In her video “The truth about supermarkets in Cuba. I spent more than I did in Spain,” YouTuber Anita Mateo explains the harsh reality Cubans experience when making their purchases.
in road By one of the largest MLC stores in Sancti Spiritus, Matteo displays empty shelves, overpriced products and a limited selection of options.
“The prices are equivalent to those in Spain, and in some cases even higher,” he says. A box of pasta costs $1.75, a kilo of rice costs $3.40, and shampoo costs $7.50. The scarcity is obvious: there is only one brand of shampoo and only one drink in the entire drinks section.
Most Cubans cannot access these stores, because they do not earn in dollars or euros. “I can help my family because I have euros on my card, but most families don’t have that option,” says Matteo.
The alternative is to buy from vendors on the street or from private companies, where prices are higher, but at least you can pay in Cuban pesos.
Shopping in Cuba
He believes that the shopping experience itself is arduous. “The refrigerators are empty,” “there is nothing,” and “the prices are very high,” Matteo describes.
Buying five packets of mac and cheese, two pepperonis and 3.5kg of Gouda cheese cost him €57.30. He paid $39 for the cheese alone. “Honestly, I find it very expensive,” he says. “In Spain, with 50 euros, I make a much larger purchase.”
The opinions expressed in the video coincide with their criticism of the current situation in Cuba. He highlights the difficulty of obtaining basic products due to high prices, in reference to the deficit that this reality creates for those who live on the island and for those who know him.
It is reported that the survival of many Cubans depends on remittances sent by their relatives living abroad. Likewise, the situation is in comparison with other countries, such as Miami and the Dominican Republic, where prices are much lower.
Anita Mateo's video is a reflection of the difficult economic situation Cuba is going through. High inflation has made the national currency insufficient to cover basic expenses, and MLC supermarkets, far from being a solution, have become a symbol of inequality and scarcity.
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