A top Cuban official has stepped down after claiming there are no beggars in the country—remarks that triggered a wave of public anger in a nation already reeling from economic collapse.
Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera, who until Tuesday served as Cuba’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, resigned following outrage over comments she made during a parliamentary session earlier this week.
“We have seen people, apparently beggars, but when you look at their hands, look at the clothes these people are wearing—they are disguised as beggars. They are not beggars. In Cuba, there are no beggars,” Feitó said, according to local reports and news agency AP.
She went further, suggesting that individuals cleaning windscreens at traffic stops were using donations to buy alcohol. She also criticised those sifting through garbage, accusing them of selling scavenged items to avoid taxes.
The remarks, captured on video and widely shared across social media, drew immediate backlash from ordinary Cubans. With living standards continuing to plunge, many saw the minister’s words as tone-deaf and detached from the realities faced by millions on the island.
Public Anger Amid Economic Pain
The timing could hardly have been worse. On the same day Feitó’s comments made headlines, Cuba’s government disclosed that the economy had shrunk by 1.1% in 2024—adding to a total contraction of 11% over the last five years.
For many Cubans, especially the elderly, life has become a daily struggle. The average monthly pension stands at about 2,000 pesos, roughly equivalent to $5 on the black market. For pensioners and low-income families, affording essentials such as food and medicine is increasingly difficult.
A Presidential Reprimand
Though President Miguel Díaz-Canel did not mention Feitó by name, he issued a pointed statement hours after the public outcry.
“The lack of sensitivity in addressing vulnerability is highly questionable,” Díaz-Canel wrote on social media platform X. “The revolution cannot leave anyone behind. That is our motto, our militant responsibility.”
Shortly after, the presidency confirmed that Feitó had tendered her resignation “after acknowledging her errors.”
A Deeper Crisis
The episode has laid bare the disconnect between government rhetoric and the harsh conditions on the ground. Long lines for basic goods, power cuts, and a crumbling healthcare system have become commonplace in Cuba. Many citizens say they feel abandoned by a government that claims to protect the vulnerable.
In response to the backlash, some lawmakers and community leaders have called for more empathetic governance and direct aid for those most affected by the crisis.
As one Havana resident told El Toque, a local independent outlet: “We don’t need politicians telling us we’re pretending to be poor. We need food, medicine, and honesty.”
Feitó’s resignation may quiet the outrage, but the economic hardship—and the sense of disillusionment it fuels—remains unresolved.