Cuba’s Labour and Social Security Minister, Marta Elena Feito Cabrera, has resigned following widespread backlash over controversial comments she made about poverty on the island.
Her resignation was announced on Wednesday in a post by the Cuban presidency on social media. The statement noted that Feito had “acknowledged her errors and submitted her resignation” due to a “lack of objectivity and sensitivity” when speaking about issues that are central to the government’s responsibilities.
The backlash followed comments she made a day earlier to deputies in a National Assembly committee. During the meeting, Feito said:
“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.”
She added: “In Cuba, there are no beggars.”
Feito also criticised those who clean car windscreens for money, saying they live “easy” lives and spend their earnings on alcohol. She further claimed that people searching through rubbish dumps were doing so to resell materials without paying taxes.
Her remarks quickly spread online and drew strong condemnation, with many calling for her removal, particularly as Cuba grapples with deep economic hardship. President Miguel Díaz-Canel also appeared to respond indirectly. Referring to the National Assembly session, he posted on X:
“The lack of sensitivity in addressing vulnerability is highly questionable. The revolution cannot leave anyone behind; that is our motto, our militant responsibility.”
Cuba’s economy has been under severe strain for years. The government attributes much of the hardship to the decades‑long U.S. trade embargo, in place since 1960, which has limited Cuba’s ability to conduct international transactions and import essential goods like fuel and spare parts.
The embargo has been widely condemned internationally, with 185 out of 193 United Nations member states voting against it. While former U.S. President Barack Obama worked to ease tensions—restoring diplomatic ties and visiting Havana in 2016—his successor, Donald Trump, reinstated tougher sanctions.
More recently, Cuba has struggled with an energy crisis and frequent blackouts, as subsidised oil shipments from Venezuela have become less reliable.
Just last week, the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on President Díaz-Canel and the luxury Hotel Torre K in central Havana.
Tourism remains a vital lifeline for the Cuban economy. Millions of visitors arrive each year, and according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development, Cuba’s GDP stood at $9,296 per person in 2019, classifying it as an upper‑middle‑income country.
