14ymedio, Madrid, 10 June 2024 — The echo of Miguel Díaz-Canel’s scolding this Friday in Majibacoa still resonates throughout the Island: “Here there is enough land to produce for the entire municipality, to give food to all of Las Tunas. Now, you have to work.” A few hours after that diatribe, which has become common in the president’s tours of the Island, the publication of data on chicken imports from the United States once again confirmed the dependence on the outside to feed the Cuban population.
Decentralization towards municipalities is part of the government strategy of recent years to dilute the responsibilities of the leadership of the regime. And Díaz-Canel turned to it again in the municipality of Las Tunas, where he called on the cadres “to work” to get results, while the officials took notes without raising their heads. The president accused the territorial leaders of spending time in offices and meetings and not going to the base.
“We are separated from reality and are not doing what we need to. We have to reach a time when this country is self-sufficient with food. That is what will give us real sovereignty, not being dependent on imports, but you have to believe that, and each municipality must provide its own food and not be thinking about what will come in from the [ration system family] basket. The basket will be for more.”
“You have to believe that, and each municipality must provide its own food and not be thinking about what will come in from the [ration system family] basket”
The expression used by the one person ultimately responsible for the country, understood by thousands of Cubans as a call to take the chestnuts out of the fire by themselves, has not been well received. In reality, Díaz-Canel was shifting his responsibility to an intermediary, while, at the highest level, he continues to negotiate investments and imports, in addition to donations, from countries – partners or not – instead of allocating funds from the national budget for food security on the Island.
“We can’t come and tell you this; it must be you who find the solutions from the knowledge you have of yo
