Cuban Minister Says 'There Are No Beggars,' Now an Ex-Minister

A Cuban minister who sparked criticism after saying there are no beggars in Cuba, only people disguised as such, resigned on Tuesday. Cuba's Presidency said in a post on X that Minister of Labor and Social Security Marta Elena Feito Cabrera "acknowledged her errors and submitted her resignation." Feito made the comments earlier this week before deputies in a National Assembly committee, per the AP. Her remarks went viral, prompting calls for Feito's impeachment and a wave of criticism in a country experiencing a tough economic situation in recent years.

"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," Feito said on Monday. "In Cuba there are no beggars." She added at the time that people cleaning windshields use the money to "drink alcohol" and lashed out against those who search through garbage dumps, claiming they're recovering materials "to resell and not pay tax."

The economic crisis in Cuba has increased social vulnerability and led to unusual scenes for the island, such as people—especially the elderly—begging or scavenging through garbage, or some cleaning windshields at corners, as Feito mentioned. Until a few years ago, despite poverty in Cuba, there were few signs of begging or homelessness on the island, thanks to benefits that have now been greatly reduced. The pension of a retiree is now about the equivalent of $5 a month—just under the cost of a carton of eggs. For those who don't receive remittances from family abroad, that can mean going hungry.

story continues below

Even Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel was critical of Feito's comments. Without mentioning her by name, but referring to the meeting at the National Assembly committee where Feito participated, Diaz-Canel wrote on X that "the lack of sensitivity in addressing vulnerability is highly questionable. The revolution cannot leave anyone behind; that is our motto, our militant responsibility."