The former Cuban Minister of Economy, who “exploded upwards”, as they say in Cuba, Marino Murillo, reappeared this week selling tractors in USD (dollars) to farmers of the millionaire company he currently runs, Tabacuba.
The ideologist of the failed “Tarea Ordenamiento”, which further sank the Cuban economy and introduced it to the current state, now at the head of the main company for the production and sale of Cuban tobacco worldwide, established a key strategy to continue the supply of tractors and other inputs to tobacco producers in Pinar del Río.
This week, for the third time, the sale of 13 Chinese Yto-X904 tractors was completed, with an individual price of around $26,000. Yes, he read correctly, Murillo is selling tractors to farmers for 26 thousand USD.
According to one of the farmers, who was in Murillo’s brief “explanation”, identified as Pablo, according to a report from the media 14ymedio, the president of Tabacuba pointed out that “the form of ownership or association did not matter,” that what had to be done to do was produce tobacco.
“We are here to produce and sell tobacco,” recalled the official, former Minister of Economy, and in charge of the Ordering Task until his dismissal in 2021.
Murillo and sale of tractors in USD to farmers in Pinar
According to the witness, Marino Murillo, he was grateful that the farmers of Pinar del Río want to buy tractors from the government, even in USD (strong currency).
“Murillo’s words surprised everyone (…) The only condition is to have the money in MLC (freely convertible currency) and to have earned it with tobacco,” Pablo explained to the aforementioned media, about the requirements to buy them.
He also detailed that three years ago, Tabacuba has given these farmers 3.6% of the currency that is acquired with the sale of top quality tobacco, especially in towns such as San Juan y Martínez, San Luis, Pinar del Río. and Consolation. The currency goes directly to the cards at MLC, but other things often happen along the way.
“There is also another deal: if the farmer has not yet received his share in MLC, they give him the tractor and no longer give him the money,” he stated.
