Category: Dayami Rojas

In Guantánamo, Cuban Families Juggle To Provide School Snacks for Their Children

With a monthly pension of 3,000 pesos, a grandfather in charge of his grandson, because the parents left the country, cannot guarantee a child’s food.

The responsibility of feeding students during the school day falls exclusively on families. / 14ymedio 14ymedio

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Guantánamo, Dayamí Rojas, March 28, 2026 – The morning bustle gathers every day in front of a primary school in the Caribe neighborhood, in the city of Guantánamo. At that hour, children arrive with their backpacks slung over their shoulders and a small additional bundle in their hands: their snack. Some bring a piece of bread, others a small bag with cookies, and a few barely carry a bottle with an instant drink. Behind each of those portions there is a story of domestic sacrifice and inflation.

In most schools in Guantánamo there has not been a school snack distributed by the educational center itself for decades. That practice, which in other times included a bottle of soda or a portion of sweets, disappeared during the years of economic crisis and was never restored. Since then, the responsibility of feeding students during the school day has fallen exclusively on families, who must figure out each day what to put in the child’s backpack.

But in recent months, the rise in the cost of basic products has turned that daily task into a real obstacle course. The increase in the price of bread, cookies, and all flour-based products has driven up snack costs, while inflation and the devaluation of the Cuban peso continue to erode the purchasing power of salaries and pensions.

Private vendors offer baguette-style bread early in the morning. The loaves are displayed in plastic boxes or improvised baskets, and they disappear quickly. The price changes depending on availability and demand pressure. What used to cost a few dozen pesos has now become a significant expense for any family with school-age children.

“If you add lunch and dinner, each child needs between 300 and 400 pesos daily so that, at least, they do not go hungry” / 14ymedio

“Ensuring breakfast and a snack for a child today in Guantánamo costs, at a minimum, between 100 and 150 pesos daily,” a father, who also works as a teacher, explains to 14ymedio. “If you add lunch and dinner, each child needs between 300 and 400 pesos daily so that, at least, they do not go hungry.” continue reading

His words summarize a reality that is repeated in many households in the province, where family incomes do not grow at the same rate as prices. In a context marked by inflation and shortages, every purchasing decision
becomes a complex calculation. Parents and grandparents compare prices among different vendors, reduce portions, or substitute more expensive products with lower-quality ones.

On a corner in the San Justo neighborhood, Saúl waits his turn in front of a private sales point. He holds a crumpled bill in his hand and keeps his eyes fixed on the tray where the bread is piled up. He has two children in primary school and every morning he must go out early to secure the day’s snack.

“A baguette costs you 250 pesos, if you can find it at that price, because in my neighborhood they already sell them for 350. Soft drinks have also gone up, everything is very expensive,” the man from Guantánamo tells this newspaper.

What used to be an occasional purchase now represents an expense that many families cannot afford frequently

The increase in prices is not limited to bread. Cookies, sweets, and juices have followed the same trend, driven by the shortage of flour, rising sugar prices, and the higher cost of the inputs needed for their production. Many of these products are sold on the informal market or in small private businesses, where prices constantly adjust depending on the availability of goods.

Around several schools, street vendors have become a common presence. They offer small doughnuts, bread with cheese, and sweet cookies, aimed specifically at students. However, what used to be an occasional purchase now represents an expense that many families cannot afford frequently.

The situation becomes even more difficult in households where children are left in the care of grandparents, an increasingly common reality in Guantánamo due to the parents’ emigration. In those cases, an elderly person’s pension must cover all the child’s expenses, including daily food.

“A grandfather who is in charge of his grandson, because the parents left the country, and who has a monthly pension of 3,000 pesos cannot guarantee a snack every day for that child,” explains a resident of Guantánamo living in the city center.

Insufficient nutrition not only affects children’s physical well-being, but also their academic performance

The figure is revealing when compared with current food prices. With a pension that barely covers basic household expenses, allocating daily money for a school snack becomes an almost impossible challenge. In some cases, children attend classes with a minimal snack or nothing to eat, making it difficult for them to last until the end of the school day.

Inside classrooms, teachers closely observe this reality. Some students share their snacks with classmates who have nothing, while others try to stretch time so that hunger does not interfere with concentration. Insufficient nutrition not only affects children’s physical well-being, but also their academic performance.

In a school in the Los Maceo neighborhood, a teacher comments that it is increasingly common to see students arriving without snacks or with very small portions. The scene repeats itself during recess, when the yard fills with children who open their backpacks and compare what each was able to bring that day. The next day, the family will have to start the same battle again: finding and paying for something the student can eat mid-morning, in the middle of their classes.

Guantánamo: Cuban families and the daily challenge of school snacks

Translated by Regina Anavy

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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.

In Guantánamo, Cuba, Horse-Drawn Carriages Have Replaced Vehicles, Which Have Run Out of Fuel

Between the rising price of horse feed and fines of up to 16,000 pesos, drivers are barely surviving.
Cases have increased by more than 23% this week, although there is optimism for December. / Archive/ 14ymedio

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Dayami Rojas, Guantánamo, 8 March 2026 — In Guantánamo, the sound of hooves on asphalt has once again become part of the everyday landscape. Where Lada and Moskvich engines or small private trucks once roared, now horse-drawn carriages slowly make their way, carrying passengers, sacks of food, water tanks, or any merchandise that needs to be moved around the city. The fuel crisis has brought these animal-drawn vehicles back into the spotlight, but the lives of those who drive them are far from easy.

Mid-morning, on a corner near Martí Park, Rodolfo holds the reins of his horse while waiting for customers in the sun. The animal shakes its head, shooing away flies, and the wooden carriage creaks each time someone climbs onto the running board after asking the fare.

“Before, I charged between 20 and 50 pesos for a short trip, but now I have to ask for more. Otherwise, I can’t afford to keep the horse,” the coachman explained to 14ymedio. The fare increase has led to frequent arguments with passengers. “People complain, and I understand them, but nobody sees what it costs to run this business.”

The scene repeats on several streets throughout the city. At makeshift stops, passengers negotiate the price before getting into the car. A woman with several shopping bags protests when she hears the price the driver is asking to take her to the Caribe neighborhood.

“That’s an abuse, chico. They raise the price every day,” she mutters. But she ends up settling into the back seat because she doesn’t have many alternatives. The buses hardly ever run, and private taxis are paralyzed by the lack of gasoline. In Guantánamo, as in many cities across the country, horse-drawn carriages have gone from being a quaint form of transportation to becoming an essential part of the urban landscape.

However, for the coachmen, the work has become increasingly complicated. Rodolfo lists the problems without letting go of the reins. “Horseshoes are incredibly expensive, feed is almost impossible to find, and you have to go far to find hay,” he says. Feeding the animal can turn into an extra day’s work. Many coachmen head out at dawn to nearby rural areas to cut grass or buy a sack of feed.

“If you don’t eat, you can endure it, but the horse can’t. And if the horse gets sick, the job is over,” he adds. continue reading

Restrictions on driving on certain streets have also reduced opportunities to find customers. In recent months, municipal authorities have limited the routes these vehicles can use, citing concerns for health and public aesthetics.

Feeding the animal can become an extra day of work. / 14ymedio

“They’re making us go around in circles like we’re in a maze,” Rodolfo complains. “There are streets we used to go down that are now prohibited. That means more detours, more fatigue for the horse, and fewer passengers.”

At a nearby stop, another coachman meets him. Leaning against the side of his carriage, he observes the almost nonexistent morning traffic. “What they want is to get us off the streets,” he says bitterly. “But when there’s no gasoline, who’s going to get people around?”

Fines are also part of the routine. Municipal inspectors check documents, authorized routes, and vehicle condition. A violation can cost up to 16,000 Cuban pesos, an amount that many find impossible to pay.

“A fine like that will bankrupt you,” says Rodolfo. “Some people have had to sell things from their homes to pay them.” The fear of theft is another constant worry. Horses have become a coveted target for butchers who slaughter them illegally to sell the meat.

“I sleep here, next to my horses,” Javier, a resident of Guantánamo, explains to this newspaper. He spends his early mornings away from his bed because he fears his animals will be stolen. Vandalism particularly targets those who own cows, pigs, or other animals that could end up being sold on the black market.

Javier usually spends the night in a small, makeshift shed in the yard. “If you leave him alone, he can be stolen. And without a horse, there’s no car or food for the family,” he explains.

Feeding the animal can become an extra day of work. / 14ymedio

Some of his colleagues have already decided to temporarily abandon the trade. The cost of supplies, fines, and traffic restrictions have made the work increasingly less profitable.

“There are coachmen who have stopped operating and are waiting for things to change,” Javier says. “But in the meantime, the city still needs transportation.”

Throughout the day, his carriage travels along dusty avenues, potholed streets, and corners where passengers raise their hands, searching for an empty seat. On each journey, the complaints of the passengers mingle with the worries of the driver.

“We keep people moving,” Rodolfo insists. “But nobody helps us.” The horse snorts as the coachman climbs into the front seat. A couple of passengers approach, asking if he can take them to the hospital. The coachman calculates the price and looks at the animal before answering. Then he gives a small tug on the reins, and the vehicle begins to move slowly down the street.
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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.