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Cuba Is Running Short On Toilet Paper

We almost missed this article, being discreetly dumped by Reuters on a late Friday evening:

A truck transporting residents drives on a bridge in Soroa, Cuba, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009. The sign reads in Spanish ‘Everything for the revolution. Summer 2009. Recreation, production, education. Dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the triumph of the revolution.’

Cash-strapped Cuba says toilet paper running short

Fri Aug 7

HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba, in the grip of a serious economic crisis, is running short of toilet paper and may not get sufficient supplies until the end of the year, officials with state-run companies said on Friday…

"The corporation has taken all the steps so that at the end of the year there will be an important importation of toilet paper," an official with state conglomerate Cimex said on state-run Radio Rebelde.

The shipment will enable the state-run company "to supply this demand that today is presenting problems," he said.

Cuba both imports toilet paper and produces its own, but does not currently have enough raw materials to make it, he said.

One of the measures taken to address the cash crunch is a 20 percent cut in imports, which in recent days has become evident in the reduction of goods in state-run stores…

Despite the shortages, prices will be cut between 5 percent and 27 percent for some food, drugs and personal hygiene products, officials said.

A visit to a store in Havana’s Vedado neighborhood on Friday found that prices had dropped for mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and canned squid.

One customer, who gave his name only as Pedro, complained that "it doesn’t look like prices have been lowered for the fundamental products" such as cooking oil.

Ana Maria Ortega, deputy director for military-run retail conglomerate TRD Caribe, said there will be no shortage of basic goods…

Who needs toilet paper when you can get cheap canned squid?

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This article was posted by Steve Gilbert on Saturday, August 8th, 2009 at 12:03 am. Comments are currently closed.

16 Responses to “Cuba Is Running Short On Toilet Paper”

  1. GetBackJack
    August 8, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    I’m sure Obama is even now rushing copies of our Constitution to them, on Pelosi’s G550.

    Because that’s all he thinks our Constitution is good for.

  2. VMAN
    August 8, 2009 at 4:00 pm

    Things like this just happen when your leaders are full of crap. I wounder when our TP shortage is coming.

  3. JohnMG
    August 8, 2009 at 6:21 pm

    Maybe Cheryl Crowe can go and instruct the Cubans on her famed one-sheet rule as a means of conservation and saving the environment. Be sure to use both sides, Cheryl. ;-}

    • Colonel1961
      August 8, 2009 at 6:26 pm

      lol JMG: You beat me to it…

    • proreason
      August 8, 2009 at 7:08 pm

      Those mischievious Castro boys are geniuses.

      Taking advantage of an economic crisis to save the environment.

      Rahm the Impaler must be thrilled.

    • JohnMG
      August 8, 2009 at 7:16 pm

      What about corn cobs? Oh, yeah, I forgot. Cuba’s agriculture is in the toilet already. And this is the utopia we’re supposed to aspire to?

      But if they should go the corn-cob route, I hope they remember….two red ones, then one white one.

    • proreason
      August 8, 2009 at 8:07 pm

      Economic stimulation for local manicurists.

      Genius, pure genius.

    • MinnesotaRush
      August 9, 2009 at 1:10 am

      How’s that go, PR??? One man’s sh_t, is another man’s fortune.

      Or sumptin’ like dat. :-)

  4. Semper-Par-FI
    August 8, 2009 at 6:36 pm

    I guess they could use banana leaves.

  5. canary
    August 8, 2009 at 7:37 pm

    They have to work all day to pay for one roll of toilet paper. They should all go the Castro’s steps and camp out til they get it.

  6. Chuckk
    August 8, 2009 at 9:41 pm

    They can use ballots printed for the next election.

    • JohnMG
      August 8, 2009 at 9:54 pm

      They’ve run out of ballots, too. They only had to print ballots one time and they made a huge over run, being as the candidates have been the same since Castro the First……well, you get the idea…….

  7. wirenut
    August 9, 2009 at 12:50 am

    Never shake hands with a Cuban, you don’t know what it could lead to. Running water and soap if they had it. I hope! Soo, just how is that little revolution going down there? What?, what? you can’t even wipe your own, what? Next up: Cuba meets with Cling-on’s!

    • Rusty Shackleford
      August 9, 2009 at 1:44 am

      Sorta gives the term “hanging chads” a new twist.

      But really, how can we ever take Cuba seriously, other than a glaring example of failed communism. They were content to give us rasberries from across the sea while mother Russia fed, clothed them and gave them fuel oil. I’m sure many Russians married hot-blooded Cuban women too….an exercise to be visited later.

      But seriously. The only thing I would love to envision is that every single Cuban left there, came to the US (illegal or not) and the place was left as a ghost town. As in, nobody lives there except the Castros…and they’re out of buttwipe.

      Or, even better, they all emigrate to Mexico, illegally.

      Another 11 million people? Shoot, we can absorb that on our heads and I would guess that they would vote republican. So how ’bout it? Anyone got some boats?

  8. MinnesotaRush
    August 9, 2009 at 1:06 am

    Oh my gawd, Steve!!!

    An article on toilet paper that “We almost missed this article, being discreetly dumped by Reuters” …

    … being discreetly dumped … toilet paper …

    You did that on purpose, didn’t you. lol lol lol :-)




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