HAVANA — Cuba’s Minister of Labor Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera has resigned following intense backlash over remarks denying the existence of beggars on the island, even as the country grapples with worsening poverty and food shortages.
Speaking during a session of the National Assembly earlier this week, Feitó Cabrera said, “There are no beggars in Cuba. There are people pretending to be beggars to make easy money.” She further claimed that individuals scavenging through trash were “illegal participants in the recycling service.”
The comments sparked a wave of criticism from Cuban citizens, activists, and even government officials, who viewed her statements as disconnected from the country’s escalating humanitarian crisis. Public outcry, rare in a country where dissent is tightly controlled, quickly followed.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded to the controversy during the same parliamentary session, without naming Feitó directly. “We cannot act with condescension,” he said. “We must not be disconnected from the realities our people face.”
Cuba is facing its worst economic downturn in decades. Food shortages, blackouts, inflation, and dwindling access to essential medicine have created dire conditions for many. Images of residents sleeping in doorways or searching garbage bins for food are becoming increasingly common across Havana and other major cities.
Critics slammed Feitó Cabrera for minimizing the suffering of Cubans. Economist Pedro Monreal reacted to her remarks on social media, writing, “It must be that there are also people disguised as ‘ministers.’” A letter signed by local activists and academics called her comments “an insult to the Cuban people” and demanded her removal.
The government and Communist Party accepted her resignation shortly after the backlash peaked.
Feitó’s fall comes as Cuba continues to seek international aid. Just weeks ago, the government appealed to the United Nations for help in addressing the food crisis. Daily life remains strained by power outages and limited access to transportation and medical supplies.
Her departure marks a rare moment of accountability within the upper ranks of Cuba’s leadership prompted not by internal party friction, but by public frustration broadcast across homes and phones throughout the island.
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