It’s hard to tell which is more disturbing: that this is all the communist regime has to offer those who risked their lives or that chicken and deodorant can actually be considered a reward in Cuba.
Via ADN Cuba (my translation):
Two packages of chicken and bag with personal hygiene products is the reward the Cuban regime gives those who risked their lives
The firefighters and support personnel in Mayabeque who risked their lives to fight the fires at the Supertanker Base in Matanzas, and who have been presented as heroes, were “rewarded” with two packages of chicken and a bag with personal hygiene products, according to a statement from Mayabeque Caribbean Stores.
“Firefighters and other workers at the Bejucal location received packages of chicken drumsticks as a reward for risking their lives during the fires in Matanzas,” wrote Yannis Estrada, the cofounder and CEO of CubaSpaces, on Twitter.
The post was confirmed on the official website of the state-run entity Mayabeque Caribbean Stores, which stated that on Thursday, August 11, “food was given to firefighters and other workers who participated in fighting the massive blaze” in Matanzas.
The La Boda store in Madruga also gave “a bag with personal hygiene products, food, and soft drinks to the firefighters in Cornado in their town,” the website added.
The photos shared by the dictatorship’s entities were inundated with a wave of negative response by Cubans both on and off the island.
“Seriously, aren’t you embarrassed to publish these photos?” asked Gerald Sanchez Sanchez on Facebook. He was referring to representatives from the Cuban Communist Party and the CDR in Mayabeque “rewarding” a young man of 18 and one of the firefighters with “a bottle of oil and a bottle of soda.”
Other commenters called in “embarrassing,” “shameful,” and “the ultimate decadence of an economic system that never worked” to boast about the delivery of basic products as a prize for young people who risked their lives.
Continue reading (in Spanish) HERE.
But this is not a sign of grotesque condescension, disrespect, and complete lack of class. This is simply, you know, “revolutionary” gratitude. Besides, this really is the best they can do–there’s no better to be had.
This sort of spectacle is not just disgusting; it’s pathetic.