Like most people, the father of two living on the outskirts of Havana was seduced by the convenience of shopping over the internet.However, Cuba's catch-up with the world of e-commerce, encouraged by its communist rulers during the coronavirus lockdown, has left many users angry.
But the experience is still a novel one in Cuba where 3G mobile internet was rolled out in 2018. The local online store Tuenvio has only just launched.Long queues outside food stores are a recurring feature of Cuban life because of shortages due to US sanctions. "We have had more complaints related to online shopping than about health care during the pandemic," he said. The island, with a population of over 11 million, has had relatively few coronavirus cases - 2,319 with 85 fatalities.Noris, whose blog Tuandroid is devoted to new technology, translated Diaz-Canel's mea culpa into IT terms:"The servers were unprepared for the demand.
"Tuenvio has to be put in context. It is a crisis solution for crisis moment, and executed fairly quickly - perhaps without the time or the thought necessary - without studying successful experiences elsewhere" said Juan Triana, a professor at the Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy. Outside the Cuarto Caminos supermarket in Havana, trucks, vans and even taxis are used to load orders for online customers, the goods sorted into large transparent plastic bags.