Cuba’s recently announced the cutting of subsidies to personal hygiene items like soap, toothpaste, liquid detergent. The cut will cause the cost of certain products to increase 12-fold.
The Cuban government, under control of Raúl Castro has been slashing many things from the country’s ration card, causing what one Havana dissident calls “draconian for a people already at the limit of their survival.”
Items previously included on the ration card were removed after being considered nonessential. Sugar, beans, meat, rice, eggs, and bread remain on the ration list, but salt, peas, potatoes, and now certain hygiene products have so far been removed.
In 1962, after the U.S. embargo against Cuba, the ration program was started to ensure that everyone in the country had the essentials. Now, with average wages coming in at around $20 a month for each person, Cuba’s economy is still struggling, causes the government cuts.
