San Murillo Sells Tractors, Smoke & Cigars in Hard Currency
HAVANA TIMES – The Diaz-Canel government delivers another low blow to Cuban farmers. Abuse, force, manage, win and charges. Added to the low profits that tobacco producers obtain today is the sale of some 270 tractors essential for their work in US dollar prices.
To access the machinery, the tobacco growers must deliver the percentage they receive in MLC (the magnetic USD) for the payment of their crops. According to the government website Cubadebate, it was the farmers who decided to allocate part of their income to purchase the equipment.
A batch of 45 tractors is already in Pinar del Río, while another 20 were distributed among Cienfuegos, Villa Clara and Sancti Spíritus. Marino Murillo, president of the Tabacuba Business Group, said that the entity did not obtain any profit between the acquisition and the sale of the machinery to the growers.
On the other hand, the Cuban Government invited and met (on May 1, 2023) with a delegation of US union members and activists who participated in the International Solidarity Meeting with Cuba.
According to the US activists, in Cuba there are “democratic unions that negotiate with the government,” there are autonomous communities and urban gardens. Meanwhile, the Cuban people live a very harsh and different reality. There is a shortage and crisis of everything (or of almost everything, which is not the same, but it is the same): gasoline, condoms, medicines, water, electricity, food…
Marvelous? Country? Ours?
From whom did the Cuban Government purchase 270 tractors? Perhaps they are a part of the $100 million “gift” from China?
For a long, long time, the Cuban Government promoted the myth that the use of oxen rather than tractors was an essential contributor in reducing the pressure that tractors would place upon the soil – actually the pressure per square inch is reduced!
But it is interesting to observe that having so obviously and publicly failed in his economic management role, Marino Murillo has become a machinery salesman, raising the obvious question of: “Would you buy a tractor, new or used from this man?”
His denial that the Cuban Government would take a cut from any sales, is indicative that he has recognized the justified lack of trust by Cubans in the dictatorship. Then there is the obvious question of where any gullible farmer somehow managing to purchase a tractor, would obtain fuel for it?
As is normal when studying any proposal from the Diaz-Canel puppetry, there are far more questions than answers! Why 270 tractors? Are spares available? How can farmers existing on a pittance and having been blasted by Hurricane Ian, now afford such purchases? Where are the 205 currently unallocated, going to go? Will one be put on a display pedestal on the Malecon or will salesman Murillo be allocated a showroom?