After the Cuban regime announced a reduction in the weight and price of bread distributed through the basic food basket, social media has been flooded with images of people criticizing the measure. "Birthday bread has started," quipped Camagüey journalist Jose Luis Tan Estrada on Facebook, reporting that on the previous Saturday, in the municipality of Guáimaro, basic basket bread was sold weighing only 50 grams instead of the stipulated 60 grams.
"Look at this, my brother, the bread from the store in Guáimaro, today September 14. People are already complaining to the government," noted a complainant, whose grievance was shared by Tan on his social media. The journalist posted two images illustrating the situation. In one, a bread roll barely exceeds the diameter of a cup; in the other, its weight is shown to be just 50 grams.
A similar situation was reported by the Facebook page “Rompiendo Cadenas”, which remarked: "This is the bread they are selling to the Cuban population. You are allowed to buy one bread per day per person, and the size is getting smaller each day." The gallery of images included one where the bread is almost the size of an eye drop bottle. The rest of the photos show the weight of various bread rolls, none reaching the stipulated 60 grams.
Another Facebook profile, Edmundo Dantés Junior, also mocked the ridiculous size of the bread sold by the regime. Comparing a bread roll to a bottle of paracetamol drops, he remarked: "Answer in a paragraph: How many '60-gram' bread rolls does Marrero need for breakfast?" referring to the large belly of Prime Minister Manuel Marrero, one of the proponents of the country's failing food policies. In another image, the influencer noted that the dimensions of the bread are so small that he dubbed it "Yusuam bread."
The regime assured that this reduction in weight and price of the rationed bread would only be temporary, citing "difficulties with inputs such as wheat flour for the production of the family rationed bread," according to the state-run CubaDebate. "Given this contingency and based on the inventories – both of flour and wheat – conducted in the national territory," the government established "to be able to maintain supply to the population" the reduction of the bread ration's weight from 80 to 60 grams temporarily and its price from one peso to 75 cents.
For years, the regime has failed to ensure the quality and consistency in the production of the rationed bread it distributes among the population. This is evidenced by the constant complaints circulating on social media, where people criticize the taste, texture, size, and consistency of such a sensitive product as bread.
Understanding the Bread Reduction Controversy in Cuba
Amidst public outrage and criticism, many questions have arisen concerning the recent reduction in bread size by the Cuban regime. Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers to provide a clearer understanding of the situation.
Why did the Cuban regime reduce the bread size?
The regime cited "difficulties with inputs such as wheat flour" as the reason for temporarily reducing the bread size from 80 grams to 60 grams.
How has the public reacted to the bread size reduction?
The public has reacted with outrage, flooding social media with images and criticisms of the smaller bread rolls, calling them inadequate and mocking their size.
Is the bread size reduction permanent?
According to the regime, the reduction is temporary and aims to maintain supply amidst current wheat flour shortages.
What are the stipulated and current weights of the rationed bread?
The stipulated weight was 60 grams, but recent reports show that the bread being sold weighs only around 50 grams.