No doubt preparing itself to gouge the “private sector” once the “reforms” begin to bear fruit, the Cuban dictatorship has raised the price of fuel on the island by 10%.
The changes, which took effect Monday, were announced in the Communist Party-newspaper Granma, which cited rising international prices for the move. It was the first time prices have risen since September 2008, when crude oil internationally sold for about a third more than it does now.
The cost of diesel fuel — used by many of the old cars that populate Cuba’s streets — rose to $1.19 a liter ($4.50 a gallon), about 11 cents a liter (42 cents a gallon) higher than previously. The highest octane fuel rose even more to $1.73 a liter ($6.54 a gallon), from $1.51 a liter ($5.72 a gallon).
The prices approach those paid in Europe and are apparently the highest in the hemisphere, topping pump prices in Brazil and Bermuda. They are a fortune for Cubans who make the average salary of just $20 a month.