Russian store stocked with unaffordable goods to open soon in Havana

From our Bureau of Twenty-First Century Neocolonialism with some assistance from our Re-Russification of Cuba Bureau

Russia’s re-colonization of Cuba is moving ahead, bit by bit. One such bit is Castro, Inc.’s announcement that it has entered a partnership with Russia to open a RusMarket store in Havana that will sell many different kinds of Russian products, all of which will be unaffordable to 99 percent of Cubans on the island..

The store will be opening its doors in the next few weeks, according to Castro, Inc. There is no word on what kind of currency will be required by RusMarket, but you can bet your bottom dollar that it won’t be Cuban pesos, and that the money earned by the store’s co-owners will come from privileged oligarchs and “diaspora” Cubans.

Abridged from 14yMedio via Translating Cuba

The official press echoed this Sunday the announcement of the opening of a Russian products store in Havana, a project between the RusMarket brand and the state-owned Cimex that had already been advanced eight months ago but now has a tentative date: March 2024.

At that time, Evguéni Meytes, representative of the company, was hired during his visit to Havana on the occasion of the International Fair of Havana (FIHAV), which concluded this Saturday.

“We have very fraternal relations with the Island. The leadership of our country said last year that we had to strengthen mutual ties, and one of the expressions of that consolidation is the opening of this store. We are happy to show here high-quality products for the Cuban market,” he said at the time he announced to Sputnik the opening of the store, which will sell canned meats and vegetables, chocolates, and champagne from the firm Abrau.

“The RusMarket project is intended for the long term and includes the opening of the first Russian product store on the Island, since most of the Cuban population remembers these goods, so we will create a joint venture that will begin to operate before the end of 2023,” said general director of RusMarket, Alexander Belchikov.

The businessman spoke of a huge range of products that go beyond food, although that would be a second phase that would include spare parts for cars, machinery, construction equipment and materials, appliances, textiles and clothing.

“We want to introduce Russian products into the Cuban market and, in the same way, serve as a gateway to Russia for Cuban products. Our company aims to become a link between the two countries,” said Belchikov