TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Minister of Labor and Social Security of Cuba, Marta Elena Feito Cabrera, has resigned after stating that there are no beggars in Cuba. According to Feito, people are just pretending to be beggars.
The Cuban presidency stated the following in a social media post on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, that Feito had acknowledged her mistake. She submitted her resignation due to her insensitivity in addressing issues within her jurisdiction.
As reported by Al Jazeera, the news came a day after Feito made comments about poverty in the island nation to representatives in the National Assembly committee. "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. "In Cuba, there are no beggars," she added.
The minister also added that people who clean car windshields lead an easy life. They use the money they earn to drink alcohol.
Feito also strongly criticized those who scavenge for trash. She said that they gather material to be sold and do not pay taxes.
The statement quickly went viral, sparking calls for her resignation. A wave of criticism swept through the country, which has faced difficult economic situations in recent years. Even Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel criticized her.
Without mentioning her name but referring to the meeting in the National Assembly committee attended by Feito, Diaz-Canel stated on his X account, "The lack of sensitivity in addressing vulnerability is highly questionable. The revolution cannot leave anyone behind; that is our motto, our militant responsibility," said President Diaz-Canel.
Cuba blames its economic difficulties on the U.S. trade embargo during the Cold War. The economic hardship has made financial transactions and obtaining basic necessities such as fuel and spare parts more challenging. The U.S. imposed an embargo on Cuba in 1960 following the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro.
The embargo has been widely criticized. About 185 out of 193 countries in the United Nations voted to condemn it.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently tightened sanctions against the Communist-run Cuban government. He promised to restore a tough policy towards the Caribbean nation.
During his tenure, former U.S. President Barack Obama took significant steps to ease tensions with Cuba, including the restoration of U.S.-Cuba relations. Obama also made the first visit by a U.S. president to the country in the last 90 years.
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