A journalist from Sancti Spíritus took a Cuban official by surprise during an interview by asking for five positive aspects of the Tarea Ordenamiento. Elsa Ramos, who hosts a local radio program called "The Economy Has a Name" every Monday, has dedicated three episodes to unraveling the complexities and impacts of this economic restructuring on the Cuban population. Last week, she tasked Frank Rafael Quesada Espinosa, an economist, with identifying five benefits of the Ordenamiento.
This Monday, Ramos opened the segment by noting that listeners had criticized her for assigning such a challenging task to the expert. She humorously suggested that finding five benefits might be too difficult, "I should have asked for just three," she quipped. The discussion was just getting started.
Ramos challenged Quesada Espinosa's claim regarding improvements in the sugar industry due to the new measures. According to him, previously, Cuba earned only one dollar for every peso of sugar exported, resulting in losses. The interviewer was quick to respond.
"However, in reality, we are exporting less today than we did four years ago. And sugar is a dream because we haven't even received our two pounds from the store. How can it be a benefit to exports if we export less now than before?" she criticized.
The exchange on Radio Sancti Spíritus sparked hundreds of comments. "Congratulations to that journalist for tying the official's tongue, incapable of solving any problem in his company," one user remarked. "All talk and no action, and nothing changes," another expressed.
A Facebook user named Edmundo Dantés Junior questioned whether the Radio Sancti Spíritus host was still employed after asking for five benefits of the Tarea Ordenamiento and challenging the supposed benefits of the sugar industry. "This must be staged: critical journalism in Cuba? They'll serve beef in stores before that happens," commented another.
"They have no answers to anything they do," a young man pointed out. "That 'Tarea,' like all previous and future ones, hasn't brought any benefits, only plunged the people into deeper misery while PCC officials became the millionaire elite of Cuba," another online comment declared.
Other journalists have echoed the widespread dissatisfaction among the population regarding issues like declining purchasing power and rising prices. Last year, Jesús Álvarez López, a seasoned reporter from the Villaclareña CMHW network, criticized the relentless increase in food prices, particularly those from the countryside.
"What can a retiree with 1,528 pesos buy today when even yuca, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and flour have been stripped of their historical affordability?" he inquired.
Economist Pedro Monreal believes that the government's economic "ordering" led to a severe compression of workers' wages, resulting in widespread impoverishment. Monreal has criticized the Ministry of Economy and Planning for attributing the deterioration of purchasing power solely to external factors like the economic "blockade" and the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Monreal, the relative decline in wages and social security contributions reflects poor decisions that have yet to be corrected, causing a gap between incomes and rising consumer prices.
Understanding the Impact of Tarea Ordenamiento
What is the Tarea Ordenamiento?
The Tarea Ordenamiento is a series of economic reforms implemented by the Cuban government aimed at restructuring the economy, including currency unification and changes in pricing and wages.
Why has the Tarea Ordenamiento been criticized?
Critics argue that the Tarea Ordenamiento has led to increased poverty, a decline in purchasing power, and higher prices, with many seeing it as ineffective in improving the economic situation for ordinary citizens.
How have other journalists responded to the Tarea Ordenamiento?
Several journalists have expressed dissatisfaction, highlighting issues like rising prices and decreased purchasing power, and questioning the effectiveness of the reforms in addressing economic challenges.