The Funeral of the Ration Book and Socialist Equality
Introduction to Article Update
According to unofficial media of the Castro government, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, during his speech in the National Assembly, had expressed the elimination of subsidies to the basic basket.
According to the unofficial media of the dictatorship, Marrero had expressed that the process of eliminating subsidies would be implemented gradually, product by product, but without the possibility of reversal. "It is a path that has no turning back," he said, stressing that the measure is part of a broader plan to reactivate the Cuban economy. The plan includes price policies and the elimination of subsidies to basic products and services, decisions that Marrero described as "complex" due to their impact on the purchasing power of Cubans and the stability of the national currency. One analysis that we concluded is to completely eliminate the subsidy from the basic basket, but the issue is complicated because it would not only be necessary to subsidize people in vulnerable conditions. Practically most of the budgeted workers their salaries would not allow them to cover that difference," Marrero said.
This "news" described as false by the regime could have been generated by the dictatorship itself as a strategy of the dictatorship to measure and know in more detail the reaction of the people, since they know that the elimination of subsidies would be a direct blow to the purchasing power of Cubans, especially in a context where the ridiculous monthly installments of the few products that are supposed to be available to the Cuban people. consumers are not regularly distributed, in addition to the fact that prices of basic foodstuffs, such as rice, sugar, salt, eggs, and bread, are already unaffordable for many families who are forced to buy them on the black market or in MSMEs. The "news" spread on social media, in the press, websites, as well as television and radio programs.
According to the official Cuban website "cubadebate.cu" The Ministry of Domestic Trade (Mincin) denied a news circulating on social networks about the elimination of food products from the regulated family basket. In X, Mincin urged the population to stay informed through the official channels of the institution.
The denial of the news in Cubadebate gave rise to opinions that were not in favor of the dictatorship, such as the comment that we reproduce below:
Survivor said: The best thing is that they withdraw the ration book, it denies the news but months go by and the products do not enter, where is the coffee, well what looks like coffee because it is so mixed with so many things, they give you 7 pounds of rice, my question is someone survive a month with that, where is the protein, the gas, Now they reduce the size of the bread, everything is reducing, temporarily removing how many children without milk, chronically ill without medical diets, and they stand at the round table and say that the basic basket is guaranteed, I challenge them to live a month with what they give in the basic basket to see what happens, my opinion take away the ration book.
The ration book has been a fundamental part of the Cuban socialist economic system since its creation in the 1960s. This mechanism, designed to ensure control of and access to basic products, represents an attempt by the Cuban government to show false equality by providing a small number and quantities of food products for the subsistence of the population and a population control mechanism. However, the total elimination of subsidies to the basic basket and the failure to deliver the measly quotas of basic products, plus the imposition of the dollarization of the market have transformed the economic and social panorama of the country, leaving the population facing a difficult reality of inequality due to the scarcity of basic products for the subsistence of the average Cuban. This essay will analyze the roots of the ration book, the impact of its elimination (possible), the dollarization of the economy, the unfulfilled promises of the Cuban regime, and the myth of the equality of socialism.
The Roots of the Ration Book
The so-called "supply" booklet was conceived as a tool for social and economic control of the Cuban population. For decades, it provided access to minimum basic goods at subsidized prices, which was used as propaganda to demonstrate socialist equality. However, as the Cuban economy faced recurring crises caused by the inefficiency of the Castro dictatorship, this system's effectiveness began to crumble. With the Soviet Union's collapse in the 1990s, the shortage of basic products worsened, as the subsidy provided by the former Soviet Union to the parasitic Castro dictatorship was lost, and the ration book became a symbol of a declining system. This context laid the groundwork for the final elimination of subsidies, which, under the handpicked President Díaz-Canel's regime, has come to an end as economic aid from socialist allies like Russia, Venezuela, and China has been lost or considerably diminished.
The End of the Ration Book and the Myth of Socialist
Equality The decision to eliminate subsidies for basic goods aligns with an economic policy that seeks to introduce certain measures of a free market simulation, promoting dollarization. This change has been painful for most Cubans, whose economy remains tied to a Cuban peso system that has seen its value progressively erode. Citizens face the paradox that while their income remains in a depreciated currency, the prices of goods and services, many established in foreign currency, are soaring. This process has led to widespread impoverishment and has exacerbated inequality, undermining the ideal of equality proclaimed at the beginning of the socialist revolution.
Unfulfilled Promises and Dollarization
A fundamental aspect of this situation is President Miguel Díaz-Canel's promise that the dollarization of the economy would not be allowed. This discourse has been used to maintain the image of a government that cares for its people's wellbeing. However, reality has shown these promises to be empty. Dollarization has been imposed, and citizens are forced to resort to foreign currency to survive, creating an environment where inequality and social exclusion worsen daily. In this sense, Díaz-Canel and his government face growing resistance and discontent from the population.
It's crucial to understand that this situation doesn't occur in a vacuum. In contexts of global economic crisis and political tensions, the inefficient and parasitic Cuban economic model cannot subsist and worsens daily as it has lost subsidies from the socialist regimes that maintained it. The COVID-19 pandemic aggravated the country's already difficult economic situation, and international sanctions have further limited the options available for the regime's economic recovery. Although internal and external criticism of the government's economic management has increased, responses are still limited to timid reforms that don't directly address the roots of the problem that lie in its Marxist ideology.
From a critical perspective, the situation poses a fundamental dilemma about the future of the Cuban model. The elimination of the supply booklet and the imposition of dollarization not only destroy a symbol of Cuban socialism but also trap the population in an unbearable cycle of poverty and desperation. The most vulnerable sectors, which largely depended on subsidies to survive, are the most affected, raising the question of what direction the regime will take in the future.
In the long term, it's difficult to foresee significant change in Cuban economic policy without a broader transformation of the political system. Population resistance may translate into increased protests and social movements demanding a system change in the country's direction. However, it's important to consider that Cuba's history is marked by resistance movements that have always been violently repressed. This repression could manifest in greater violence and control over dissent, limiting the possibilities for significant progress toward a more inclusive and equitable model.
Will We See the Death of the Castro Dictatorship?
In conclusion, the elimination of the ration book and the dollarization of the Cuban economy are clear signs of a deep economic and political crisis. This change has dismantled and exposed a totalitarian dictatorship socialist system that simulated and promised a certain level of security to the population. Díaz-Canel's promises and the continuity of ideas first proclaimed by Fidel and later by his brother Raúl about improving the country's economy and social improvements have been exposed by daily reality, where the majority struggles to adapt to a new "normality" marked by inequality, instability, and economic poverty. As Cuba navigates this new landscape, pressure for significant change will increase, which could result in a necessary transformation for its people's survival. The island's recent history suggests that the future could be full of challenges, but also opportunities for a redefinition of Cuban identity if the totalitarian dictatorial regime is defeated and a democratic government is established where Marxist ideas have no place.
The Cuban people have shown they don't fear the dictatorship despite 65 years of brutal repression imposed by Castroism, physically eliminating its leaders and imprisoning opponents, but an unarmed people peacefully confronting a dictatorship willing to massacre its people needs the solidarity and unconditional support of the international community with the political will necessary to prevent the tyranny from lasting "100 years" and to be able to attend Death of the Castro Dictatorship! in a free and democratic Cuba.
José Tarano is a technical producer, graphic designer, collaborator, and researcher at Patria de Martí ► and The CubanAmerican Voice ►. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in Telecommunications from José Antonio Echeverria Superior Polytechnic Institute (ISPJAE). In addition, he is the founder and director of Electronics JR Computer Design and Service ►, a computer and information technology services company. Originally from Santiago de las Vegas, Havana, Cuba, he currently resides in the United States.