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FROM
CUBA
Spontaneous near-riot over defective appliances
CAMAGUEY, Cuba - February 1 (Fernando
Tabares / www.cubanet.org) - A spontaneous
march by residents of the Lenin district
in Camagüey province prompted government
authorities to set up an impromptu facility
to try to repair the appliances they had
just sold the consumers who now claimed
they were inoperable.
The appliances, including fans, electric
rice cookers and other small appliances,
had been heralded by Cuban ruler Fidel Castro
as an energy-saving measure as well as one
that would make the average citizen's life
a little easier.
So when it became the Lenin's residents
turn to acquire the government- sold appliances,
they dutifully lined up and acquired them.
Only this time, they all found out at about
the same time the appliances were duds.
Back they marched to the government warehouse,
almost in lockstep, hundreds of weary consumers
who were now very dissatisfied with their
purchases and who were loudly voicing their
discontent.
Authorities set up a makeshift repair facility
and promised the appliances would be duly
repaired, but many in the crowd demanded
their money back, classifying the whole
affair a swindle.
Three days after the initial distribution
of the appliances, people were still lined
up at the repair facility, waiting for a
resolution.
Versión
original en español
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