[Sobieski at Kahlenberg Mtn.]

What the woman doesn’t know or understand is that even though the $25 tip was cheapskate, the reason for the housekeeper being ‘overjoyed’ is that in Cuba there are two ways to get basic food consumer goods 1- They use the ration book given to them by the government which only can be used at ration-book ‘stores’ on card holders’ designated dates for designated product et al such stores are usually empty or have very little and the quality is unhealthy or 2- Hard currency stores where hard currency, like US or Canadian dollars, can be used to buy product without the limitations, it is easier to get meat, dairy and basic necessities at hard currency stores than a ration-book store has. Although hard currency stores in Cuba have been experiencing the same problems that ration-book stores do, i.e. empty of product:

La Epoca and Other Cuban Hard-Currency Stores Are Now as Sad and Empty as the Ration-Book Stores

https://translatingcuba.com/la-epoca-and-other-cuban-hard-currency-stores-are-now-as-sad-and-empty-as-the-ration-book-stores/

[LittleLinda]

The situation you describe for Cubans is so very sad. No wonder they risk their lives in rickety old boats to try to sail/motor/float to the US shore.

So how much money do the Castros really need? At this point, you’d think they’d prefer to govern a more prosperous nation and would dedicate themselves to returning the country to one the rest of the world would be more sanguine about doing commerce with. Poverty makes people very unhappy and think about rebellion. The Castros must feel like they’re in constant danger. I wonder if the CIA is keeping Cuba in its current situation. They meddle everywhere else in the world against the best interests of the citizens.

[rodguy911]

From your link:

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez,,p> Havana, 24 April 2023 —

People used to gawk at the display windows and crowd the entryway at La Epoca, a store prominently located at the corner of Galiano and Neptuno in Central Havana. Now its freezers are completely empty. Not even the hard currency stores are exempt from Cuba’s worsening economic crisis.

What were once businesses catering to those privileged enough to have hard currency now resemble the neighborhood ration stores in terms of their supply shortages.

“It’s been like this for weeks,” a customer at La Epoca told 14ymedio on Monday. She had been to the meat section, located in the basement, hoping to find a few sausages, or some at least some ground turkey to make croquettes. When she got there, however, she found the freezers had been turned off and moved into the center of the aisle, their doors left open. Employees stood there with their arms crossed, not knowing how to respond to questions about when they might be getting a shipment of meat.