Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel issued a rare public rebuke of one of his ministers on Tuesday after the country’s labor chief denied the existence of beggars in Cuba, sparking public outrage amid worsening economic conditions.
Labor and Social Security Minister Marta Elena Feito made the incendiary comments on Monday in a parliamentary commission session, saying: "We have seen beggars who seem to be beggars, but if you look at the hands, if you look at the clothes, they are dressed up as beggars. In Cuba, there are no beggars." Her words were broadcast live by state television.
Feito continued to explain these people as people who "found an easy way of life, to make money and not to work as is appropriate." She also called windshield washers people likely looking for money to drink alcohol and called those picking up trash unlicensed recyclers who do not want to pay taxes.
She was sharply criticized by Diaz-Canel the next day. Addressing the same commission, the Cuban president admitted the evident rise of poverty and homelessness as a direct result of the nation's worsening economic crisis.
"These individuals, whom we occasionally define as homeless or associated with begging, are in fact tangible manifestations of the social inequalities and the accumulated issues we encounter," Diaz-Canel stated. "I do not agree with some of the criteria mentioned in the commission on this matter."
He pointed out that Cuba's recent economic distress characterized by inflation, shortages, and increasing daily struggles for most citizens has compounded social vulnerabilities. "The economic crisis has amplified social issues… the vulnerable are not our enemies," he further added.
Feito was absent from Tuesday's session and has yet to respond to the president's comments. The event represents a rare public discussion of domestic disagreement within Cuba's highly restricted political arena.
