Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Thursday that his government has guaranteed the distribution of subsidized food to the population in the coming months, as it moves to ease tensions two weeks after protests on the island due to general shortages.
Díaz-Canel, appearing on the midday television news, said his government had undertaken an “enormous effort” to guarantee food distribution for the island's 11 million residents.
“April and May are going to be months with better prospects,” said the president. “The Cuban Government will remain committed to guaranteeing the people their levels of essential food.”
Since Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959, Cuba has provided a monthly ration of basic products such as rice, beans, sugar, oil and coffee although deliveries have been cut due to the economic crisis, which has caused shortages.
The shortages, together with extensive blackouts lasting between 10 and 18 hours, led to several hundred Cubans taking to the streets on March 17 in Santiago de Cuba, as well as in the surroundings of Bayamo and Matanzas, advocating for “current and food.” .
The Cuban Government has quickly tried in recent weeks to counteract the tension and partially eliminated the annoying blackouts that have affected a large part of the population for months.
“We can confirm without a doubt that we have the availability of fundamental products such as rice until June,” said Vice Minister of Foreign Trade Oscar Pérez on television.
Cuba allocates about $230 million a month to the basic food program, according to state television. Havana is going through an almost unprecedented economic crisis, the result of strong United States sanctions, the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and tourism that still does not meet the expectations of travelers or income.
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