A young Cuban woman shared a TikTok video that has sparked a wave of reactions as she expressed her frustration after visiting several state-run stores in search of essential groceries, only to find almost nothing to put on her table.
"I left home with a clear goal: to get the basics, just what I need to put a meal on the table. Nothing fancy," she recounted while walking through the aisles of one store.
She described how she walked "aisle after aisle," encountering only kitchen products, personal hygiene items, and detergents. "I see kitchen supplies, hair products, detergent, cleaning stuff... but food, not so much," she lamented.
As she continued her search, the young woman found herself repeatedly asking, "When did something so normal become so hard?"
Ultimately, she ended up buying shampoo and conditioner for her daughter, as they were necessities, though not what she originally set out to purchase. At the checkout, she faced another unexpected situation: the lack of choices led her to buy a small package of detergent.
"It wasn't what I came for, it wasn't my priority, it wasn't in my plans, but it was either that or leave the money behind," she stated. She left the store with detergent in hand, feeling as if getting food has turned into "an impossible mission."
The Cuban woman mentioned attempting to try her luck at another store, hoping to find something different, but once again, she was met with empty shelves in the food section.
"If you've watched until the end, tell me what you think. Were you as surprised as I was, or were you expecting something else?" she asked her followers as she concluded the video.
Her testimony highlights a reality that many citizens report daily: the increasing difficulty of accessing basic products amid the country's economic crisis, marked by shortages, inflation, and unstable supply chains.
Understanding Cuba's Economic Challenges
Why are essential groceries hard to find in Cuba?
The scarcity of essential groceries in Cuba is largely due to economic challenges such as shortages, inflation, and unstable supply chains, all exacerbated by the nation’s socialist policies.
What alternatives do Cubans have when stores are empty?
When faced with empty shelves, Cubans often turn to informal markets or rely on remittances from abroad to obtain necessary goods.