A new market in Havana impresses with its variety, but only accepts cash in dollars. These are its offerings.
A new supermarket in Central Havana, called Casa Linda, has drawn attention for its impressive product assortment amid widespread shortages across the island.
However, the requirement to pay exclusively in US dollars in cash has angered many Cubans, who see the growing number of options available only to those with access to foreign currency.
Various products amid shortages
YouTuber JSanTV visited the establishment, located on the corner of Galeano and San Rafael, and described the experience:
“When you enter the store, you can tell this is on another level because of the number of products and their diversity.”
Hygiene and cleaning products include combs, all types of shampoos, cleaning fluids, and hair products, as well as soaps, detergents, and room fragrance sprays.
In the household goods section, you can find brooms, brushes, bathroom scrubbers, wastebaskets of all sizes, bath sponges, coat racks, basins, and ice pop molds.
The food offering includes all types of pasta, tomato sauces, various pickles, olive oil, olives, various brands of Italian beer, and wine.
JSanTV was particularly surprised by the soft drinks and juices section: “What surprised me most was the soft drinks and juices section, with three flavors I'd never seen before, like the cactus soda.”
In the sports area, products such as bats, balls, and exercise equipment stand out.
The store displays its products on a giant screen at the entrance. This reinforces the impression of modernity and organization, in contrast to the sparseness of the stores. MLC, increasingly empty and limited in variety.
"Of course, the dollars and euros we deposited in the accounts have already been spent MLCNow they want us to pay them in dollars, while they leave the stores MLC "empty. The perfect scam," commented one user.
Payment in cash in dollars: increasingly restricted access
Casa Linda does not accept payments in MLC nor on Cuban bank cards: only US dollars in cash or international cards. This method, which is rapidly expanding in Cuba, restricts access to a large portion of the population without foreign currency.
JSanTV himself commented: “There are many things that are cheaper here than elsewhere, but also others that are more expensive, depending on the dollar exchange rate on the street.”
However, we must not lose sight of the fact that with the average salary in Cuba, recently updated at 5,839 Cuban pesos per month, a worker can now earn just 15.91 US dollars, according to today's exchange rate.
Amid this reality, supermarkets like Casa Linda become a symbol of the growing inequality on the island, where the abundance of products is reserved for those who can access cash dollars.
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13 comments
I am a retired Cuban engineer at Antillana de Acero who retired under the first retirement law, where I was paid a salary of +/- at that time, but after the ordinance, the salaries changed. Now my retirement is 1600. cup And as Valdes Mesa said, it's not enough for me at all. Please, what did you do? You can't live off a 1 pound 300 pound hash with that. cup and another at the 900 fair cup Raul doesn't remember when he said that every Cuban should have a glass of milk a day.
In short, I can't even earn 10 USD a month, and with that I can't buy anything in those stores.
Fidel said to change what needs to be changed, but for the better. Fidel, if you were alive, I hope those words would have come true.
I earn 3500 pesos, which is not enough for anything.
We need more stores like this one where the profits don't go into the pockets of individuals but into the state fund for the purchase of food, medicine, fuel, and other things that are distributed to everyone and not to the nouveau riche.
You're dreaming. That money isn't meant to meet any of the needs of ordinary people. You don't see the shortage of supplies and medicines in hospitals, despite having agreements with different countries that pay the government much more than our doctors' salaries. Dreaming doesn't cost anything, but open your eyes.
Always check where you get your information before making it public. At Casalinda, you can pay with a Classic card, not just cash.
As always, we've lost count of the number of scams they pull on the Cuban people. May God judge every perverse act.
The perfect robbery. You give your dollars so they can put you MLC And now to buy in cash dollars after they ate your dollars. The perfect robbery
It's true that most Cubans can't access those markets, but inequality is a problem that exists everywhere in the world. Those with money live freely, while ordinary people can't access everything they want. Unfortunately, the perfect society doesn't exist.
And as long as the rich want to get richer, the lines for the poor will get longer.
The world needs a new order, because today it is upside down and even the most developed countries in the world are feeling the effects of the crisis.
To cite just a few examples:
US: A recession is predicted for its economy and high levels of inflation are already evident. If they continue with this stupid trade war, they will also suffer from the Cuban blackouts, among thousands of other things.
In several European countries, the energy system has collapsed, and many of them are not exempt from inflation.
Moral: The link breaks at the weakest chain and as a consequence, low-income social classes will always be affected.
Simply put, the world we live in will drift towards total destruction if it is not stopped.
Evil of many, consolation of fools.
This shift to capitalism is what many are waiting for.
Social class differences exist throughout the world.
Yes, but in capitalism, those who work and those who have studied can acquire everything they need for a decent life, unlike in communism with state capitalism.
These products that are sold in USD, how are they acquired abroad if we continue to be embargoed and sanctioned? And the justification is to acquire foreign currency to purchase what is needed for the country. As if it is achieved, can someone explain why maintaining the supply of stores will not provide much to repay?cupprofits that achieve a percentage for the objective of its creation since the debts are still latent and how long will it take to alleviate the current situation of our country with respect to basic food that every day deteriorates more the articles that are of first necessity and in the majority of a population that does not have access to buy in USD, reasons because they are from the working people who do not have family to send them remittances in USD nor with the salary or retirement they can acquire the purchase of USD. The Brics was talked about, we are members but it seems that we continue depending on the dollar in a desperate way to find solutions that do not see the results in the distant horizon with the USD for so many needs to try to solve
It is uncertain whether cash payments are allowed at the Galiano and San Rafael stores.