Cash-strapped Cuban government slashes state-subsidised soap from ration books

[davidinalameda]

The cost of cleanliness will rise in Cuba after its cash-strapped, communist government announced Wednesday that soap, toothpaste and detergent will be slashed from monthly ration books.

Cuba's official Gazette said that effective Jan. 1, "personal cleanliness products" will join a growing list of products cut from the ration books that islanders have come to rely on for a small but steady supply of basic goods.

Cubans currently pay about 25 centavos, or about a penny, for a rationed bar of soap. They'll soon have to fork out four to six pesos, according to the gazette.


The list of products available with the ration books has shrunk in recent months as the government trimmed items deemed nonessential. Cigarettes, salt, peas and potatoes have been cut. Sugar, beans, meat, rice, eggs, bread and other products remain.

is the fault of the US?

http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-cb-cuba-soap,0,4994953.story

[dipsydoodle]

1. That's why Europeans and Canadians

never take such stuff back home with them. They just leave it for the locals to use when they leave the island and often carry soap around with them to just give away in the street too - been like that for at least 10 years.

Overall yes it is a bi-product of the embargo and the Cuban people know that too. Hopefully once they start pumping oil with help from either Russia or China , maybe even both ,their foreign reserve situation will improve substantially.

btw - these constant references by the US media to $20 a month is only half of a story at best. That's expressed in convertible pesos which are loosely related to the US$ despite the fact that possession of US$'s outside of the Cuban government has been an imprisonable offence since GWB accused Fidel Castro of money laundering.

Things will start to change anyway by spring next year when small private enterprises become legal.

Its also a piece of cake to make soap anyway : animal fat + caustic soda + alcohol as a catalyst.

[Llewlladdwr]

2. How could this possibly be a result of the embargo?

All it takes to make soap is lye and vegetable oil. Cuba can't produce those two things locally?

[dipsydoodle]

3. I amended my post

to include what you said while were both writing.

Ref to the embargo is to their foreign exchange reserves in the absense of tourism from the USA which has been quantified many times.

[davidinalameda]

4. you mean Castro is allowing capitalism in Cuba

bet the purists on here will go crazy

[Boojatta]

5. Sugar is essential, but toothpaste isn't?

[dipsydoodle]

6. You can brush your teeth with salt.

.