The surprise was that practically no one on the island even remembered those price controls still existed—not even many of the officials responsible for enforcing them. But the public discontent they have generated appears to have forced the government to backtrack somewhat, at least regarding the ration book. The latest products we’ve received have been sold at the usual prices and recorded in the ration book as always. “The decision to eliminate the ration book has been made at the worst possible moment, in the middle of the country’s worst crisis in decades. For now, the first month without price controls or subsidized basic goods has already proven nearly unbearable for thousands of families.