Cuban government defends plans to either cut rations or increase prices
NPR Online NewsJan 01
Cuba Asks UN For Help as Food Shortages Worsen
Image copyright: David Silverman/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Amid an unprecedented economic crisis and escalating food scarcity, Cuba has formally reached out to the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) for assistance in supplying powdered milk to children under seven.
According to Spanish news agency EFE, the Communist-led nation has requested the WFP to "continue the monthly delivery of 1kg [35oz] of milk" to its seven-year-old boys and girls, which the UN agency has reportedly already obliged.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This is the worst economic situation Cuba has seen in over 30 years. Inflation is through the roof, and essential foods, like milk, are only available to those who can afford to pay. This catastrophe can only be blamed on mismanagement by the Communist government. Cubans have no choice but to leave the island as a final desperate act to escape the shortages in pursuit of a better life in the US.
Establishment-critical narrative
Cubans are accustomed to a shortage in commodities, with government subsidies on milk and other staple goods first being introduced by Fidel Castro following the severe economic sanctions imposed by the US in 1962. These shortages are exacerbated during difficult economic times. Asking the UN for help is a first, but necessary given the war the US is waging against Cuba, which has made an economic recovery all but impossible.