Cuban government defends plans to either cut rations or increase prices

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
Associated Press

HAVANA (AP) — The Cuban government says it will have to either increase prices for fuel and electricity, or reduce rations for basic supplies. President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Friday that difficult measures are needed for difficult times. The minister of the economy says Cuba’s economy has contracted between 1% and 2% in 2023, and inflation is at about 30%. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero says the government will have to raise prices for gasoline, electricity and gas, or reduce the amount of food and other basics contained in government ration books. The economic crisis in Cuba is already so bad that hundreds of thousands of people have left in a bid to reach the United States.