|
FROM
CUBA
Bar soap AWOL from the shelves since August
in Santa Clara
SANTA CLARA, Cuba, September 14 (Javier
Machado, Cubanacán Press / www.cubanet.org)
- Bar soap hasn't been seen by consumers
since mid-August in Santa Clara stores,
with only the pricier brands available in
specialty shops.
The bulk of the population, who can't afford
Lux and Diamante Negro's 45 cent price tag,
much less Floresta's at 65, line up early
and argue among themselves waiting for the
occasional distribution of the modestly-priced
brands in government stores.
Cubanacán Press has learned that
in municipalities such as Cifuentes and
Placetas, there have been no distributions
of soap to consumers, and that in Santo
Domingo, there have been authorized distributions
of two bars per person, with the apparent
aim, people here say, of thwarting resellers.
The same soap, however, is available outside
the same stores, at a 50% surcharge, from
resellers.
No one seems to know the real reason for
the scarcity of soap, but many swear the
main government producer, Suchel Camacho,
has encountered difficulties due to lack
of raw materials and scarcity of investment.
Versión
original en español
|
