The most affordable drink for Cubans has gone from 30 to 70 pesos amid the general rise in prices in the province.
14ymedio, Sancti Spíritus, Mercedes García, March 13, 2026 – In Sancti Spíritus, the price of even the most humble items has begun to rise. In just a couple of days, guarapo — raw sugarcane juice — went from 30 to 70 pesos.
What for decades had been the most affordable drink to relieve the heat or recover strength in the middle of the day has suddenly become a small luxury that more than one person now hesitates to indulge in. Now the choice is to return home or continue on the road with the same thirst and frustration, saving every last peso.
Guarapo, extracted from sugarcane, has historically been a refreshing comfort against the exhaustion of the difficult daily life of Cubans, regardless of the customer’s social level or purchasing power. The drink’s low price, stimulating properties, and quick preparation have always been the main factors that attracted people to this juice.
The cost of the most basic products continues to rise in Sancti Spíritus amid a particularly harsh situation.
Although the presence of these guarapo stands has been declining in recent years due to the collapse of the sugar sector, along with difficulties obtaining ice or even sugarcane, as well as the blackouts that paralyze the presses, some still remained in Sancti Spíritus.
Meanwhile, the cost of the most basic products continues to rise in the province amid a particularly harsh situation caused by prolonged blackouts, which at times have lasted more than a full day without electricity. The energy crisis forces many families to cook with charcoal due to the lack of gas or kerosene, while food spoils because it cannot be refrigerated. The fuel shortage and the difficulties in maintaining basic services have left the population dealing with improvised solutions and growing frustration over the deterioration of living conditions.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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