Cuba’s Labour Minister, Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera, resigned after her remarks at a National Assembly session sparked widespread criticism both domestically and internationally. First, during the session, she caused quite a stir by denying the existence of beggars in Cuba. She claimed that when people sift through garbage cans they do it by free will, seeking to make their “easy money.”
Feitó Cabrera’s statements were met with anger by many Cubans. They thought her statements were truly delusional and divorced from the grim realities that Americans are experiencing during these deep continued economic gloom. The minister described those searching through refuse as “illegal participants in the recycling service,” further alienating herself from the population’s grievances.
To counter her comments, Cuba president Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly shamed Feitó Cabrera in front of the EU parliament. He looked back on the need for leadership to remain grounded and in touch with the people’s fight. He argued that they can’t do so with condescension or while being out of touch with the present day realities endured by the Cuban people.
As the backlash exploded, a new generation of Cuban activists and intellectuals had mobilized. They released an open letter calling for the removal of Feitó Cabrera from office. The letter decried her remarks as “an insult to the Cuban people.” It fed into and nourished this perception that the government’s leadership is heartless and dictatorial.
In her controversial remarks, Feitó Cabrera had asserted, “There are no beggars in Cuba. There are people pretending to be beggars to make easy money.” The statement sent shock waves throughout the industry. They did this with a straight face, even as COVID-19 deepened poverty and food insecurity across the island-nation. Today, most Cubans struggle to find even their most basic needs, such as medicines which often require hunting them down through a network of pharmacies.
The Castro government has long and repeatedly blamed the U.S. embargo for the island’s economic crash. They claim that this embargo has made their citizens’ grave financial situation even worse. Opponents say that isn’t a sufficient explanation and it does not excuse this leadership’s failure to focus on domestic priorities.
Following the intense public backlash and the president’s criticism, Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera’s resignation was accepted by both the Cuban Communist Party and the government. Her exit highlights the increasing frustration of Cubans with their leaders’ response to everyday issues. This experience speaks to a broader sense of desperation and discontent with the status quo in Cuba.
