This is why Mayor Mamdani should talk to the Cubans who live in New York City. In a 2007 episode of his talk show, Aló Presidente, Chávez compared Mercal’s prices with those at a nearby grocery store. The gap between Mercal’s subsidized prices and prices at other grocery stores created an obvious resale opportunity. Some stores required shoppers to bring a baby or present a birth certificate before they could buy diapers. Like Chavez or Castro, Mamdani will learn that he can’t escape the laws of supply and demand.