By Lien Estrada
HAVANA TIMES – The multitude I encountered on Rastro Street between Victoria and Mendieta here in Holguin caught my attention. The crowd was so immense that it literally turned the corner by Mendieta. Other people who appeared to be dispersed there, simply sitting in doorways or standing on the nearby corners with no connection to the issue, also turned out to be in that line.
I had to ask: “Sir, what is this line for? “To sign up for the gas canisters” an older man answered. “We’ll see if God will help us,” he added. “Of course he will,” I said. I never give any other response in these cases.
I continued on my way, thinking about that whole mass of men and women I left behind. I knew that not all of them would get the tickets they were lined up for. The term refers to a list of names that are noted in a ledger, after which they give you a slip of paper with a number on it. Finally, they tell you when it will be your turn to buy what you want, or what you need.
Given the current complexity and near-total scarcity we’re suffering i
