"Struggling to Survive: Viral Video Highlights the Dire Hunger Crisis in Cuba"

A Cuban woman has taken social media by storm with a viral video that painfully yet ironically captures the daily struggle of millions on the island—hunger. Using the handle @darlinmedina931, she poses a question that many shy away from answering directly: “What's the main dish today?” Her answer, delivered with biting humor, is: “Nothing but the plate itself, which is quite strong. Plastic.”

Although it seems like a joke, her statement resonates deeply with those familiar with the Cuban reality, where empty plates and refrigerators with more air than food are all too common. Entire families scrape by on inadequate meals or sometimes go without food altogether. In her video, Darlin jokingly suggests that to have a "hearty meal" in Cuba, one would need to find a mythical bird that doesn't eat rice but sings like a rooster.

Darlin's words are not an exaggeration. According to the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH), a staggering 89% of Cuban families live in extreme poverty. Their 2024 report on the State of Social Rights in Cuba disclosed that 7 out of 10 Cubans have skipped breakfast, lunch, or dinner due to lack of money or food. This percentage climbs to 79% among those over 70 years old. Even more alarming is that only 15% of Cubans manage to eat three meals a day.

Economic Struggles Amidst Abundant Food Supplies

The issue isn't a global shortage of food; it's the fact that wages in Cuba are insufficient for survival. The Cuban Observatory of Citizen Audit (OCAC) estimates that at least 30,000 pesos per month are necessary just to eat, while the minimum wage is a mere 2,100 CUP. Even the lowest pension, which authorities claim will increase in September, will only reach 3,056 CUP. The numbers simply don't add up.

In response to an OCAC survey, many Cubans reported that the cost of basic food in Cuba ranges between 70,000 and 100,000 pesos per month. “When it comes to food, Cubans barely get by,” commented one social media user. Another was more blunt: “Prices rise every day as if it were an auction, and nobody in the government does anything.”

Government Priorities and Rising Costs

Meanwhile, the government continues to prioritize tourism over agriculture, allocating 13 times more budget to the former than the latter, according to the report “Without Agriculture, There Is No Country and With GAESA, There Is No Future.” Currently, a carton of eggs can cost over 3,000 pesos, and a package of chicken up to 4,000. Since May, eggs are no longer available through the ration book. The once-reliable “bodega” has become a hollow reminder of broken promises.

A doctor on maternity leave revealed she needs two months’ salary to buy a can of powdered milk for her daughter. How do people manage to survive? Through remittances, bartering, the black market, or simply by going without food.