas y lograr variedades que de otra manera no se darían en el país. Esta habilidad se hace particularmente necesaria en un tiempos donde la comida y los insumos para producirla escasean notablemente. Aunque la práctica es asociada comunmente a las zonas rurales, las pequeñas ciudades también comienzan a incursionar en este proceso, pues el injerto puede intervenir en el proceso de crecimiento de la planta y esto ayuda cuando el espacio para cosechar es limitado. Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

  • Columna: De la solidaridad con el régimen cubano y otras adicciones | Food Monitor Program

    Mientras que el gobierno venezolano enviaba 300 mil bolsas de alimentos como parte de la ayuda humanitaria por los estragos del Huracán Ian a Cuba, en Venezuela se reportaban más de 30 muertos y miles de damnificados por inundaciones y deslaves... 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 Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

  • Columna: En Cuba no hay hambre | Food Monitor Program

    En Cuba no hay hambre… al menos, es lo que se puede inferir del mapa de hambre desarrollado por el Programa Mundial de Alimentos (PMA) para monitorear la seguridad alimentaria a nivel global... A paperless event to “celebrate” For: Serge Angel January 11, 2022 00:00 / 04:33 AND AND n a note published by the Ministry of Domestic Trade (Mincin) on December 18, it was announced that, as a result of the delays in the importation of the raw material for the preparation of the supply books for the year 2022, the available lines of the month of January and February of the notebooks of the year 2021. And although the announcement is for the population of the western and central provinces, it is eloquent in the face of what the year 2022 will be in terms of supply; something paradoxical if one takes into account that next March 12 marks the 60th anniversary of the enactment of Law 1015 of 1962, which gave rise to the creation of the "Supply Control Book" . It is difficult to speak of a celebration when in reality what is commemorated is not the supply of the population, but its control, that is, the exact moment in which, through a provision of the Council of Ministers, the National Board for the Distribution of of Food and this, making use of its powers, established the first food regulation measures for Cubans, sentencing what would be the following years of rationing. Under the euphemism of "year of planning" (year 1962) -and the fact is that the regime lives on euphemisms that are in no way compatible with reality- the National Board for the distribution of food announced at its first meeting on March 13 of 1962, what would be the rationed products and what would be the procedure for the acquisition of these through the passbook. What began as a measure to "improve the distribution of supplies" ended up becoming a state policy that through food controls the population in the most intimate. The regime got into each of the homes and abruptly came to control what each family could eat and the products with which they could clean themselves. In the blink of an eye, the board's provisions established measures for the entire country, for 26 cities and for Greater Havana (see image 1. Distribution of rationed items). It was not a minor justified decision in the shortage of those who could buy compared to those who were marginalized, it was a deliberate measure to register each person residing on the island through a person who would act as "head of the family" and who would register all the members of the family nucleus so that the paterfamilias "Revolutionary State" could "guarantee supply." In reality, there was no profit, what there was was a tremendous loss, not only had the freedom to buy been lost -of those who could and those who couldn't-, but also lost the freedom of not being controlled by an ideological apparatus such as the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR). Surveillance body that from that moment acquired teeth and increased its ability to watch the neighbors, both those committed to the Revolution, as well as those "confused" or counterrevolutionaries (see image 2. How to obtain the notebook). The lack of paper for the preparation of notebooks is nothing more than a metaphor for the control to which the people are subjected. Without many alternatives, families will have to write down in the months of January and February 2021 what they will consume at the beginning of the year, hoping that The Mincin keeps its word and on January 30 delivers the 2022 notebooks so that everything returns to the "abnormality" in which it has lived since 1962. Read all of Sergio Angel's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

  • Columna: Lo que no es justo en Cuba: respuesta a Francia Márquez | Food Monitor Program

    Aunque se intenta recobrar socialmente la idea de que la Navidad es una época de alegría y celebración, en Cuba esta fecha también puede ser un período de mucho estrés debido al desabastecimiento... 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

  • Columna: Cuba, Venezuela y los puntos críticos de hambre en América Latina | Food Monitor Program

    Hace poco más de un mes la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación (FAO) junto con el Programa Mundial de Alimentos (PMA) presentaron su informe “Puntos críticos de hambre... A paperless event to “celebrate” For: Serge Angel January 11, 2022 00:00 / 05:14 (Mincin) on December 18, it was announced that, as a result of the delays in the importation of the raw material for the preparation of the supply books for the year 2022, the available lines of the month of January and February of the notebooks of the year 2021. And although the announcement is for the population of the western and central provinces, it is eloquent in the face of what the year 2022 will be in terms of supply; something paradoxical if one takes into account that next March 12 marks the 60th anniversary of the enactment of Law 1015 of 1962, which gave rise to the creation of the "Supply Control Book" . It is difficult to speak of a celebration when in reality what is commemorated is not the supply of the population, but its control, that is, the exact moment in which, through a provision of the Council of Ministers, the National Board for the Distribution of of Food and this, making use of its powers, established the first food regulation measures for Cubans, sentencing what would be the following years of rationing. Under the euphemism of "year of planning" (year 1962) -and the fact is that the regime lives on euphemisms that are in no way compatible with reality- the National Board for the distribution of food announced at its first meeting on March 13 of 1962, what would be the rationed products and what would be the procedure for the acquisition of these through the passbook. What began as a measure to "improve the distribution of supplies" ended up becoming a state policy that through food controls the population in the most intimate. The regime got into each of the homes and abruptly came to control what each family could eat and the products with which they could clean themselves. In the blink of an eye, the board's provisions established measures for the entire country, for 26 cities and for Greater Havana (see image 1. Distribution of rationed items). It was not a minor justified decision in the shortage of those who could buy compared to those who were marginalized, it was a deliberate measure to register each person residing on the island through a person who would act as "head of the family" and who would register all the members of the family nucleus so that the paterfamilias "Revolutionary State" could "guarantee supply." In reality, there was no profit, what there was was a tremendous loss, not only had the freedom to buy been lost -of those who could and those who couldn't-, but also lost the freedom of not being controlled by an ideological apparatus such as the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR). Surveillance body that from that moment acquired teeth and increased its ability to watch the neighbors, both those committed to the Revolution, as well as those "confused" or counterrevolutionaries (see image 2. How to obtain the notebook). The lack of paper for the preparation of notebooks is nothing more than a metaphor for the control to which the people are subjected. Without many alternatives, families will have to write down in the months of January and February 2021 what they will consume at the beginning of the year, hoping that The Mincin keeps its word and on January 30 delivers the 2022 notebooks so that everything returns to the "abnormality" in which it has lived since 1962. AND AND n a note published by the Ministry of Domestic Trade Read all of Sergio Angel's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

  • Notas de prensa No.1 | Food Monitor Program

    Nota de PRENSA Nota de prensa N° 1 - Food Monitor Program Debido a la falta de libretas de abastecimiento, el Ministerio de Comercio Interior anuncia medidas para la anotación de productos alimenticios en los meses de enero y febrero de 2023 03 de enero de 2023 English Version Versión en español El Ministerio de Comercio Interior (MINCIN), por medio del envío de un documento oficial, anunció el pasado 26 de diciembre de 2022 que debido al “atraso en la fabricación por la industria de Libretas de control de productos alimenticios” no será posible entregar las libretas de abastecimiento en ocho de las dieciséis provincias de Cuba. Las provincias totalmente afectadas serán Mayabeque, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila y Granma, mientras que habrá afectación parcial en las provincias de La Habana, Pinar del Río y Santiago de Cuba. El documento enviado a “Directores Estatales de Comercio y Directores de los Grupos Empresariales” de las provincias anteriormente mencionadas, informa que, debido al atraso en la producción de libretas, se establece un procedimiento “transitorio” de anotación de los productos de la canasta básica familiar normada. Se explica, además, que este atraso se debe a “las limitaciones financieras que provocaron atrasos en la importación de materia prima para la confección de las libretas” y que ello condujo a “atrasos significativos” en la producción y distribución de las libretas de abastecimiento para el año 2023. Como en el año pasado , las anotaciones del año 2023 se realizarán en las libretas de 2022. El uso de la libreta de 2022, según este procedimiento, será ajustado para anotar en otras páginas los productos del nuevo año. En la casilla derecha de la página 11 se realizará la anotación de los productos secos, cárnicos y leche de la canasta familiar normada, reflejando el nombre del producto en la columna ‘cantidad’ y en la columna ‘fecha’ la cantidad del producto que se recibe por el total de consumidores del núcleo. En la página 19 se anotará el pan marcando la cantidad y la fecha. Los combustibles se anotarán en la misma página 2, aclarando la fecha y la cantidad. Al igual que con los combustibles, las dietas médicas del 2023 se anotarán en la página correspondiente. Para el Gas Licuado del Petróleo (GLP), que es una de las fuentes de energía para la preparación de alimentos, será validada por medio de los vales de venta que se emiten en la fecha de adquisición. En el último apartado del procedimiento, el MINCIN indica que los distribuidores serán los encargados de hacer la actualización de las libretas antes del 30 de marzo de 2023. FMP llama la atención sobre la persistencia en las condiciones de desabastecimiento de “materias primas” que se han justificado como “problemas financieros” durante los años 2021 y 2022. En el primer caso, la justificación del desabastecimiento se debía a la falta de insumos, producida por la situación económica en pandemia; en el último por causa del “bloqueo”. Esta situación terminará por afectar, nuevamente, a los consumidores de los productos básicos de la canasta familia, quienes tras la Tarea Ordenamiento y la escasez profunda de alimentos se han visto cada vez más dependientes del documento de racionamiento. En esta ecuación, la mayoría de la población con menor capacidad adquisitiva, sin fuentes de ingreso por remesas ni acceso a moneda MLC se ubicará en condiciones de vulnerabilidad serias. FMP continúa advirtiendo sobre las graves consecuencias que tiene este tipo de situaciones a la hora de garantizar un debido derecho a la alimentación de la población en Cuba.

  • Columna: La Ley SSAN y el control de la agencia como forma de dominación | Food Monitor Program

    El pasado 28 de octubre, la Ley de Soberanía Alimentaria y Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional (SSAN) de Cuba entró en vigor... 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 Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

  • Columna: Priorizando el derecho a la alimentación | Food Monitor Program

    El derecho a la alimentación es inseparable de la justicia social, y que la alimentación de las personas es uno de los objetivos primarios de cualquier gobierno; y de hecho, parte de los planes de soberanía nacional. 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 Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

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