Cuba reduces subsidized bread rations to the size of a cookie as economic crisis spirals

The Cuban government has reduced the size of subsidized bread rations given to the population, slashing it by a quarter as the economic crisis the island is immersed in continues to deepen.

Concretely, the bread unit will go from 80 grams to 60, Reuters reported. It is expected to have a considerable impact, as most Cubans don't earn enough to afford non-subsidized goods in the private market.

The country's authoritarian government said it was running out of flour needed to produce the bread, saying it was a result of the decades-long embargo the U.S. has imposed on the island.

However, the embargo has been going on for decades and the current crisis has deepened over the past months. It has gotten to a point where the Díaz-Canel government sought help from the World Food Programme to guarantee the provision of powdered milk, also scarce in the island.

By late August, residents were experiencing rolling blackouts lasting over half of the day, adding a new layer to its ongoing economic malaise.

Blackouts have become a staple of Cuban life over the past years, but the situation has gotten increasingly worse as the country grapples with a deep economic crisis that has put almost 90% of the population under the poverty line.

A recent study published by the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) and titled "The State of Social Rights in Cuba," indicates that 89% of the population will end the year living in extreme poverty.

More granularly, 86% of Cuban households exist on the margins of survival, with 61% unable to afford basic necessities.

The OCDH conducted interviews with over 1,000 adults across 78 municipalities, revealing that 72% of respondents consider the food crisis the most pressing issue. A significant portion of the population, particularly those over 70, struggle to afford or access sufficient food. Moreover, only 15% of Cubans regularly eat three meals a day.

The study also points to blackouts, high living costs, low wages, corruption, and deteriorating public health as major concerns.

This economic decline has led to a significant exodus, with the Cuban population decreasing by 18% over the past three years, according to a study by a local demographer.

In this context, over 140 Cubans have died so far this year while trying to reach the United States in precarious rifts, according to a new report by the International Organization for Migration (OIM), which is warning against taking such journeys due to their peril.