Cuban labour minister resigns after denying existence of beggars
Cuba’s Minister for Labour and Social Security, Marta Elena Feito-Cabrera, has resigned following a wave of public outrage over controversial comments in which she claimed that “there are no beggars in Cuba.”
The minister, speaking at a National Assembly session earlier this week, dismissed visible signs of poverty on the streets of Havana, stating that those rummaging through garbage were merely seeking “easy money” and were “illegal participants in the recycling service.” Her remarks quickly sparked criticism from citizens, activists, and even members of the government, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
“In Cuba, we don’t have beggars,” Feito-Cabrera said during the televised session. “We have people pretending to be beggars.”
The comments struck a nerve in a nation battling a deepening economic crisis marked by food shortages, inflation, and increasing poverty. Images of people scavenging for food in dumpsters have become increasingly common in Cuban cities — contradicting the minister’s claims and underscoring the disconnect between official rhetoric and lived reality.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel, addressing the same parliamentary session, responded indirectly but pointedly to the controversy. Without naming Feitó-Cabrera, he warned against leadership that acted “with condescension” or was “disconnected from the realities of the people.”
Public backlash intensified after a group of Cuban intellectuals and civil society members published an open letter condemning the minister’s remarks as “an insult to the Cuban people” and called for her immediate removal. Prominent economist Pedro Monreal added fuel to the fire by posting on X (formerly Twitter), “In Cuba, there are people disguised as ministers.”
The Communist Party and government swiftly accepted Feito-Cabrera’s resignation on Wednesday, aiming to contain the growing dissent.
Although Cuba does not release official statistics on homelessness or street begging, the rise in visible poverty is undeniable. For many, the minister’s comments were a painful reminder of how out of touch the political elite appears amid one of the worst economic downturns the island has faced in decades.
The government has not yet announced a replacement for Feito-Cabrera.
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