Cubans go to street to augment rations

[Bacchus39]

Source: AP


"We come here because it's good, it's fast and it's cheap," said Laura, a 20-year-old history student. Like many Cubans, she wouldn't give a last name, uncomfortable talking with a foreign reporter about an issue as political as food."

Laura lives on the other side of Havana, and it's impractical to go home to eat. There are few nearby places to buy cheap food, save for a nearly empty state-run vegetarian restaurant. "I've never gone in there," Laura says.

The only thing close to a fast-food chain in Cuba is the state-run Rapidito or the food counter at Cupet gas stations, which both sell hot dogs and fried chicken most Cubans cannot afford because they are priced in the "convertible pesos" used by foreigners.

Government workers are paid in regular pesos, which trade at about 24 to the convertible peso or 21 to the U.S. dollar. A Rapidito hot dog at 1 convertible peso costs more than a day's pay for a Cuban earning a typical monthly salary of 350 pesos ($16.60).






Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070612/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cuban_street_food;_ylt=AiiXg8uR0dL8KxiYkdQmC3a3IxIF

---

at least they're thin.

[Robbien]

1. Real nice cutting and pasting there. Complete distortion of the article

Under the communist country's 45-year-old universal ration system, Cubans get a heavily subsidized monthly food basket of beans, rice, potatoes, eggs, a little meat and other goods. That, along with other subsidized meals such as workplace lunches, provides about two-thirds of the 3,300 calories the government estimates Cubans eat daily.

Cubans use their salaries and any other income to buy the rest of their food at farmers markets and overpriced supermarkets or through black market purchases and trades.

If they have enough money, or no way to get home for lunch, Havana residents go to the street for low-priced snacks. That often means bustling Obispo Street, the capital's largest concentration of stands and vendors selling food for pesos.

So reading your selected paragraphs, it makes it appear Castro is so stingy that the poor are starving scrounging around for affordable scraps in the streets.

Reading the whole article, the people get 2200 calories per person a day provided to them. If they want more, then there are many food stands in the streets if people do not want to use grocery stores.

[Bacchus39]

2. yeah, you only get 4 paragraphs

so in keeping with the rules one must pick out important points.

that's the way it goes.

yeah, and it sounds like they do want more doesn't it????? some variety and choice now and then isn't so bad is it?

[Robbien]

3. In the US, only the poorest of the poor get food subsidies

and what is provided is a joke. Much much much less than that 2,200 calorie guarantee all Cubans get.

Our poorest of the poor get a very small booklet of food stamps, our homeless get dumpsters and soup kitchens. All Cubans get 2200 calories per day.

AP puts out a hit piece of how bad Cubans have it that they have to search among the many street vendors to find affordable extras for a bit of variety to spice up their meals. AP says bad nasty Castro making his people search through street vendors for extras.

[Bacchus39]

14. yeah, because no-one else needs them

hello!!! gotta go, the delivery pizza is here.

[bullimiami]

4. read a little more carefully and youll see it was 3300 calories.

i agree that was some devious editing.

the article really shows some good and bad.

[nick303]

13. Isn't that what the government estimates they get in total

not what the govt provides?

[Bacchus39]

19. that is correct

n/t

[bullimiami]

34. i guess i needed to read EVEN MORE closely

:)

[Bacchus39]

20. that is correct

n/t

[Divernan]

5. Yes - extremely distorted. Imagine how OP'd describe street vendors in Manhattan!

Keeping in mind that Cuba is a Caribbean island, I'd say that Cubans have it better in terms of food subsidies/availability than most. Except for the chi-chi resort areas at islands like St. Bart's or Nevis, street cooking/vending goes on throughout the islands. If you're traveling on a shoestring or you arrive too late in the evening to find a restaurant, just ask a local where to get some hot food, and you'll end up at some tiny little trailer or outdoor cooking area with some pretty good barbecued meat. Is it chicken? goat? That's the adventure of travel. It's cheap, it tastes good and it doesn't make you sick. So Havanna university students can get a fresh pizza quick, and for 38 cents? That's a better deal than US students can get.
(Headline)
HAVANA - Cubans may not have McDonald's or Jack in the Box, but they do have pizza in a basket.

(1st 4 paragraphs)

"Customers shout orders to a terrace kitchen atop a 1930s-era two-story building and the pizza is lowered to the street in a rattan basket.

Pizza Celina is among the more inventive places that Cubans go for street food to augment government food rations. Elsewhere in Havana, self-employed street vendors hawk peanuts, popcorn and a snack known as "chicharrones de macarones" — macaroni pork rinds — made by boiling pasta, drying it the sun, then frying it.

Near the University of Havana, students line up at lunchtime outside a building with peeling pink paint to shout orders for pizza with tomato sauce and cheese for 8 pesos, which is about 38 cents. A little bit more buys a ham or sausage topping.

Minutes later, a basket on a rope drops for payment. Money collected, the basket comes down again, bearing hot pizzas, grease soaking through butcher paper wrapping. There is no soda, or napkins."

[hughee99]

8. Given that the student stipend is $2.50 a month

is the 38 cent pizza a better deal? I'm not sure if we're talking about a whole pizza, or just a slice here, but if we're talking about a slice of pizza, you can generally get one for $2 in the US. That's about 5 times as much as the cuban pizza. If a US student's "disposable" income is more than $12.50 a month, then a slice of pizza is relatively cheaper in the US. If we're talking about a whole pizza, maybe $10 in the US, or about 26 times that of the Cuban pizza. A student in the US would then only need $65 a month to make the deal about equal.

[Divernan]

9. No. The student stipend was equivalent to $325 US a month back in 2001.

I had my suspicions about the accuracy of your claim when you failed to provide a link. Where did you get your information? But hey! you were only off by about 500 percent, and a student in the US would actually need $325 a month to "make the deal about equal". Of course, you're way off base with that also, since the Cuban students already receive a good deal of their annual food requirements from the government, IN ADDITION TO the stipend.


www.listproc.bucknell.edu/archives/femecon-l/200111/msg00099.html
Havana, Cuba: Cuban Women Host International Women’s conference
November 12-16 (2001)

*Maria Teresa is the young lawyer student at the University of Havana,
preparing for work as a Cuban diplomat. She earns a student stipend of
about $12 a month. Her parents help with small donations."

[hughee99]

26. Why would I provide a link?

It's IN THE OP LINK. Directly from the article...

"This is a bit expensive for us but we come when we can," she said. A recent increase in the monthly government stipend for students, from 20 to 50 pesos (about $1 to $2.50), means she can now afford to visit the pizzeria once a month."

And since buying pizza in either country comes from discretionary spending, it's irrelevant what the government provides to either in determining whether this is a good deal or not.

[roody]

27. And they pay nothing for their education!

[hughee99]

41. Nice...

So I'm the one with bad information? In addition to the link the OP cited, here's another from a book published online 2003 (originally published in 2000, I believe).

"University students, considering that at their age they have extra necessities, receive a stipend of 20 pesos per month in first year, 25 in second year, 30 in third and fourth years and 40 in fifth year."

http://www.dsp.org.au/dsp/Cuba_alt/part1.htm (see at the bottom of the article)

Now I don't have my conversion charts handy, but based on the OP link, 350 pesos = $16.60, or about 21 pesos to the dollar, it looks like my information is more accurate than yours. Of course none of my information has the kind of credibility that yours does, where you have a link to a someone I've never heard of giving a brief, third person account of the specific situation of another person in a email to a Cornell mailing list 5 years ago. If that sort of concrete evidence doesn't bolster your argument enough, then I guess there's just no reasoning with me.

[rayofreason]

11. 2200 calories

Soylent red, soylent yellow, or soylent green?

[cigsandcoffee]

6. "uncomfortable talking with a foreign reporter about an issue as political as food"

What's she afraid of, I wonder? Will talking about a "political issue" like food get you in some kind of real trouble down there?

[Bacchus39]

15. because the next thing you know cubans will want cheese on their pizza

we can't have that.

[bemildred]

7. So they have government food guarantees at 3000+ calories/day

and it's hard to get cheap junk food. Boy, that really sucks. I'll bet Mickey D's just hates the whole idea.

[Divernan]

10. Before Castro, 1/2 Cuban women were illiterate; now higher literacy rates than US.

And Cuban women are 67% of University students.
This is more from my link in my post above.

The situation of the Cuban women has been transformed by the 1960
Revolution. Western feminists may see, at first, only the
contradictions—the persistent sexism of Latin culture, perhaps, or the
racist colonial burdens, the breathtaking poverty and painful class
legacy.

But before the Revolution at least half of the women in Cuba were
illiterate; Cuba now has higher literacy rates than the United States.

The accomplishment of developing a people through education in one
generation is astounding. Cuba has carried out what the UN is still
pushing as an idea throughout the developing world: that education of
the women is key to the education of the children, and that educating
girls is key both to development and to stopping the epidemic of AIDS.

The Cubans say they are fighting a battle of ideas, and it is clear that
here they are winning. The educational program was first to eliminate
illiteracy; second, to raise the educational standard to at least a
ninth-grade level. That is also now accomplished. Today women are 67% of
the university students.

Cuban women still don’t have anywhere near their share of power at the
top. They still bear the double burden of housework and child care as
well as paid work (37% of the Cuban workforce is women). But the women
in Cuba have day care centers. They have access to both on-site
university classes, as well as a “university for all” sent over the
public TV network and eagerly followed, that presents regular university
classes of all kinds.

[bemildred]

12. Cuba doesn't have breathtaking proverty either.

It is not without it's problems, but there are a heck of a lot worse places to be born than Cuba. They have come a long way, and have overcome formidable obstacles in doing so.

[Bacchus39]

22. Argentina and Uruguay have very high literacy rates

and its no problem getting a big juicy steak.

[Divernan]

25. Given the US boycott, Castro has worked miracles beyond what those

2 countries have accomplished. When Batista left, he had transferred the last of the country's wealth to his overseas accounts. The elite upper class and small middle class which had profited from the corporate/mob occupation of Cuba, (while the great majority of Cubans lived in poverty without education or medical care), likewise took every bit of wealth they could with them when they abandoned their country to descend upon Miami. Neither Argentina nor Uruguay had to deal with such a situation. They had all that Nazi wealth to subsidize their economies. In other words, show me some cited facts as to the literacy rates of those countries in the late 50's, compared to Cuba before Castro. Or are you one of those people who don't like to bother their beautiful minds with relevant facts?

[Bacchus39]

29. Uruguay's education is free and you can still get a good steak

pizza too. communism isn't necessariy for a quality education system. imagine that.

no macaroni chicharrones there either.

[Mika]

30. So, poor people in Argentina and Uruguay have no problem getting a big juicy steak?

What a crock.

Cuba certainly does not have the poverty and homeless issues that Argentina and Uruguay have. There are thousands of young children out on the streets in every city begging & stealing anything they can to get access to glue to huff and other street drugs - Cuba has no such thing going on. There is near zero homelessness in Cuba.

I have been to Cuba, Argentina, and Uruguay and I have never seen the desperation (homelessness, drug addiction, street children, etc) in Cuba that I have witnessed in Argentina and Uruguay.

[Bacchus39]

32. Argentina and Uruguay people can actually earn money

and speak freely. what a concept. Communism and government repression aren't requirements for a high literacy rate or free health care.

what do you call it when Cubans attempt to reach florida in a raft if not desperation???

[Mika]

35. What do I call it? Wet Foot/Dry Foot & the Cuban Adjustment Act.

Together, these two US laws allow any and all Cubans who fail a US immigration visa (due to a background check done by the US in Cuba) can enter the US and have access to welfare and perks that even native born Americans don't have access to. The US offers over 20,000 legal visas - not all are even applied for.

Then, after one year they can go back to Cuba for a family visit or vacation (something that Americans can't do due to US dictate).

[Bacchus39]

36. welfare perks?? what do you call Cuban government subsidies??

so let me get this straight, Cuba subsidies good, welfare in US bad.

Cuba has to approve the visas too. the people can NOT just travel from Cuba if the goverment doesn't give them permission even if they get a US visa.

travel from Cuba is restricted for Cubans. you already knew this though.

"The Cuban government does not allow Cuban citizens who obtain U.S. immigrant visas or transportation letters to depart Cuba unless they also possess a Cuban exit permit (tarjeta blanca). Cubans immigrating to the United States are subject to an assortment of fees from the Government of Cuba, totaling approximately US$850.00 per person. The United States government plays no part in this process, and cannot intervene on behalf of any individual to assist or expedite the issuance of Cuban exit permits. The United States Interests Section has sent repeated diplomatic notes to the government of Cuba to protest delays in the granting of exit permits and the exorbitant exit fees required of departing Cuban citizens, but we anticipate no change in this situation in the foreseeable future."

http://havana.usinterestsection.gov/immigrant_info.html

Even Cubans' right to leave their country was severely restricted, as the government prosecuted persons for "illegal exit" if they attempted to leave the island without first obtaining official permission to do so. Such permission was sometimes denied arbitrarily, or made contingent on the purchase of an expensive exit permit.

http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/americas/cuba.html

viva la represión!!

[Mika]

37. "what do you call Cuban government subsidies??"

I say that they are a good thing. I say that because ALL Cubans have access to them.

Viva la representation!

--

The Cuban exiles in the US have access to government subsidies that not even native born Americans have access to. Enticement to "escape" Cuba.

Hmmm. Its interesting that millions of people from all over the Latin Americas and Caribbean need no such enticements to "escape" - they are flooding in without any enticement of US government subsidies.

[Bacchus39]

38. and without any hindrance from their own government

imagine how many Cubans would flee if they could.

I certainly do not support giving people subsidies to people who don't need them. thankfully, that is the case here in the US.

[Bacchus39]

16. sounds like Cubans are looking for something different on occassion

anything wrong with that?

[bemildred]

17. Nope, a little variety is a good thing. nt

[Robbien]

21. Nothing wrong with that, but the AP article makes it appear

that it is a bad thing and it is all Castro's fault.

I say, bad AP.

Everyone in Cuba is guaranteed a basic minimum and that is a good thing. If they want more than the basic, that is available if they get out and work for it.

[Bacchus39]

23. yeah, but their salaries are set. they can't just "go out and work for it"

unless they engage in some form of capitalism on the side God forbid, government blessed or otherwise.

[MAGICBULLET]

39. why do you say bad AP?

I happen to know the writer and she's lived there for over 25 years. She knows what she's talking about and has no reason to try and distort the truth in her article. Hse's basically just relaying the message as most AP stories do.

"Government workers are paid in regular pesos, which trade at about 24 to the convertible peso or 21 to the U.S. dollar (32 to the euro). A Rapidito hot dog at 1 convertible peso costs more than a day's pay for a Cuban earning a typical monthly salary of 350 pesos ($16.60,€12.40)"

________________________________________________________________
with your logic, I guess they can just "get out and work for it"

[Bacchus39]

18. they can't afford dairy products

"Just a block away, a convertible peso store sells imported frozen treats made from dairy products most Cubans cannot afford. There, the Nestle's Crunch chocolate ice cream bar is 1.10 convertible pesos — about 26 regular pesos, or $1.20"

I bet the "dairy" products, "pizza" and other street items are nasty. Macaroni chicharrones??? are you kidding me?

that just tells me there is nowhere ot get real chicharrones. a luxury I guess.

[Mika]

31. Health care is a luxury in the US. For the poor in Cuba full access is free.

that just tells me there is nowhere ot get real chicharrones. a luxury I guess.

Priorities priorities.

Cuba puts the basics first. If full access to chicharrones is a priority, then Cuba has it all wrong.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

24. I think Cuba is doing just fine...

Organic fruit and vegetable growing as a national policy: the Cuban story
http://www.energybulletin.net/13067.html

Cuba's Second Revolution
http://www.gardeners.com/Cuba-s-Second-Revolution/default/5039.page

Promoting Nutritional Self-Sufficiency in Cuba
http://www.bgci.org/wellbeing/cuba/

Growing food in the city
A project from Havana, Cuba
http://www.duurzamevoetafdruk.nl/en/cms/gebruikerscherm.asp?itemId=338

[roody]

28. Cuban life expectancy is higher than the US'.

[diamidue]

33. My daughter ate here several times

while living in Havana. It is just some enterprising people trying to earn a little money by selling home made pizza slices - mostly to students. What's the big deal? Why does this rate a story on Yahoo?

She said it was pretty good pizza, btw.

[Taverner]

40. End the embargo NOW!

One nice side benefit is that it would topple Castro.

[Judi Lynn]

42. "at least they're thin." Really! I just read an article saying "30 Percent of Cubans Are Overweight"

Now, it's up to you, if you're inclined, to read the article and see if you can use the "30 Percent of Cubans Are Overweight" idea to create an anti-Cuba pronoucement, making the trip from "they're thin" to "they're too fat," without embarrassment.

"30 Percent of Cubans Are Overweight"
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CUBA_NUTRITION?SITE=NDBIS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[robcon]

43. This was part of the Varela Project demands.

More diversity, more small business freedom.

Too bad so many people were sent to 20+ year prison terms for wanting whast the people want in Cuba - fewer restrictions, less state interference in their lives.

[Mika]

44. 30 percent of Cubans are overweight

I guess that the AP story was a preemptive strike on this story.



30 percent of Cubans are overweight
http://www.miamiherald.com/852/story/141337.html

{snip}

HAVANA - Cubans are no strangers to the battle of the bulge. Waistlines have expanded since the economic crisis of the early 1990s eased on the communist-run island - so much so that 30 percent of adults are now overweight, a newly released government study reveals.

Some people outside Cuba hold on to a stereotype of malnourished Cubans waiting in lines for a few potatoes, but there's ample evidence to the contrary in Havana, where bulging waistlines are stuffed into snug skirts or peek through too-tight guayabera shirts.