Latest news with #MartaElenaFeitoCabrera
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Cuban Minister Quits After Scoffing at Communist Island's Poor
Cuba's labor minister resigned days after she went viral for claiming the island's beggars and garbage scavengers weren't truly poor, but rather trying to bilk the communist regime. Marta Elena Feito Cabrera's resignation was accepted for her 'lack of objectivity and sensibility' in discussing 'real and unwanted issues that affect our society,' state-run news outlet Cubadebate reported Wednesday.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Cuban minister resigns after suggesting beggars are pretending
Cuban Labour and Social Security Minister Marta Elena Feito Cabrera has resigned after saying there are no beggars in Cuba, only people pretending to be. Cuba's presidency said in a post on social media on Wednesday that Feito had 'acknowledged her errors and submitted her resignation' over her 'lack of objectivity and sensitivity' in addressing issues that are 'at the centre of political and governmental management'. The news came a day after Feito made the comments about poverty in the island nation to deputies in a 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 said. The minister added that people cleaning car windscreens live 'easy' lives and they use the money they make to 'drink alcohol'. Feito also lashed out against those who search through rubbish dumps, saying they are recovering materials 'to resell and not pay tax'. The remarks quickly went viral, prompting calls for Feito's impeachment and a wave of criticism in a country experiencing a tough economic situation in recent years. Even Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel was critical. Without mentioning her by name but referring to the meeting at the National Assembly committee in which Feito participated, Diaz-Canel said 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.' Cuba blames its economic woes on a Cold War-era United States trade embargo, which complicates financial transactions and the acquisition of essentials, such as fuel and spare parts. The US imposed the embargo in 1960 after the Cuban Revolution, led by Fidel Castro. The embargo is widely criticised with 185 of 193 countries at the United Nations voting to condemn it. US President Donald Trump recently tightened sanctions on the island's Communist Party-run government, pledging to restore a 'tough' policy towards the Caribbean country. Former US President Barack Obama took considerable steps to ease tensions with Cuba during his time in office, including restoring US-Cuba relations and making the first visit by a US president to the country in 90 years. Cuba has also faced an energy crisis and blackouts in recent months as supplies of subsidised Venezuelan oil have become increasingly precarious as Venezuela grapples with its own economic woes. Last week, the US Department of State imposed sanctions against Diaz-Canel as well as the luxury high-rise Hotel Torre K in central Havana. Travel and tourism are important to Cuba's struggling economy with millions of tourists visiting the island nation each year. According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development, Cuba had a gross domestic product of $9,296 per person in 2019, making it an upper middle income country.
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Cuban minister resigns after saying 'there are no beggars in Cuba'
Cuban Minister for Labour and Social Security, Marta Elena Feitó-Cabrera, has been forced to resign from her post after she made comments in a parliamentary session which denied the existence of beggars on the Communist-run minister had said there was no such thing as "beggars" in Cuba and people going through rubbish were, in essence, doing so out of choice to make "easy money", as she put comments were widely criticised by Cubans at home and abroad, and prompted a response from the island's president, Miguel Díaz-Canel. She resigned soon levels and food shortages have worsened in Cuba as it continues to grapple with a severe economic crisis. Feitó-Cabrera made the comments earlier this week at a session of the National Assembly, in which she spoke about people begging and rummaging through dustbins in Cuba. She appeared to deny their existence saying: "There are no beggars in Cuba. There are people pretending to be beggars to make easy money." Furthermore, she accused people searching through the rubbish of being "illegal participants in the recycling service".The minister clearly misjudged the outrage and anger her comments would cause and the extent to which they portrayed the country's leadership as unfeeling, authoritarian and deeply disconnected from the dire economic struggles of ordinary Cubans. A number of Cuban activists and intellectuals published a letter calling for her removal saying the comments were "an insult to the Cuban people".The Cuban president then criticised Feitó-Cabrera at the parliamentary session - albeit without mentioning her by name - saying the leadership could not "act with condescension" or be "disconnected from the realities" of the people. Cuban economist Pedro Monreal posted on X saying that there were "people disguised as ministers" in resignation was accepted by the Cuban Communist Party and the government. While the Cuban government does not publish official figures on the number of people begging, the rise in their number has been self-evident to most Cubans amid the island's deep economic crisis.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Cuba minister resigns after saying her country has no beggars
A Cuban minister who sparked criticism after saying that 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 Labour and Social Security Marta Elena Feito Cabrera 'acknowledged her errors and submitted her resignation'. Feito made the on Monday before deputies in a National Assembly committee. The comments went viral, prompting calls for Feito's impeachment and a wave of criticism in a country experiencing a tough economic situation in recent years. Even Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel was critical. Without mentioning her by name, but referring to the meeting at the National Assembly committee where Feito participated, Diaz-Canel said 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'. The economic crisis in Cuba has increased social vulnerability and led to unusual scenes for the island, such as – especially the elderly – begging or scavenging through garbage, or some cleaning windscreens at corners. '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 before the National Assembly committee. 'In Cuba there are no beggars.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cuban minister faces backlash for saying there are no beggars in Cuba
HAVANA (AP) — A Cuban minister sparked criticism Tuesday, including from the president, after saying that there are no beggars in Cuba, only people disguised as such, and suggesting that those who clean windshields at crossroads have an 'easy' life. Cuba's Minister of Labor and Social Security, Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera, made the comments on Monday before deputies in a National Assembly committee. They went viral, prompting calls for Feitós' impeachment and a wave of criticism in a country experiencing a tough economic situation in recent years. 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. '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," Feitó said before the National Assembly committee. "In Cuba there are no beggars.' She added that people cleaning windshields use the money to 'drink alcohol.' Feitó also lashed out against those who search through the garbage dumps. She said they are recovering materials 'to resell and not pay tax.' Without mentioning her name, but referring to the meeting at the National Assembly committee where Feitó participated, President Miguel Díaz-Canel said 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.' Until a few years ago, despite the poverty, there were no signs of begging or homelessness on the island thanks to benefits that have now been greatly reduced. The pension of a retiree is about 2,000 Cuban pesos per month, roughly $5 on the informal market, and just under the cost of a carton of eggs. For those who don't receive remittances from family abroad, it means going hungry. Self-employed Enrique Guillén believes the minister is wrong and that some people do not see the situation clearly, and hopes the government will take action. 'They are elderly people who count on a pension that does not exist. They cannot even buy a carton of eggs. It is the reality we are living in Cuba,' Guillén said. On Monday, island authorities reported that Cuba's gross domestic product fell by 1.1% in 2024, accumulating a decline of 11% over the past five years. Andrea Rodríguez, The Associated Press Sign in to access your portfolio
