Díaz-Canel's Ration Book Cuts Spark Public Outcry: "We're All Vulnerable, Except You"

The announcement made by Cuba's leader, Miguel Díaz-Canel, on Thursday regarding the ration book being limited exclusively to retirees, chronic patients, and vulnerable individuals has triggered a wave of criticism and ridicule among Cubans on social media. The consensus is clear: everyone is vulnerable.

Introduced on June 18 at the Communist Party's Extraordinary Plenary Session, this measure is part of a package of 176 economic strategies presented by the regime. It marks the most significant reduction to the rationing system since the book's inception in 1962.

For many citizens, the news seemed almost satirical: the basic basket has practically vanished long ago.

"What basket? The one in their mind," a user quipped. "What basket are they talking about? It disappeared ages ago," added another. A third comment bluntly stated, "What we get now is just scraps of scraps."

The phrase that echoed throughout the comments was a variation of the same sentiment: "We're all vulnerable." Some addressed Díaz-Canel directly: "We're all vulnerable… Mr. Canel." Others added a bitter twist: "Everyone except them."

One Cuban described the situation in detail: "They're liars. At the United Nations, the president claimed we get more than 12 items through the basic basket, but even doubling everything, I can't reach six."

This reference alludes to Díaz-Canel's statements before the UN in September 2021, where he asserted that the basket comprised 19 essential food products available at affordable prices for all Cubans.

Another person was even more direct: "That ration book expired years ago. What we eat comes from the black market; otherwise, we would have starved. They give nothing to the people, only demand sacrifices, not even for the children."

"We're tired of lies, promises, and manipulation. They have us suffering hunger, thirst, and heat," voiced a Cuban woman, capturing the sentiment of thousands who perceive this announcement as not a solution but a further dismantling of the remnants of a system promised for decades as an achievement of the so-called Cuban revolution.

The skepticism is grounded in reality. By May, the ration book system had collapsed so drastically that stores in central Havana with thousands of assigned clients offered only rice, sugar, and split peas.

A Havana storekeeper told the Associated Press that "no Cuban can genuinely survive on the ration book products."

The gap between official rhetoric and reality is vast. The monthly cost of living in Cuba is estimated between 40,000 and 50,000 pesos per person, while the minimum pension is merely 4,000 pesos, less than 10% of that amount.

Deaths due to malnutrition rose by 74% from 2022 to 2023, according to data from Cuba's National Office of Statistics and Information.

The regime has announced plans to replace product subsidies with social assistance based on income, through a platform named SOBERANÍA to identify beneficiaries. However, public distrust remains pervasive.