Cuban Labor Minister Steps Down After Explosive Remarks on Poverty

Marta Elena Feitó-Cabrera's resignation highlights the disconnect between government and citizens amid worsening poverty.

Cuba's Minister for Labour and Social Security, Marta Elena Feitó-Cabrera, has resigned following her controversial statement in a parliamentary session that dismissed the presence of beggars on the island. Her assertion that individuals scouring through trash were merely seeking "easy money" sparked outrage among Cubans, both locally and internationally.

The backlash was significant enough to prompt Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel to address the issue, emphasizing that the leadership must remain in tune with the hardships faced by the populace. Feitó-Cabrera had made her comments during a discussion about those begging and rummaging through garbage for sustenance. She argued that these individuals were not truly beggars, but rather "illegal participants in the recycling service," claiming, “There are no beggars in Cuba.”

The minister's words were taken as an affront by many, leading to a collective call from Cuban activists and intellectuals for her ousting, branding her remarks as "an insult to the Cuban people." In a public session, Díaz-Canel criticized the government’s lack of empathy, indirectly referring to Feitó-Cabrera, highlighting the fundamental disconnect between officials and citizens struggling amid the ongoing economic crisis.

While the government refrains from issuing official statistics on begging, the increase in visible poverty is apparent to most Cubans, particularly as food shortages and economic challenges continue to escalate. Following widespread dissatisfaction, Feitó-Cabrera's resignation was formally accepted by both the Cuban Communist Party and the government, underscoring the pressing need for sensitivity and awareness among public officials during these trying times.