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HAVANA, May 10 (Ana Rosa Veitía, Grupo Decoro / www.cubanet.org) -
Residents of Güines, a town south of Havana, have not been able to buy
quota toothpaste for the last four months.
The sale of toothpaste is regulated by the rationing system to one-120-gram
(about 4 oz.) tube per month per family of four. When it’s available,
consumers pay 0.65 peso for the tube.
"Lately, consumers have had to pay up to 10 pesos in the illegal
market, which is more than the average Cuban worker makes in one day," said
one resident.
The man added that the problem became more acute three weeks ago when
police made a sweep against illegal vendors, jailing some of them and fining
them up to 1,500 pesos.
Dollar stores sell toothpaste, but not everyone can afford to buy it."Since
I don’t have dollars to buy toothpaste in the dollar stores, I have to make
do with spreading a little soap on my toothbrush," said one local woman.
Versión
original en español
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