How does Cuba’s ration book actually work?

For decades, Cuban households had a “Libreta de Abastecimiento,” a small ration book that allowed them to buy basic products like rice, sugar, beans and cooking oil at "heavily subsidized prices", since market prices have never been an option for a Cuban salary.

The idea was that these basic rations would cover a family’s food needs. In reality, the quantities became so small over the years that they were nowhere near enough to live on. People had to get most of their food through other very scarce and unconventional means.

Products were also often unavailable or arrived late, so the ration book gradually became much less important in everyday life.

It’s funny how they’re now talking about removing the libreta and presenting it as a huge loss for Cubans, when hardly anyone cares about it anymore. The rations became so small that nobody could actually depend on them. Most Cubans had to find food elsewhere anyway.

We just want the whole system that created it to disappear.