Few garlands, few Christmas trees and less popular enthusiasm are marking the last days of 2023 in Cuba. Apart from the occasional isolated celebration, the spirit of this December seems more marked by uncertainty than by celebration. Added to the long economic crisis and mass exodus are fears of the package economic that the Island’s authorities have announced for 2024.
Although the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel has already come out to try to stop the rumors and assures that the cuts are not part of a “neoliberal” process, we all know that Cuban leaders have their own glossary of terms. They have called the unemployed for decades with the almost friendly euphemism of “available workers”, the crisis of the 90s was labeled as “Special Period” and the onslaught that confiscated all private businesses in 1968, including the drawers of the shoeshine boy, they gave it the heroic name “Revolutionary Offensive.”
Miguel Díaz-Canel assures that the cuts are not part of a “neoliberal” process; we all know that Cuban leaders have their own glossary of terms
Knowing that they like to name things their own way, it is clear that the authorities do not like it at all when they get ahead of themselves in naming the phenomena and moments that the Cuban reality has gone through. But, it only took a few minutes since the Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero, began to explain before Parliament the economic adjustments that will come with the new year, for the word “package” to spread through the networks and instant messaging services. These are snips that will be aimed at cutting subsidies while, on the other hand, prices are increased.
This group of actions would also fit well with the definition of “shock plan”, another of the phrases that the official Cuban press likes to use when talking about other countries. What is coming, broadly speaking, includes the increase in prices of products and services and the end of the universal subsidy for the basic food basket. Following Marrero’s statements, several officials have rushed to assure that the rationed market “book” will not be eliminated, but without guaranteeing that, after 60 years of existence, it will be maintained for all consumers.
He package It also includes a 25% increase in the electricity rate for the 6% of the residential sector that consumes the most and charging tourists for fuel in foreign currency. The cost of water supply will triple for those who do not have a metering device and the price of a liquefied gas cylinder will increase by 25%. New rates will also be applied to passenger transportation services. In addition, Marrero warned of a “review” of the number of people currently on the state payroll, which predicts numerous layoffs.
The announcements before Parliament have raised a wave of concern among both ordinary people and officials themselves.
It is evident that in a society where welfareism, crude egalitarianism and the rationed market have been used not only as mechanisms for the distribution of goods and products, but also as a form of social and political control, the announcements before Parliament have raised a wave of concern among both ordinary people and officials themselves. While inside homes there is fear of an even greater increase in the cost of food and basic products, in the air-conditioned offices of institutions and ministries they suspect that the measures will fuel popular protests or accelerate emigration, which hits the labor sector hard, especially the workforce of qualified workers.
Apprehension is in the air. A concern that Cubans express these days with an end of the year with few parties and few Christmas trees. When they pass a friend or acquaintance on the street, they don’t even dare to use one of those ready-made and formal phrases that are customary to say these days. No one utters the sarcastic prediction that 2024 “will be better.”
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Editor’s Note: This text was published originally by the Latin America page of German wave.
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