Cuba’s Minister of Labor and Social Security, Marta Elena Feito Cabrera, has resigned after sparking widespread criticism for her comments suggesting that there are no beggars in Cuba, only people pretending to be.
Feito made the remarks during a National Assembly committee session, where she claimed that individuals cleaning windshields at intersections or rummaging through rubbish bins were choosing an “easy life” and using the proceeds to buy alcohol. She also accused those searching through garbage dumps of recovering materials “to resell and not pay tax”.
Feito’s comments quickly went viral, prompting calls for her impeachment and a wave of criticism in a country experiencing a tough economic situation in recent years. Even Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel was critical, saying that the lack of sensitivity in addressing vulnerability is “highly questionable”. “The revolution cannot leave anyone behind; that is our motto, our militant responsibility,” Diaz-Canel said on his X account.
Cuba is grappling with its deepest economic slump in three decades, with official data showing a 1.1% decline in gross domestic product in 2024, bringing the cumulative decline over five years to 11%. The pension of a retiree is about 2,000 Cuban pesos per month, roughly $5 on the informal market, and just under the cost of a carton of eggs. For those who don’t receive remittances from family abroad, it means going hungry.
Self-employed Enrique Guillén believes the minister is wrong and that some people do not see the situation clearly, and hopes the government will take action. “They are elderly people who count on a pension that does not exist. They cannot even buy a carton of eggs. It is the reality we are living in Cuba,” Guillén said.
Feito’s resignation was accepted by the Cuban Communist Party and the government, with a statement saying she had “acknowledged her errors and submitted her resignation” over her “lack of objectivity and sensitivity” in addressing issues that are “at the centre of political and governmental management”. The government has faced criticism for its handling of the economic crisis, with many Cubans struggling to make ends meet.
Cuba blames its economic woes on a Cold War-era United States trade embargo, which complicates financial transactions and the acquisition of essentials, such as fuel and spare parts. The US imposed the embargo in 1960 after the Cuban Revolution, led by Fidel Castro. The embargo is widely criticized, with 185 of 193 countries at the United Nations voting to condemn it.