Cuba faces cooking oil shortages and public health alerts

Cuba is facing severe shortages and rising prices of cooking oil, leading to civil unrest and public health warnings. In provinces such as Sancti Spíritus and Holguín, scarcity has triggered crowds and physical altercations at state-run stores. In Sancti Spíritus, police intervened at a Gaesa-owned establishment to manage crowds attempting to purchase limited supplies.

In Holguín, authorities have conducted inspections and forced sales to combat unregulated markets. Meanwhile, the General Directorate of Public Health in Mayabeque issued an urgent warning against consuming a specific oil sold at the El Rodeo Fairground, after testing revealed it was crude vegetable oil intended for animal consumption rather than human use.

The crisis follows the Cuban government's decision in June to eliminate previous price caps on edible oil, a move intended to curb black market activity that instead resulted in rapid price escalations. In some areas, a single liter of oil can now consume nearly 30% of an average monthly salary.