"I know that by recording this video, I won't achieve anything. I'll just be another voice among many demanding our rights. But this situation has become unbearable," lamented a young Cuban woman from Cienfuegos.
The catalyst for her distress was the soaring cost of rice: a bag that was priced between 900 and 950 pesos just three days ago has now surged to 1,100 pesos.
"There's no life in this country, no life at all. Money is never enough, everything just keeps climbing, climbing, climbing, with no end in sight," Elizabeth Amador aired on Facebook.
She further explained that the cost of hamburgers has risen too: three burgers for a meal now cost 150 pesos each, compared to the previous 120 or 130 pesos.
The rampant increase in prices has a specific regulatory cause. The regime removed the national price cap on rice in July through Decree 156/2026, signed by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz on June 29, without setting a new ceiling. Since then, rice has been sold between 390 and 500 pesos per pound in several provinces, with one-kilogram bags reaching 1,100 to 1,300 pesos in areas like Las Tunas, Matanzas, Ciego de Ávila, and Isla de la Juventud.
The minimum wage in Cuba stands at 3,210 pesos per month, meaning a single bag of rice can consume between 28% and 34% of an entire month's minimum income. Economist Javier Pérez Capdevila estimated in a study published in June 2026 that an individual needs about 96,000 pesos monthly to cover basic necessities, roughly thirty times the minimum wage. Since then, the Cuban peso has devalued against the dollar.
Amador's grievances extended beyond food prices. Her home lacks water, and power outages are a daily occurrence. "Here at home, I have no water. I just had to haul some. It's constant work and more work, and people don't know where to turn or how to cope," she described.
According to data from the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources, 2,681,770 Cubans—about 34.5% of the population—were experiencing water supply interruptions at the start of this month, largely due to power outages, given that 87% of aqueducts rely on the electrical grid for water pumping.
Amid the inability to afford rice, other Cubans have started substituting it with yuca and root vegetables, while a recent survey revealed that 33.9% of households had at least one member who went to bed hungry the previous month.
"Every day, I pray to God to help the Cuban people because amidst all these challenges causing us so much stress, we're going to lose our minds," the young woman expressed in her video.
Understanding Cuba's Economic Turmoil
What led to the increase in rice prices in Cuba?
The increase in rice prices was triggered by the regime's decision to remove the national price cap on rice in July, as per Decree 156/2026, without setting a new price limit.
How are power outages affecting water supply in Cuba?
Power outages are disrupting water supply because 87% of Cuba's aqueducts depend on the electrical grid for pumping water, affecting 34.5% of the population.
What are Cubans doing in response to rising food costs?
In response to climbing food costs, some Cubans have started replacing rice with more affordable options like yuca and root vegetables.