Hurricanes Ike and Gustav wiped out 30 percent of Cuba’s food crops in recent months. For Cuba—an island of just over 11 million people under a decades-old economic blockade—the loss is a tremendous blow. The Cuban government announced in September that they expect a six-month food crisis.
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In response to the food shortage, the Cuban government has put into place a series of measures in an effort to ensure that no one goes without food. In addition to increasing domestic food production and regulating food prices, the Cuban government has begun rationing food staples.
Thousands of acres of crops were destroyed by the storms, and officials said the dairy and egg industries were also severely damaged. Agriculture Vice Minister Alcides Lopez said the government was implementing an aggressive plan to recover as much of the damaged crops as possible. Lopez said that the Cuban people will “have six hard months to go,” but added that “no Cuban will die of hunger.”
The Cuban government’s efforts have relieved anxious Cubans who worried about not being able to feed their families. Cuban planning had already saved countless lives through their carefully coordinated evacuation when the hurricanes first hit. The handling of the crisis illustrates what can be done through a planned economy that prioritizes human needs.
“Of the little there is, there is some for everyone,” said Mercedes Grimau, 65. “I am not afraid that I will be left without food.” Regla Suazo, a 55-year-old homemaker, said, “At least with the measures, I know I can buy something.”
A statement from Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque highlighted the detrimental impact of the U.S. blockade in Cuba’s recovery efforts after the storms. “The economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed during 50 years by the United States is the main obstacle to Cuba’s development,” the statement read.
Despite the blockade, Cuba has been able to respond to grave crises time and again. The appalling response from the U.S. government to Hurricane Katrina three years ago, on the other hand, underscores a major difference between a socialist and a capitalist system. Following a disaster caused by its own negligence, the government of the richest country on the planet allowed thousands of people to die on rooftops while sparing no effort to protect private property. It has yet to rebuild housing for those who were displaced and provide adequate assistance to survivors.
Socialism is not idealism. It is not a pipe dream. Cuba continues to show by example what a state that fights for the interests of the working class can do.
