Retired Cuban Xiomara Castellanos receives a monthly salary pension The equivalent of $13.80. cartoon of 30 eggs in A country suffering from inflation costs $14.10 – nearly four times more two years ago.
“He hits us hardvery hard80-year- Old AFP of Inflation, which has officially reached 39%. last yearbut it might be too much higher.
In 2021, A.J one-party Communist government I moved to finish the parallel coins in Cuba, in stages out Convertible pesos that have been pegged to dollarleaving only a regular, weaker pesos, or cup.
Since then, the coin has fallen from 24 to official rate of 120 to dollar. On the black market the rate is 180.
To compensate for currency devaluation government Raising all salaries and pensions by 450% two years ago.
But after that, “prices exploded, but salaries did not follow,” Castellanos told AFP.
The reality is worse
according to official Numbers and inflation – which has several countries in Latin America and elsewhere in Grip – reached 70% in Import dependent Cuba in 2021 and 39% in 2022.
But Pavel Vidal, a Cuban economist with Javiriana University of Cali in Columbia said real Inflation was five to six times higher.
real inflation in 2022 exceeded 200%, one of the highest in The world, Vidal said, citing his own accounts.
Before 2021, Vidal said, there was no such thing as expendable price index in Cuba, which makes comparisons difficult.
But from the GDP figures one Inflation can be deduced highest in Cuban historyHe said.
Like many Cubans, Castellanos is very dependent on “libreta” – textbook with any one Can buy The basics like Rice, beans and bread at subsidized prices.
You buy What did you get; The choice is very limited.
for its equivalent of $1.42 in CUP, Castellanos can gain up to 3.1 kilograms (seven pounds) of riceand half-Liter of oil, seven eggs, 1.3 kg of black Beans 2.7 kg of Chicken and a box of coffee for month in subsidized allotment store.
If you are want any thing else next a point of call is a country-run Supermarket, where they charge a lot higher prices and in badly needed dollars for the public Safes.
the last The resort are many small Privately owned stores that appeared up since government in 2021 authorized small and medium companies. in one of these in Havana kilogram of Milk powder costs about $14.
Cubans can withdraw dollars from bank but in Quantities are limited, and that means it black market Dealers can charge a premium.
And while for exchange consumers rate It is 120-180, state institutions that render up 85% of the economy Get rate of 24- Pain relief procedure of High import prices.
The work of Cuban economist Omar Everlene Perez out The couple needs $113 a month to cover it basic food requirements on summit of What can be obtained with “libreta”.
But the average salary on Al Jazeera of 11.1 million people About $33, and a great portion of the population Depends on Transfers sent from family outside in the most wanted of Currencies: United States dollar.
“What I care about is that world in i.e. Cubans live Become more And more Perez said, who I noticed an increase in poverty.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel will participate on Tuesday in a virtual interview with His left-wing counterparts from Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina to discuss ways to deal with economic inflation.
