Cuban officialdom does not mention several obvious problems of this approach: blackouts, lack of products and corruption in the food sector in the province.
14ymedio, Havana, May 29, 2024 — At least five state markets in the province of Ciego de Ávila will begin working until midnight every day of the week. The decision, made by the Ministry of Agriculture, through Acopio, Cuba’s State Procurement and Distribution Agency, is based on the “experience” that two centers in the main municipality have been carrying out since March, and which – according to the authorities – allows the “working age population” to be able to buy food at that time.
The two markets in Ciego de Ávila that began working two months ago until midnight – El Cubanito, on Carretera Central, and Sabor Avileño, on Marcial Gómez Street – demonstrate, in the opinion of Yanisley Garlobo, Director of Development and Businesses of Collection, that there is an “improvement in the offer to the population, in the income of the workers and in the consolidation” of the entity.
Garlobo did not mention several obvious problems of this approach: blackouts, which make all commercial transactions difficult; the lack of products – which Acopio tries to mitigate with photographs of both markets, apparently stocked; the corruption of the food sector in the province, about which the official press frequently reports; and the increase in crime and danger in the streets, which means that Cubans do not dare to travel as the night progresses.
There will be more markets “as long as Acopio has the financial and material resources to undertake the maintenance work”
In the opinion of the official, the night markets or “new type” markets work well because they are “chained” with local agricultural MSMEs and give a “renewed image” of commerce. Garlobo said that more establishments in the province will soon join the night oper
