Cuba to Ration Food in Wake of Economic Crisis
Economists and government officials blame the hardening of the trade embargo by the Trump administration and a plunge in aid from Venezuela.HAVANA—The Cuban government says it will begin rationing chicken, eggs, rice, beans, soap and other basic products in the face of a grave economic crisis.
Commerce Minister Betsy Díaz Velázquez told the state-run Cuban News Agency Friday that various forms of rationing would be employed in order to deal with shortages of staple foods. She blamed the hardening of the U.S. trade embargo by the Trump administration. Economists give equal or greater blame to a plunge in aid from Venezuela.
Food stores in Cuba are government-run and sell products ranging from highly subsidized to wildly overpriced by global standards. She said chicken will now be sold in limited quantities, as will low-priced soap, eggs, rice, beans, lentils and sausages. High-priced goods appear to be unaffected, with the exception of chicken.
WAIT, BEFORE YOU GO…If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.