​There are images that do not need many words because they describe with surgical precision the pulse of an era. The cartoon shared on social media is a clear example of this: an authentic "Price Race" where food runs at full speed and the common citizen's pocket is left completely behind.  

​on this improvised track, food items have become unstoppable athletes. We see pork at 1300 CUP per pound leading the race, closely followed by chicken at 1100 CUP per pound, mortadella at 1000 CUP per pound, minced meat at 850 CUP per pound, a hamburger at 250 CUP per pound, and an expensive carton of eggs reaching 4000 CUP. And the most prohibited of all? Beef, which appears literally chained, handcuffed, and with a "detained" sign.  

​Meanwhile, in the background behind the fence, a crowd watches the scene with despair: empty purses, raised hands holding bills, or even a simple plantain. At the far end, a distant and unattainable finish line bears the sign "Average Salary".  

​And the harsh reality surpasses any metaphor: the average salary of a Cuban hovers around 8,000 Cuban pesos, a figure that at the current exchange rate barely translates to about 10 dollars a month. With these numbers on the table, the daily race becomes a totally unequal competition, where prices per pound climb without restraint month after month, while fixed income stays frozen at the starting line, making survival an almost impossible mission.

​💬 Do you feel identified with this race? How do you manage to balance current prices with your salary? Leave us your comment on Bitácora Cubana!