Cuban Leader Acknowledges Child Labor and Begging Amid Longstanding Denial

Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel has finally acknowledged the troubling rise of social issues such as child labor, begging, informal work, and harassment of tourists. These problems, which he claims were previously eradicated, should not reemerge amidst the current economic turmoil. "We have always taken pride in the fact that the Revolution eliminated these issues, and we cannot allow them to resurface during this economic crisis: poverty, begging, informal child labor, harassment of tourists," Díaz-Canel stated while speaking in Granma province.

Rather than directly addressing the state's role in the disintegration of Cuban society, Díaz-Canel shifted the blame onto families. He suggested that many of the alarming cases today are not due to governmental inefficiency but rather the alleged "shamelessness" of some citizens. "There are people who need assistance, but there's also a significant number who need to be held accountable by their families, in accordance with our laws. There are individuals who are physically capable of working, yet they choose not to, engaging in deceitful activities and creating very negative situations," he remarked.

A Shift in Narrative: Blaming Citizens Over Government

By emphasizing that these issues should not be addressed with "assistentialism" and by differentiating between the "vulnerable" and the "fraudulent," Díaz-Canel perpetuates a narrative that criminalizes poverty. This strategy is often employed to justify the lack of structural responses with punitive or selective measures.

For decades, the Cuban government consistently denied the existence of phenomena such as begging or child labor. Acknowledging their spread today not only disrupts the foundational revolutionary narrative but also highlights the social consequences of the current economic model.

Media Coverage and Government Accountability

In March, a report by Canal Caribe titled "Actions to Prevent Vagrant Behavior in Cuba" primarily blamed addictions for the presence of homeless individuals, avoiding mention of the deep-seated structural issues and the state's failure to tackle the crisis. Meanwhile, in Las Tunas, media discussions shed light on child labor, revealing a practice that, despite being informal and exacerbated by the economic crisis, violates fundamental children's rights.

This approach not only sidesteps self-criticism but also opens the door to new forms of social control and stigmatization, with potential legal implications under the new Penal Code and Family Code, which Díaz-Canel cited as tools for demanding accountability.

Despite the severity of the situation, Díaz-Canel did not announce any specific public policies or immediate actions to address the growing vulnerability faced by thousands of Cubans.