Cubans Protest Over ETECSA SIM Card Shortage: A Crisis Fueled by Months of Scarcity

On Tuesday, a crowd of citizens staged a protest outside the ETECSA office located in the Vista Alegre neighborhood of Santiago de Cuba. The demonstration erupted after SIM cards, which had just returned to the market after months of absence, sold out in mere minutes at the state-run company's outlets.

Independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada exposed the situation on Facebook, detailing that ETECSA had initiated a limited sale of SIM cards in various offices and locations throughout the province since the previous day.

The official price was set at 1,000 Cuban pesos, contrasting sharply with the informal market where these SIM cards are sold for up to 10,000 pesos. This disparity highlights the prolonged scarcity and the chaotic distribution of a high-demand resource essential for communication.

According to photos and eyewitness accounts shared by the journalist, the Vista Alegre office initially informed the public that 100 SIM cards were available. However, after only 43 individuals had been served, a staff member announced that the cards had run out.

This abrupt change in information sparked immediate protest from those who had been waiting under the sun for hours. Many refused to leave until the promised 100 people were served. As tensions escalated, ETECSA employees called in nearby police and military personnel to manage the crowd.

In a video shared by Mayeta, a group of people can be seen gathering at the office entrance, shouting "thieves!" and "where are they?" while a woman references a list. This chaos exemplifies the disorganization and lack of transparency in service management.

The incident brings to light the inefficiency of a state-run enterprise that monopolizes telecommunications in Cuba and highlights the government's failure to ensure regular access to this essential service. The gap between official and black market prices not only underscores chronic shortages but also a system that forces citizens to pay exorbitant fees for a basic right: communication.

Reactions to the post were swift. From Havana, a resident described the absurd red tape involved in acquiring and activating a mobile line: first, queue to buy the SIM, then find it cannot connect, return to ETECSA, and finally visit another office to complete a process that takes only minutes. "What's the name of the play? Bureaucracy," she quipped.

In Santiago, other comments pointed directly to corruption and institutional mismanagement. One resident claimed that after the protest erupted, an additional 100 lines were released to pacify the crowd. Another alleged that many cards "stay right there and get resold," blaming the system for trying to control yet failing to manage anything.

Criticisms also targeted the general quality of service. A doctor labeled ETECSA as "a useless and thieving company," comparing Cuban prices with those in other countries where a SIM costs just a dollar or is given for free at airports. A young man summed up the general sentiment with a damning statement: "They offer the worst paid service in the world."

The Vista Alegre episode is not an isolated incident but a reflection of accumulated frustration with a model that combines monopoly, inefficiency, scarcity, and lack of transparency. In a country where connectivity is increasingly vital for work, study, and staying informed, the state's failure to guarantee regular access to mobile lines underscores the deterioration of public services and the direct impact of poor governmental decisions on citizens' daily lives.